I have been honoured!

This little blog is an Internet infant. I started it just back in April of this year after registering it in April of last year. I then procrastinated for a full year on whether I really wanted a blog or not. But this was to be my year for getting things done, so in April I got to it -- and everything has snowballed since. I got the blog up and rolling, I updated my web site, I got my Flickr account set up, and I'm in the process of getting my Etsy shop online. And now I've been bestowed the Brillante Weblog Premio-2008 award by sweet Denise of Firstborn Studio. Her blog is a feast for the eyes and I urge you to check it out.

I am floored by this recognition. Denise, thank you!! It really is heartwarming to know that you enjoy my blog enough to give it an award!

And, in keeping with the Brillante Weblog "rules", I shall now pass the baton. For those that receive this award, here's what we must do:

• post the above logo to your blog



• link to the blogger you received it from



• award at least 7 blogs



• link to those blogs



• leave those 7 bloggers a comment about receiving the brillante premio

So, check, check, check, check, and check. Done!

Here are my seven recipients.

• artopia update



• carmi's art/life world



• evil chef mom



• going country



• noble pig



• thursday drive



• undomestic diva

Every single one of these blogs are must-reads for me. I enjoy these blogs so much and greatly admire the women who run them as well.

# # # # #

And now another big shout-out to Denise at Firstborn Studios. Not only is she a supreme sweetie for giving my blog this honour, but a beautiful package arrived for me in the mail today -- paste papers made by the talented Denise herself! Aren't they gorgeous? Of course they are! Even the packaging is breathtaking. I was lucky enough to have won these on a contest Denise held on her blog, but if you check out Denise's Etsy shop, you can buy some yourself. The paste papers will be featured in one of my upcoming art projects -- I just don't know which one yet!

Winner!

I'm cutting off my little contest early, since Kristen nailed the photo very shortly after I put it up. Way to go, Kristen! Kristen, please email me at alphabetsoupstudio (at) yahoo.ca so I can make arrangements for your prize! Kristen has a terrific blog, Dine & Dish. If you've never checked it out, go there right now! Now, I say. Don't worry, I'll wait.

Ah, you're back. Next time I'm going to have to come up with a harder photo -- insert loud evil laughter. Pool noodles (swim noodles) are indeed the subject of the photo -- the picture is just one of many photographs I took while walking around Rona, a big-box hardware/home improvement store similar to Home Depot. While the captain hunted down clarifier for the pool, I pulled out the small camera I keep in my purse and started snapping away. One thing I discovered -- there is much colour at the hardware store! I'll have to go back.

Wanna win?

For some reason, my head is spinning with ideas today. So, I have decided to host a "What is it?" contest. The photo above is straight-out-of-camera, so I'm not trying to trick you at all. No clues though. Guess what it is, post your answer, and the winner (I'm assuming there will be a winner...) will receive a set of 6 photo cards, their choice from my collection of Flickr shots. That's right -- the winner can choose from 1 to 6 photos from any of the photos on my Flickr site and I'll do them up as cards. Six different ones, six of the same, three sets of two, etc. -- winner's choice.

If you haven't got a clue, be creative! If nobody gets it right the funniest/wackiest answer gets the prize. And, if several people guess right, it'll pay to be the first one, since they'll be the winner.

I'm leaving this open until Tuesday morning, July 29th -- so guess early, guess often!

At least it's sunny today

It has been a week of rain here and I think it's getting to everyone. You can't plan anything of an outdoor nature without making contingencies for dashing indoors. The grass is growing like bad weeds, which would typically be welcome but instead it's just a verdant reminder that it's been raining TOO MUCH. We've set a record. Basements are flooding out everywhere. Enough already!

At least today features blue skies and sunshine. But guess what's in the forecast for tomorrow. You got it. More rain.

I went outside yesterday evening to take some pictures for an upcoming photo art journal in which I'm participating. Everything was so wet from the day's earlier rainfall. My socks got soaked just walking around on the deck and after sitting down on one of my patio chairs to shoot some photos from a particular angle, I stood up to discover my rear end was drenched from the very damp chair. But at least I remembered to take advantage of the rain-soaked greenery and captured several shots of the grape vine that threatens to overtake my back yard. It won't for long though; it's days are numbered. I bought a new pair of pruning shears and I'm not afraid to use 'em.

Training wheels no more

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROB!

It's a big day around here; our son Rob celebrates his 25th birthday today. My stars, where have all the years gone? It seems like only yesterday he was on those training wheels. No need for them now, he's a grown man with a good sense of balance in his life and he's definitely on the right path to success. And I don't mean success in the monetary context, although I think he'll do just fine in that department. I mean success as in having a good life, a happy one. The captain and I are very proud of him and the choices he's made so far in his life. He's all you'd want (and more) in a son. And in less than two weeks he won't be living at home anymore either; he and his girlfriend (the beautiful, funny, kind and all-'round lovely Joanna) have a downtown apartment rented. A place they can call "home".

I'm pretty sure Rob doesn't read this blog, so I can further embarrass him without him knowing it by posting not one picture, but two! The first day of his first trip to the Magic Kingdom at DisneyWorld in Florida. A wonderful vacation, the first road trip to Florida we took as a family. We had a few more; every one good times. Here's to many more -- many more years, and many more family moments! And Rob, if you are reading this .... we love you more than you'll ever know, kiddo!

Hiding from the humidity

It's stinkin' hot here in Toronto. Now, I'm not complaining -- I'll take too hot over too cold any day. It's just that it's really humid too. And I hate breathing that humid air; it always seems that the simple act of breathing is just so damn hard when it's humid. So I've been hiding out inside, catching up on programs that I've dvr'ed and having some photoshop fun. The captain is at work every evening right now, so that's how I've been amusing myself. He's been working on our pool every morning and I'm delighted that the new filter seems to be working and it no longer looks like we have a cesspool in the back yard. Now I have to get rid of all the weeds that have taken over the garden!

The two collages above are the result of my playing around in photoshop. Each involve many layers, each a different photograph from my vast portfolio, coupled with blending modes, as well as filters and adjustments and brushes. Lots of fun! The first I call Gizmo's Collage for the obvious reason that it features Gizmo, our cat. The second I'm calling Grandmother's Apron as it just reminds me of an old-fashioned apron. I think it's the pansy.

Bloomin' beautiful

Thanks to the encouragement of my good friend Nancy, I joined a Yahoo Group earlier this year that has fast become near and dear to me. Photo Art Journals is a group devoted to both the love of words as well as the art (and love!) of photography. Is that not me, or what! A few times a year, the group produces a book of photographs, all accompanied by meaningful quotes or personal poetry or prose. Photo Art Journals' creator is the amazingly talented Catherine Anderson, who takes everyone's photographs, puts them together, and creates magic. I have seen the books with Nancy's contributions and now I'm delighted to be a part of the newest book, BLOOM. It arrived earlier this week and what a treat that was!

First, I heard the sound of the mailman at the door. And sure enough, there was a small box waiting for me. I knew exactly what it was -- I'd been expecting it, as the contributors in the U.S. had already announced on our group message board that their books were arriving -- and I must admit I was excited as I opened it. Here is what I saw:


Isn't that a beautiful pouch! But what it contained was even better:


Truly stunning! The cover, the peace rose, is a photograph by Vivian Montre. Lovely!

This thick book -- ripe with photographs -- was an obvious labour of love, as its creation must have entailed hours at the cutting table and sewing machine, creating a wonderous fabric-bound book of floral photographs. The images are all attached at the top on one long strip of fabric, then the book was closed accordion-style, and held together by a large safety pin. If I undo the pin, it unfolds to a bloomin' beauty that I could -- and likely will -- hang across a wall in my studio. It's so beautiful and so inspiring.

By the way, here's my contribution. The words are my own creation.


So this is a public THANK YOU to both Catherine and the other group members. Thank you for sharing your art. I can't tell you how much I look forward to the next book, and the next one after that, and the next.........

A bargain at any price

I am a sucker for a farmers' market. I believe in farms, believe in supporting those who grow and produce our food. We are not beholden to corporations like Nestle or Kraft, they are beholden to the farmers. We would not have our food if it wasn't for those who care enough to stay in the farming business despite the tremendous obstacles they face. And so I will buy fruits and veggies at the farmers' markets I frequent, even if I do pay more than the grocery store offerings. "Farm fresh" is a bargain, to me, at any price. I get to talk to those who grew the food, chat with the lady who bakes the pies, take photographs of the yummy offerings. Ah, the photographs. The reason for the post.

Moody Monday's theme is "bargain" and I'm jumping at the opportunity to use a farmers' market photo to participate. I've written about the East Lynn Market before, which runs on Thursday afternoons here in east-end Toronto. If you live close, do stop by to buy.

Ho-Down!

Isn't that just the cutest trampy tuber you've ever seen? I think so. She's the mascot for Noble Pig's Potato Ho-Down. Want the details? Click on over to her Potato Ho's Unite! post and check it all out. The fun is scheduled for Wednesday, July 16th. I even have a Potato Ho name: Daisy Darcel. Don't ask.

How could I not participate in something so out-of-the-ordinary? So here's my entry. I think it's called an "entry"; I'm a little fuzzy on all the details. I don't think it's a competition. But what the heck. I just want to join in on the fun.

Daisy Darcel's Fancy-Schmancy Spuds

serves 4

1 1/2 lbs tiny new potatoes, scrubbed clean like Grandma was visitin'
(leave 'em whole if they're really tiny, otherwise cut 'em in half)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon unsalted butter (optional, but I always use it)

1/2 teaspoon herbes de provence (the fancy-schmancy ingredient, y'see)

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (I use Maldon, another fancy-schmancy ingredient)

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

(don't bother to measure, just use half a lemon)

zest of the aforementioned lemon half

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Put the spuds in a large pot, cover with cold water, lightly salt it, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let bubble until the potatoes are just tender. This will take about 10 minutes, depending on the size of your spuds.

Drain, and let cool slightly.

Now you need a large skillet. Heat the oil, and the butter if using, over medium-high heat, and add the herbes de provence. Stir constantly for a few seconds. Add drained potatoes, coarse salt, and the lemon juice. Not the lemon zest. Not yet.

Combine well.

Cook, stirring very frequently, for a couple of minutes, until potatoes are completely heated through.

Place in a serving bowl, grind pepper over, and sprinkle with zest. Serve immediately.

ENJOY! And see you at the Ho-Down!

The healing power of humour

When life throws limes at you, don’t make juice. Make jokes. Really. After a short hiatus, Inspire Me Thursday is running again and this week’s theme is healing. For me, this hits home. There is healing power in humour.

Four years ago this month I was very sick. Very. As in, almost dying. My lungs -- as it turned out, both lungs -- were filled with several pulmonary embolisms, including some large ones. Blood clots. Thanks to the skilled nurses and doctors at St. Michael’s Hospital, I’m here to tell the tale. But I attribute part of my healing to the fact that I never lost my sense of humour throughout my ordeal. Yes, I was facing a serious situation to say the least, but heavens -- I wasn’t going to let something like that stop me from being me.

For example, I was in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) for a day and I was the belle of the ball there. ICU staff are simply not used to patients who are talkative and alert and wisecrackers. “Hey, we get to tell the jokes; we’re the doctors here,” one fun-loving physician doing rounds told me that day. And after I’d been in the hospital for over a week, and was starting to show definite signs of recovery, a young doctor confessed to me. “We just didn’t know what to make of you. Your behaviour. Our tests were showing us you were so sick but you didn’t act it.”

So my advice of the day is this: even when you’re down, try to have a laugh. It will do you good. Like the above photo. I hope it makes you smile. It cracks me up, really it does. Who’s on first? Hu’s on first! I took the photo in Florida back in February at the pre-season opening-day game, Braves vs. Dodgers, at historic Holman Stadium in Dodgertown, otherwise known as Vero Beach. I’m sure every single time Hu makes it to first base throughout his career he will be saddled with the “who’s on first” classic, but you’ve got to admit, it’s a winner. C'mon now. Smile!

Mexican delight

Here in Toronto, Mexican restaurants are few and far between. Good Mexican restaurants? Rare. And most of what passes as Mexican is really Tex-Mex. Now, I have nothing against good Tex-Mex, but sometimes you crave a bit more. This lack of mexicana surprises both the captain and me; this is such a multicultural, cosmopolitan city. And Mexico is a popular travel destination for winter-weary Torontonians. You'd think good Mexican would be popular. Well, popular it might be, but rare it remains.

So I am very pleased to announce that we enjoyed a lovely meal with friends at the Calli Cafe Latin Lounge in Toronto's western suburb known as Etobicoke. I discovered this gem by way of a review at The Toronto Star. I then contacted our good friends Lori and Clayton, who not only also love Mexican but live walking distance from the new cafe. And last night the four of us tried it out. The verdict? Two thumbs up.

And can you believe it? I forgot to take even one picture of the food. And me with a camera in my purse and everything. That's what happens when you talk too much.

There were highs and lows; there always are when a new restaurant starts to draw a crowd. On a Wednesday night we had to wait (a very short wait) for a table, and they had already run out of guacamole and mole sauce. Disappointing; we intended to try both. We wanted both. But still, it was encouraging to know that these things are made fresh. The review we read told us our meal would start off with "chips with garlicky salsa" but none were forthcoming. This was a shame as we did experience quite a wait before any food made its way to our table and something to munch on would have been appreciated. Everyone was very pleasant, particularly the owner, but not once were we approached and offered a reassurance that our food would be out shortly, let alone an apology for the wait. I put this down, the slowness, to their inability to handle their newfound fame, but it's an act they'd best get together.

The food was terrific. The captain enjoyed chicken tacos -- slices of chicken bathed lightly in an aromatic sauce, served with warm corn tortillas, a tangy hot sauce, as well as churro beans. With the exception of the hot sauce -- not his thing -- he ate it all. The rest of us had enchiladas, and the absolute standout of the evening were the Enchiladas Suizas -- corn tortillas wrapped around shredded chicken, topped with a terrific tomatilla salsa. Yum, yum. The aforementioned churro beans accompanied the enchiladas, along with rice. And the tortilla soup that Clayton enjoyed was also first-class. Served steaming hot as well.

All in all, I'd go back. We didn't have dessert but next time I think I will. Homemade dulce de leche? I'm there! For those in Toronto who are curious, the Calli Cafe is at 4906 Dundas Street West, right at Burnhamthorpe Road. I recommend you try it. It's a small restaurant, so get there early if you want both a table and some guac!

Sleepless in Toronto

I actually laughed out loud when I saw Moody Monday's "sleepless" theme. Hello? Welcome to the story of my life. Those of you who sleep well, who can fall asleep quickly and then stay asleep? If only you knew how lucky you were.

I have had an insomnia problem ever since I can remember; even in elementary school I remember being awake well into the night on many occasions. And by the time I got to high school, it was a regular thing. I am just not a good sleeper. And of course, the captain can drink a dozen cups of coffee then lay his head on his pillow and be instantly asleep. Aaargh! Some nights I count; I never get to sixty seconds before I know he's sound asleep.

But for a brief shining period of time, I slept great. I took the above picture of the moon standing on the balcony of the Florida condo we rented back in February. Amazingly, while there, I actually slept better than I ever remember. I would fall asleep fairly quickly (for me), then sleep all night and even better, wake up early in the morning feeling refreshed. I wanted to get out of bed. It would be early in the morning and I would feel all bouncy and alert. It was a bloody miracle. It showed me what life could be like. Unfortunately, the wonderful sleeping disappeared as soon as we left the condo. Is it any wonder I am so looking forward to returning?

Auntie Lennie's Tip o' the Day

Example One:

Example Two:

Okay kiddies, gather round. Auntie Lennie just learned something new. Today. And in the spirit of sharing, I am going to let you in on this nifty tip I discovered. Of course, there is the possibility I am the only known person who didn't already know this information. Wouldn't surprise me. I've been last in the loop before.

So here goes. Have you ever had your digital photos developed, only to curse at the developer because they cut off the top and bottom of your photo? Just a little bit, but enough to make you p.o.'ed? I have. Black's Cameras, I officially owe you an apology and here it is. I'm sorry I called you a bunch of incompetent losers. I'm sorry I swore I'd never let you develop my photos again. Because, as it turns out, you were not at fault. You were at fault for short-changing me by one photo on my last order, but I'm over that now.

Take a look at Example 1, above. This is a photo I took in Tupelo, Mississippi, at the tourist attraction known as Where Elvis Was Born. Or something like that. It's a '39 Plymouth and it was some car. I played around with the photo in Photoshop, adding a rough black edge to it. Now take a look at Example 2. I've lightened up the area that would print. Look what gets cut off! There goes my edging.......

It turns out the images that most digital cameras take are not ...I repeat, NOT... the image size needed to get you that perfect 4x6. And I learned this important nugget at, of all places, the online photo upload centre for a local drugstore chain. Explained in simple, easy English that made it perfectly clear. Go figure.

If your photograph is not cropped to the right size before being sent in for processing, you will lose a little off the top. And bottom. (Or sides, if you shoot your pictures that way.) Now, to be fair, for a lot of photos you might not notice and maybe not care either. But when you alter your photos, like I like to do, or even just crop out the area you like best, this is important stuff. And, silly me, I'd been cropping using Photoshop's Photo Ratio selection when using the cropping tool. Made sense to me. But it doesn't crop properly in order to give you an image that when processed won't be trimmed. Who knew? Not me. You need to use the other cropping choices, such as 4x6, 5x7, etc. Or, even simpler, use the rectangular marquee tool to make your selection, using -- here's the trick -- a 3:2 fixed aspect ratio. NOT 4:3, like I have always favoured. Man, I've just being doing it all wrong wrong wrong. It's 3:2 kiddos, 3:2.

And here's the neat part of this little trick. Take a look at the pixel dimensions of one of your photos; it might be something like 2048x1536. Example one, above, is 800x600. (When you hover over your photo while in Windows, it should show you the width and height properties; if not, you may have to actually right-click on the photo and choose Properties to have a look.) Now, take the big number and divide it by the smaller number. If you get 1.5, you're good to go and your photos should be developed properly. But if you get 1.3333333, then you either have to live with losing the top and bottom of your photo, or use an image editing program to crop it before you have it developed.

I understand that this may not be BREAKING NEWS for a lot of you. But for me, this is a big deal!

Caribbean fast food

I don't recall if I've participated in the Shutterday Saturday photo challenge before, but I have a contribution today. The theme is "shack" and when I read that, I immediately thought of the bus tour the captain and I had on St. Martin/St. Maarten last year. The island is 50% French, 50% Dutch -- and 100% beautiful. I had a window seat and a brand new camera (have a look at Unpredictable Art for another St. Martin picture and you can read about the fun I had travelling with a spankin' new camera). I was snapping pictures like mad through the bus window, convinced that I was wasting my time -- none of them would turn out, I was sure -- but still not able to not take pictures. I'm like that. I'd have been the perfect photographer on Seinfeld; I'll take pictures of nothing and be happy.

It was a pleasant surprise when just about all of those photos turned out, most even in focus! Pretty impressive for photos taken on a bumpy bus ride. I remembered driving by many fast food shacks and was sure I'd photographed at least one of them. And I had. This photo was taken on the Dutch half. I don't know when I'll ever make it back to St. Martin, but if I do I know I'll be taking several hundred pictures again!

We are in a Disney mood

Cathy over at Noble Pig asked me about our upcoming cruise -- and I'm happy to share the excitement! We are cruising on the Disney Magic and will be stopping twice at Disney's private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, and we'll also be stopping in both Cozumel and Grand Cayman. I am quite stoked as I've never been to either Mexico or the Cayman Islands. I am very lucky and I know it -- this is my third Disney cruise. My third cruise ever, actually. I've only done Disney. My first was in 2006 when a girlfriend in the travel biz scored an amazing deal on an 11-night Southern Caribbean Disney cruise for the two of us. We could fit three in our room on the Disney Wonder but can you believe that we couldn't find a third person to come with us? The price was amazing but the catch was we had only three weeks to plan! I had never before planned something so major with such little preparation time. The first night onboard I knew this was the type of vacation perfect for the captain and me. I put a deposit down on a cruise for the two of us almost immediately -- they give you a discount while you're still onboard so it's very tempting to book another cruise. So we celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary last year, his first cruise ever, on the Magic. It was an interesting cruise in many ways, partly because we got stuck with some of the effects of Hurricane Noel. Can you say rockin' and rollin'!

And this year we'll be doing it again, this time with my MIL as well as my SIL and her hubby. Well, not the hurricane part. We hope. My MIL was on an Alaskan cruise last spring, but it's a first for the other two. It's going to be a blast! We are all very excited.

Above is a photo of the towel animal (a cobra) on our bed the last night of our cruise last fall, with one of our luggage tags hanging on it. Why Minnie Mouse? It's a code. When we disembarked, we went to the Minnie Mouse area to find our luggage. This towel animal is my contribution to Photo Friday this week, where the theme is spiral. Fitting, eh?

Artist in the window

Can you see her? My friend Nancy, that is. Hint: look under "...king." I took this photo when we had our Leslieville excursion last month and it's perfect for the Thursday Challenge of "photography."

Very exciting times around here -- we made the final payment on our upcoming cruise! So now I'm into full planning mode. Planning for a vacation is such fun, almost as much fun as the actual trip. Almost. But nothing's going to beat soft ocean breezes as we dance under the stars when we celebrate our 30th wedding annniversary. Well, I don't really think we'll be dancing under the stars, but doesn't it sound romantic?

The Maple Leaf Forever

Canadian flag I spotted in St. Thomas

HAPPY CANADA DAY to all my fellow canucks!