Month: June 2012

In which she changes coffee teams

I have a confession to make. A coffee confession. After a life-long love affair with Tim Hortons and all that they stand for, I’ve changed teams. I think I’ve become … a Starbucks girl.

It’s a transformation that started on a sleepy Christmas day back in 2006, when the Starbucks drive-thru was there for me in a pinch. Irreconcilable differences arose when Tim’s forgot to issue a Christmas cup in 2011. And then, in the summer of 2012, Starbucks did the unthinkable — they came out with a coffee that is not strong and bitter and aggressive. A coffee that is mellow and rich and full. They came out with the Blonde roast.

Have you tried it? It is, in my caffeinated opinion, the Best! Coffee! Ever! And hey, did you know that the milder a coffee is, the more caffeine is in it? No wonder I don’t like a strong coffee!

This totally changes how I see myself. Tim Hortons stands for nationalism, for simplicity, for people who don’t take half an hour to order a coffee. Starbucks has always, in my mind, been for fancy people. Does this make me high-maintenance? While I’m not (yet) ordering an extra-hot half-caff micro-roast with organic soy milk, I did figure out that I can get more bang for my buck if I order a Grande coffee in a Venti cup, leaving enough room for the 1/3 cup of milk I like to add to just about any coffee. Except I have to concentrate every time I place an order to make sure I get the words out in the right order.

Until Starbucks builds an outpost in Manotick, there’s still room in my heart for the insanely busy and ridiculously-planned drive-thru Tim’s around the corner. But Starbucks? I think I love you!

Edited to add: Almost forgot! If you read this early enough, shuffle out to Starbucks today to try a Blonde roast for only 25c, to celebrate Starbucks’ 25th anniversary in Canada.

This week in pictures: Postcards and iPhone shots

Some weeks have time for planning a shot, bringing together elements intentionally and trying things from a few different angles and perspectives. And some weeks I just point my camera at the things around me as I find them and keep running on to the next thing on the list.

This week? Definitely one of the latter. (Is it summer vacation yet? I really REALLY need a vacation!!) Shots this week were grabbed in the middle of a bike ride, on the way back to the office after French lessons and even in the waiting room of the optometrist. This, I think, illustrates two important points. The first is that there is beauty and interesting things worth photographing just about everywhere. The other is that I may be a little bit obsessive about taking pictures. Is this news to anyone?

I can’t believe I’ve never taken this particular tourist shot of the Rideau Canal and the Parliament Buildings before. I have the winter version, but the summer shot is so much nicer — I was particularly pleased to catch the white tour boat chugging through the scene. People find the blog all the time looking for “postcards of Ottawa” — here ya go!

Parliamentary post card

Speaking of the Rideau Canal, I this shot from other end of my daily commute, at the Long Island Locks near Manotick. I like to ride my bike out here in the early morning, and was curious to find this boat docked there this week. Did you know there’s a four-day cruise you can take from Kingston to the Hartwell Locks? I had no idea! The boat actually overnights here at the Long Island Lock.

Docked at the Long Island Locks

This is the one taken in the optometrist’s waiting room. I liked the light, and the orange carrying from the owl to the bricks to Lucas’s shirt.

Building blocks

More fun with the star aperture on my Lensbaby, this time with the dew on the morning grass. I love how it seems like the stars are floating away. Such a silly shot.

Dewdrop dancing stars

And speaking of silly shots, another one from the “from where I stand” collection.

#fromwhereistand - mosaic

I think I was in the middle of building my shelves on the weekend when I looked over and saw the boys heaped together, peering at the iPod. The combination of the light and their postures made me drop the screwdriver and pick up my camera to catch this moment. I think it’s my favourite of the week!

brothers

And finally, my little blogger in training! I like this photo because of the light, and the subject matter. I snapped it with my iPhone to go with the blog post he was writing, and only realized when I got it onto my computer how grainy/noisy it was – a function of the iPhone trying to compensate for the low light conditions.

My blogger-in-training

Someone must have liked the picture, though, because I got a note from Getty Images on Monday saying someone had requested to license this picture through Flickr. Since I hadn’t added it to any groups, it’s likely that the person found the photo either through my blog or one of my other social networks. The wonders of the Internet never cease to amaze me. 🙂

After getting rained out last weekend, I’ve got a fun photo shoot with a family of five this afternoon. I can hardly wait!! Of course, I’ll share the pictures here soon…

Tristan’s first blog post: A Phineas and Ferb Giveaway!

Over the last decade, I’ve watched a LOT of kid TV. Most of it is to be endured rather than enjoyed, but I have to admit, when the boys are watching Phineas and Ferb, I get sucked in every time. It is by far my favourite cartoon, narrowly edging out Peep and the Big Wide World and the WonderPets. When I was recently offered the opportunity to host a giveaway of the not-yet-released DVD “Phineas and Ferb: The Perry Files” I knew I had to say yes, partly because I knew there had to be more Phineas and Ferb fans out there and (I admit it) largely because it’s Tristan’s favourite TV show, too.

Don’t take my word for it, though; let Tristan tell you about it himself! Without further ado or even (oy, this part was hard) correction of the original typos, here is Tristan on what is Phineas and Ferb and why it’s a great show:

What is Phineas and Ferb? Phineas and ferb is a tv show that has two boys named phineas and ferb and they’re sister Candace .Phineas and Ferb are always building crazy contraptions. They’re sister is always trying to bust them for it. Phineas and Ferb have three friends Isabella, Buford, and Baljeet. They’re friends help them in construction and testing their contraptions.

Perry the platypus and Dr.Doofenshmirts. Perry the platypus is Phineas’ and Ferb’s pet . Dr.Doof is always inventing machines to take over the tri state area. All of Dr.Doof’s inventions all end in the word “inator”. Perry the platypus is always destroying Dr.Doof’s “inators”. Parts of Dr.Doof’s inventions always falling in to Phineas’ and Ferb’s yard and making their inventions disappear .

Phineas and Ferb is a good television show. It is a good show because it is good for just about all ages even adults like it. It has good humor and it is good for creative people. It is also a good show because it has a song to each episode that is funky and fun to listen to. It is so strange how when ever Candace brings their mom home Phineas’ and Ferb’s inventions disappear . It gives the show a little bit of mystery .

(My little blogger-in-training. I’m so proud! You can’t quite see it in the photo, but by clever planning on my part absolute fluke he’s even wearing his Perry the Platypus T-shirt.)

My blogger-in-training

So, whether you’re already a member of the P&F fan club or your curiousity is piqued by Tristan’s review, here’s your chance to win one of three copies of the about-to-be-released DVD, “Phineas and Ferb: The Perry Files!” From the publicist:

While Phineas and Ferb do it all to make every day the best day ever, evil lurks just around the corner! But there is hope for the unsuspecting citizens of Danville. Now, for the very first time, crack open the top-secret archives of O.W.C.A. (Organization Without a Cool Acronym) to expose… THE PERRY FILES!

Join Perry the Platypus–a.k.a. Agent P.–on his most exciting adventures as he thwarts his nemesis, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, at every turn. With groovy gadgets, mad skills and his trademark brown fedora, this semi-aquatic, egg-layin’ mammal of action is unstoppable! Experience the hilarious havoc as he defends the Tristate Area against Doof’s “inators,” battles rogue agent “Dennis the Bunny,” and much more. When it comes to secret agents, Perry’s not only the real deal, he’s real teal!

Fun, eh? Here’s the details:

  1. This giveaway is for a DVD of Phineas and Ferb: The Perry Files.
  2. Three winners will be chosen from all entries using the random number generator at random.org.
  3. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling Tristan your favourite show from when you were a kid.
  4. The giveaway starts today, Monday June 4, and ends at noon EDT on Friday June 8, 2012.
  5. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada, with the exception of those residing in the province of Quebec (sorry!)
  6. If you win, you must be willing to supply your full name and mailing address to me, and I will share it with the publicist for Walt Disney Canada, who will mail the DVD to you directly.

Thanks to Walt Disney Canada and especially Tristan for making this blog post and giveaway possible!

A Sunday DIY project – barnboard shelves

I am so ridiculously pleased with myself that I want to invite you all over for coffee to admire the success of my Sunday DIY project. However, I know that by the time you all get here, the house will no longer be clean and worthy of company. Also, not sure how many of you are still reading. More than 10? We’re gonna run out of sofa!

This project has been simmering in my busy wee brain for a while now. The central dilemma was a lack of a workspace for me. I do all my photo editing and all my computer work slouched on the sofa with the laptop (and USB chill mat) perched on my lap. I wanted to edit photos like a big girl, with a tablet and even (gasp!) a dedicated monitor — and despite having a rather expansive lap, it’s not *that* big. So since we moved in here a mere year and a half ago, I’ve been musing on potential solutions.

Eventually, I decided that if we moved a bookcase, I could carve out a wee bit of space between the living room and the dining room. This is ideal because while I do not particularly like working slouched on the couch, I do spend a LOT of time on the computer, and being somewhere in the centre of the house is far more appealing than being locked away in my bedroom or the basement.

This is the “before” shot — the tall bookcase is about to disappear. Please overlook the state of the rest of the room. (Note to self, clean house before taking “before” shots, too.)

Snapseed

I didn’t want a traditional desk, and started looking for a vintagey sort of console table. Someone (was it you? Speak up and take credit!) on Twitter suggested building my own desk from some reclaimed barnwood from the Wood Source. I thought that was a spectacular idea; Beloved guffawed. In the end, we were both right. I did visit the Wood Source, and I did buy an amazingly vintage, weathered seven foot length of reclaimed barn board, but I turned it into shelves instead of a desk. And friends (thank you Younes and Amanda) donated a cast-off Ikea computer table. The table may one day be replaced by a future flea market or garage sale antique treasure, but in the interim it does a spectacular job of holding up the laptop in a most unobtrusive sort of way — exactly the job I require of it.

I should mention that I have a bit of a fear of hanging things on the wall. In our old house, I could hang a four-ounce cardboard photo frame and have it fall off the wall. I had those giant claw-shaped anchors pull out of the wall, leaving a gaping six-inch hole in the drywall. No matter what I hung, I destroyed the wall in the process. When I decided to use metal brackets, I knew I’d need anchors or to find the studs, so I went with the latter. And I needed a new drill-driver, because ours died. So I went to Wood Source for the board, Ikea for the brackets, Home Hardware for the screws and Canadian Tire for the drill-driver over the course of a couple of days. I measured and measured and measured one more time, then I cut, then I measured and marked and checked for studs, and measured and marked one more time.

And holy mother of carpentry, it worked!

Snapseed

Here’s a detail shot — those are original nail holes, not re-try screw holes!

Snapseed

Here’s my new workspace. Isnt’ it awesome?

Snapseed

I’m sitting in that chair as I’m typing this. And *touch wood* nothing has fallen on my head — so far!

This week in pictures: pretty and playful

I‘m getting lazy with the idea of the photo of a day thing. I’m still posting a new photograph every day, but I’ve taken to posting a few from the same day or session over the course of a couple of days. Some photos just deserve a day of their own! Also, taking a new picture every day? Is a lot of work. And, posting a bad picture for the sake of sticking to some arcane project rules that nobody is paying attention to but me anyway doesn’t seem to be of any benefit to anyone. So all of this week’s shots were actually taken on just four days — but those days were very photogenic indeed!

For example, we made our annual trip to the Gloucester Fair on Saturday with my mom, which is always fun for the boys and a photo bonanza for me.

Gloucester fair

Even after all those photos, I had forgotten entirely that I took this one with my iPhone, and I found it on Monday morning. I love the old-timey poster look of the processing — I’m thinking of getting one of those CanvasPop Instagram canvases made of this to hang on the wall.

Glouster Fair - iPhone version!

Speaking of favourite summer family traditions, this week marked the return of Uno on the porch after dinner at our house. Colour me happy.

Uno on the porch

Hey, did you know there is a Mill in Manotick? 😉 This pretty little patch is right beside it. I am in love with this sign, pointing the way to the fisherman’s path.

Fisherman's path

Lucas indulged me in some posed shots. I got the wagon from a flea market recently (don’t you love it?) and I had the vague idea in my head for these shots ever since.

Going to Granny's house

I still can’t decide which composition I like better.

Going to Granny's house (alternate version)

On the same (very photogenic) day, Lucas and I walked up to the school to pick up “the brothers” as he still calls them, and we had fun taking pictures on the way home. Well, they walked and I just kind of followed along, snapping photos as I went.

Through the grass

Walking from school

Going to school

(Oh my but they’re growing up quickly, aren’t they? Sometimes I can’t stand it!)

You know I like to marry up some of the photos with quotations. For this one, I chose “All things good are wild, and free.” ~ Henry David Thoreau.

"All good things are wild, and free." ~ Henry David Thoreau

I’m facing a unique new challenge with my camera this weekend — I’m doing portraits for a family with teenagers! Eek! You think my extensive repertoire knock-knock jokes will impress them? Stand by to find out! 😉

A joyful Mother’s Day – a few weeks ago

Oops! I started writing this post two three weeks ago, but just got around to finishing it today. My life? Is filled to bursting right about now. Lucky for me, I like it that way!

My friends at Fisher-Price wanted me to share my thoughts on joy with you, because one of their favourite themes is the joy of learning. What better inspiration for joy than talking about Mother’s Day?

We had a wonderful adventure-filled day on Mother’s Day this year! We spent the day exploring antiques and flea markets in Almonte, something I’ve wanted to do for ages. (I admit it, I totally pulled the “I don’t really care if you don’t want to go looking at antique stores and junk shops, darlings! It’s Mother’s Day, get in the car and stop complaining!”)

Our first stop was the Almonte Flea Market. It was a little smaller than we’d hoped, but they still had some interesting things. One of the most interesting was not for sale — this old car. How fun would it be to tool around in that for a day?

HipstaPrint

We’ve never been to Almonte before, but I’ve always meant to visit. It’s just barely outside of Ottawa’s border. I had heard it was picturesque, but was still surprised by what a lovely little town it is. We wandered the main strip, poking into shops here and there, and reminding the boys that there would be no complaining about the browsing on Mother’s Day. (Um, can we have a Mother’s Day every week from now on?)

Mother's Day in Almonte

There were three reasons I wanted to visit Almonte. One was the flea market. Check! Second was because I’d heard the Riverwalk and old mills were lovely. Check!

Almonte riverwalk

And last but not least, I had been itching to visit the Tin Barn Market. What a great little place! I had to try reeeeally hard to not buy an amazingly funky printer’s letter drawer (useless, maybe, but oh so vintagey good!) and an antique wooden tripod, but I could simply not resist a few wooden clothespegs and a charming retro-modern watch pendant. Happy Mother’s Day to me! 🙂

I have to admit, it was just about a perfect Mother’s Day. And then we went home and I cut the back grass and cleaned a few toilets (sigh, really!) and made dinner for the whole family including my own mom and dad. Because that’s just how life goes these days — lots of time for joy, as long as you get a few chores out of the way, too.

I’m a little late with the question, but was your Mother’s Day joyous too? Can you remember that far back? 😉

Disclosure: I am part of the Fisher-Price Play Panel and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.