Summer = Trouble

Trouble for my wallet.

A lot of people in Toronto probably already subscribe to the Toronto Craft Alert blog, a great blog that tells you about all the crafty going-ons in the city. I just recently subscribed to it, and I am noticing a link between the good weather and the number of great events being posted!

This weekend, there were so many great events, but I had to miss most of them because of the wedding I was helping Gabe photograph, which went great by the way! Thank you for all the encouraging words you left on my last post! The bride and groom were so stylish and in love. This was the first wedding I have seen with a live band playing in the dancing part of the reception, and I really enjoyed the live performance! I would have never recommended a band to play at a wedding before, but this wedding has changed my mind! I hope to show you some shots of this wedding after Gabe has finished fine tuning them.

We did manage to go to a vintage/used camera fair, where dealers and private vendors come out to sell all photography related equipment, and some film equipment too. I would have never gone if May didn't say "let's go!". I am usually lazy like that, and find it easier to say "no" rather than "yes".....but boy am I glad I said yes this time. I went through my very small inventory of film equipment and I decided I would concentrate on looking for Hasselblad equipment. We got a strap for my camera (we have been looking for this one for long time.) and a new lens!!!! I didn't expect to make such a large purchase today, but I can't wait to use it this summer!

It seems like summer is full of these great opportunities for great finds!! I hope you all find some amazing things at yard sales, fairs, and even on the side of the road! For now, I will try with all my might to stop with the spending, and just sit here and play with my new hassy lens.

(I like how I posted a funny photo of Gabe, two posts in a row!)

Ice cream + dressup

May got an ice cream maker from Gabe for her birthday. Now she can feed her ice cream cravings whenever she has them. She made us berry frozen yogurt, it was so simple and delicious!

This summer, I am lucky enough to be an assistant photographer, helping Gabe photograph weddings! He photographed our wedding, and Jin and I were amazed by the results. When he asked if I could help him with this years weddings, I was more than happy to say yes! Tomorrow is my first day, I am excited and nervous!

He was going over some things with me earlier this week, but in the end, we all just started playing with all the props for the photobooth!

Friday Accomplishment

Today, I rode my bike with high heels on.
My very first time.
I was scared at first, the angle of my foot is just weird!
My foot even slipped a few times off the pedal,
but I think I am ready for a night on the town, via my bicycle.

I hope you have a lovely friday evening, and a lovely weekend.
Go get some vitaman D in the sun!

The progression of our outdoor room

Jin and I spent the entire long weekend rearranging our "outdoor room" by putting in some stepping stones, new paths and paving, ripping out weeds, and planting the small variety of plants and flowers I bought. I found an old photo I took of our backyard, I think it was the day after a party we had. It feels like an entirely different space to me. When we first moved into our apartment, our backyard was a mess. It was a small piece of land with really tall weeds that would sprout out every summer. And, it was home to an old, broken stove. I had no idea how to handle it, and at the time, I was too busy getting through my undergraduate degree. Once I graduated, I convinced Jin and our landlady that the backyard needed to be inhabited like an outdoor extension to the house (which is not what we were using it for!). So I proposed a patio, and a cleanup. I enlisted the help of my good friend, and we were pretty confident to build a patio, being architecture grads and all, but it still took us 2 weeks from start to finish! I guess drawing isn't anything like construction!

We still need a little more cleanup, and it still looks pretty bare, with little baby plants and shrubs, but I like it so much better than when we first moved in!

May Babies

Apparantly, a lot of people I know have birthdays in May. So many, that we went to 3 different birthdays on our long weekend! I had 3 different cakes, on 3 different nights, with 3 different groups of friends. What a great way to catch up with everybody!!

I had a great long weekend. The Victoria Day long weekend is usually when people start gardening, and this is my very first year! But more on that later.

Let me have cake, and eat it too!

I am a fan

Speaking of housewares, wouldn't you love to own a dish, or a teacup from Studio Violet? I love Elizabeth and Camilla's work. Seeing their work tickles my eyes and inspires my heart.
Watch them work in this great video here.

via Lena Corwin

housewares for our home

Jin was out of town last week, so my first insinct was to do some shopping. I found some kitty plates at One's in Vaughan Mills, one for Jin and I, and one for each of our kitties! I also found an amazing skirt at Holt Renfrew Last Call, but I have to fix the hem, and I have no idea what to wear on top. Maybe I can show you one day.

I found some flowery plates on my street, about to be thrown out. It reminded me of the vintage plates Lena Corwin collected for her beautiful wedding. Hers were so beautiful!

I found the sweet blue flowered plate and the white lamp at Value Village. I love them both very much.

How was your weekend?

tiny hands, tiny feet

We met Connor last week and he is SO TINY! He is only 8 weeks old. I have never held a baby that little before! It is so hard to believe I was once a little human like him!

I was scared to hold him at first, but I soon realized he was not as fragile as I thought he would be! I was scared when I felt the soft part at the top of his head! Be careful Connor!

It was amazing when he fell asleep in my arms.

I gave him his quilt, I think he liked it. Look at that smile!

the next project

We planted a box of flowers on our front porch. Pansies. I love that it comes in so many different colours! I wish I was one of those people who could make a beautiful arrangement with various different types of plants in one planter, but the variety of colours in these pansies amaze me for now!

I am starting a quilt for my friend, and she requested a purple and yellow quilt. Definately not my most comfortable colour combination. But I looked to my colourful box of flowers for inspiration.

I keep changing my design, hopefully it will settle soon, and I can show it to you.

Unexpected

Look at this fruit, it is called a Dragon Fruit. My mom gave me.
Have you ever had anything like it? I thought the inside would be equally as crazy, but when I cut into it, it was just black and white. Relatively tame compared to its skin.

Today, I made a pie with Mojo, and I dotted some flour on his face to make him look a little like the inside of the Dragon Fruit. He looks like a different sort of cat with white spots!