summer

This weekend is the unofficial start to the summer season. Mr. B and I spent the day on the Toronto Islands.


We went to the Centreville Zoo:





Now I'm tired and very likely a little bit sunburned while we're waiting for the ferry ride back to the city...
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Location:Bayview Ave,Centre Island,Canada

Macaron for Moms

Mmmmmm






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What will lift your wolfish mood?

I posted this on my teaching blog, but I think that there are a lot of people here who would enjoy this trailer (yes! a trailer for a book! they make these now....)

This makes me happy :)



This book, Virginia Wolf, is a children's picture book loosely based on the relationship between writer Virginia Woolf and her sister, painter Vanessa Bell. When someone else is in a wolfish mood, what do you do to make them happy?

What I'm coveting today :)

Have you seen Mimi Kirchner's dolls?

Source: mimikirchner.com via Martha on Pinterest

Fabulousness!

Uppercase 13

The new Uppercase is out! You can see a preview here! Order one here, or if you are in the west end of Toronto, pick one up at The Workroom ( on Queen and Brock) or at Type (across from Trinity Bellwoods Park on Queen) (please visit Type's wonderful website to see the very cool video on the home page!)
(you might want to call first to make sure that Uppercase is in stock)

I have a gift card for The Workroom, so I'll be getting this issue :) I love art that shows clouds, and this issue is full of them. Funny, though, because I strongly dislike rain.... very strongly....

A Year of Frugal

Many people have emailed to ask how my year of frugal is going. It's going very well!!! Other than the ikea indiscretion (I didn't actually buy anything, but Mr. B did)..... This week I had to buy 5 small containers at the Dollar Store for my classroom and I felt terribly guilty. But we made counters that involved small black beans, and the beans keep falling through the holes in the baskets that I have. So, to avoid having the caretaker actually kill me, I invested a few dollars in containers. But that was for school.... not for me. I bought a sweater and a bunch of silk ties at a thrift shop a few weeks ago too. I have performed surgery on the sweater (I love it, I should show it to you! , and the silk ties were a gift for my dear friend Meep.

This is what I'm coveting today! Last night for Earth Hour we lit candles. I had an unopened Yankee Candle votive so I put it in the bathroom. Oh, heavenly! Pineapple Cilantro. Yum! There is some coconut in there too. Reminds me of summer..... Aaaaahhhhh, summer......

Earth Hour

Hanging out with friends, roasting mini marshmallows over tea lights .:.


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Where I Relax

March Photo a Day -- Where You Relax


My favourite place to relax is near the water. Beach, pool, river, pond, bathtub..... Today Mr B and I had a little nap on the beach ( in our winter coats! ). This was my view.... Nice. I am so lucky to live within walking distance of the beach!

Today is also the last day of March. I've enjoyed this challenge, and I'm not as tired of the look of hipstamatic as I thought I'd be. My mom is, though! I posted it all from my iphone. That wasn't so hard either. Next month maybe I'll have more time for art. This month has been all about sickness, recovery and school. ......and Pinterest :)


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Toy

March Photo a Day -- Toy


I LOVE Fisher Price Little People. I have a small collection, but I would like a crowd.... Cowboy isn't my favourite, I prefer Pothead. But I don't have a Pothead. You know, that guy... I think that he's wearing blue and has a yellow pot on his head...

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Feet

March Photo a Day -- Feet
While I love taking photos of my feet, I prefer to do it with my nice summer shoes... So once again, Andy is my model.


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Trash

March Photo a Day -- Trash
I didn't intend to photograph actual trash, but this is my view while I'm waiting for the bus. I could have made it look beautiful, but it just looked sad and made me sad. Why do people litter?


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Location:Coxwell Ave,Toronto,Canada

My Name

March Photo a Day -- My Name
m is for martha!

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Key

March Photo a Day -- Key


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Breakfast

March Photo a Day -- Breakfast.
Well, darn, I forgot to take a picture of it. It was scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast with blackberry jam ( homemade by Mr. B) ( the jam was homemade by Mr. B -- I cooked the breakfast!)
So here I give you the crumbs.

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Animal

March Photo a Day -- an Animal
I'm kind of housebound ( still sick) the only animal in the house is Andy ( I hope). But he's so cute!

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Moon

March Photo a Day -- Moon
( a piece of indigo dyed silk)


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Location:Toronto,Canada

Kitchen Sink

March Photo a Day -- Kitchen Sink
( my favourite mug)


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Delicious

March Photo a Day -- Delicious!


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Before and After

March Photo a Day -- Before and After!


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Funny

March Photo a Day-- Funny
Okay, I'm a bit behind in my posting -- and perhaps this isn't so funny, but I LOVE angry birds and I think they are so funny.


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A Corner of my Home

March Photo a Day -- a Corner of My Home. Featuring a Little Dude made by Don Madden.

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Green

March Photo a Day Challenge -- today's theme is "green". I've been playing in the studio today! (while spring cleaning)...
Happy St. Paddy's Day! ( and make sure that it's Paddy with 2 d's or Colette will come and get you! :)

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Sunglasses

March Photo a Day Challenge -- today's theme was "sunglasses". Mr. B's sunglasses are stuck in the 80's, lol .


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Car

March Photo a Day Challenge ( for Thursday, oops )
The theme was "car"..... This is the logo on Mr. B's car.

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Cloud

March Photo a Day Challenge -- Clouds
There were no clouds in the sky, so we made some!


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A Sign

March Photo a Day Challenge: "a sign"
No Fun.
So, last week I had the flu ( no fun). This week I had a terrible earache ( no fun) Then my eardrum perforated (no fun). Now I've totally lost my voice (no fun). So I can't hear or speak.
Aren't I a bucket of fun? At least I can walk around in this BEAUTIFUL weather and take pictures! That's fun!

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Fork

March Photo a Day Challenge (today's theme-- fork)
Fork?????


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Someone I talked to

March Photo a Day (today's theme "someone you talked to") ( although I don't know if he'll be talking to me after he sees this )
( but he wouldn't stop talking! Lol)

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Loud

March Photo a Day Challenge ( today's theme is "loud")


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Red

March Photo a Day Challenge -- today's theme is "red"


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Window

March Photo a Day Challenge -- today's theme is "window" . Being housebound, I didn't have many window choices! So my faithful friend posed again for me. I am taking all of the March pictures with my iPhone, using the hipstamatic app. I might be hipstamatic-ed out by the end of the month!


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5pm

March Photo a Day Challenge-- today's theme is 5pm.
Normally, at 5pm, I'm at school (planning for the next day) or I'm at the gym.
Today I'm in bed. Still. Sick.


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Smile

I'm at home, sick, today. This smiling face kept me company.
( march photo a day challenge, todays theme is "smile")

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Location:Middleton St,Toronto,Canada

Bedside

March Photo a Day Challenge "bedside"
- pretty much sums up today.....


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Your Neighbourhood ( and a little giveaway)

Today's March Photo a Day Challenge is "Your Neighbourhood"

I originally was going to use a shot of my neighbour's house which has a tree part way through it, but I thought that we've had enough of those images on these windy, broken days.

Oh, and by the way, does anyone know what this is? It's right across the street from my house... I'll give a prize for the first correct answer ;)

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Fruit

March 2 Photo a Day Challenge. Today's theme is "fruit"


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Up

March 1 Photo a Day challenge!
Today's theme is "up"
Click Here to Join!
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March Photo a Day Challenge

I've joined the March Photo a Day Challenge!

Challenges give me a focus and help prevent me from spending every waking minute thinking about school!

Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with this -- I've put the list of themes in my phone case, so I'll have no excuse......
Today's theme is "up". I'll be photographing "up" some time during the day and posting it remotely from my phone. Stay tuned, check back!

What I'm coveting today :)

I can't stop thinking about these shoes. ...in green or eggplant. ..........sigh.......... maybe all of my shoes will wear out at once and I'll HAVE to buy new ones :)

Source: planetshoes.com via Martha on Pinterest

29 in 29

I've had a hard time keeping it up on weekdays, but I've been filling my bags on the weekends -- and getting rid of things! The house doesn't look any less full though....

I got rid of a box and a bag of art supplies at the Bizzy B's used stamp sale. Unfortunately I brought home 2 bags -- mostly books and some punches. Yes, I spent some money, $69. But it was all used and super cheap :) And most of it is going to school! (I did say at the get-go that I would buy used items from yard sales and thrift shops -- this counts :)

Other things that are leaving or that have left:
Bag for Goodwill
Bag for a Woman's Shelter
Box of Books for my School's Book Sale
Bag of broken computers
Bag of old food from my fridge, sadly
a set of 3 chairs
I'm going through more stuff today to toss -- February is almost over and this challenge was a great SUCCESS!

Have you read what Jenny Doh is doing this year? She is wearing the same dress every day to raise money for Water.org. For more than 20 years, Water.org has been finding long-term solutions that involve buy-in from local community members within developing nations to find ways to support sustainable ways in which water can be brought to people who need it.. Read about it here! I love the black dress that she is wearing -- she is layering it and accessorizing it differently every day. If you follow her blog you will see how she makes it look different every day. I wonder how sick she will be of it by February 13, 2013? I'm not sure if I could do that, but I would definitely try, if I was raising money for a good charity. Here is a picture of Jenny in her dress:

Source: blog.crescendoh.com via Martha on Pinterest

Song For A Winter's Night

It was cold here today. We've had such a mild winter that I'm not used to it. Tonight I am going to be snug and cozy inside.... and happy that tomorrow is a holiday! Family Day.
But for tonight, here's a song for Mr. B .....

Obsessing over....

Striped socks. I think that I am going to start wearing more striped socks.

I need black and white and red and white. I can make them, but I need thinner, storebought cotton ones too.... I'll ask for some from Santa next year :)

Mr. B made me these lovely ones for Christmas.. (note -- these aren't mine -- these are from Ravelry, but mine are just as nice!)

Source: flickr.com via Martha on Pinterest

Five Faves Friday! Favourite Clothing Stores

I'm not buying any new clothes this year, so, of course I am lusting over EVERYTHING. I always wear leayers. They are just... me....
My favourite places to buy clothes are:

1. Anthropologie. I swoon over it all!

(I love this jumper from Anthro - click on the pic)

2. The Gap -- all of my jeans come from here. Perfect Boot and Forever Skinny.

3. Banana Republic -- T Shirts -- So soft and fabulous quality!

4. Free People -- love these clothes more than any other.

(pretty top from Free People)

5. Treehouse 28 on etsy --The best custom made tshirts and dresses!

There are always so many clothing designers at the One of a Kind show that I love too. Susan Harris makes the best repurposed sweaters

This week at the library

I'm still working at blogging through the phone . Please be patient with me. Typing on the minuscule keyboard is ridiculous!



I'm finding so many great books at the library. Push Stitchery is fabulous. If you like surface embroidery, you'll love this. Go take it out of your library!
All of these were great to look through. If I was going to buy one, it would be Practical textiles Techniques ( almost hidden on the right). I'll take it out of the Library again for sure.

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Coffee, tea and hipstamatic

Mr. B and I were playing...




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