Monday, February 21, 2011

Scavenger Hunt

I had the pleasure of tasting the food for the California Wine Fair this week. The Shaw Convention Centre held the tasting, and it was paired with 4 California Wines. It was a delightful way to spend a Thursday lunch - loving this corporate world malarkey!!

I've been experimenting with textures in Photoshop thanks to Kim Klassen's Cafe tutorials (see button below).  I'm really enjoying playing with her free textures and I have found a great online site that gives them away for free.

Enjoy, and have a wonderful week! Can you believe it is the last week of February already?

1. Chocolate

2. Numbers

3. Canned Food

4. Music

5. Stack

inspiration-studio




Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Scavenger Hunt - Just in the Nick of Time!

1. Shadows
Homage to the Year of the Rabbit!
2. Patterns/Repetition
The Ikea lamp doing me proud.
3.Bright White
I wish this character said 'White'. That would be very cool. It is actually just the sound 'MA'.I wrote this calligraphy on the fan while I was in Japan last July.
4. Strong
When I broke my arm earlier this year, a friend gave me this motivational container. It has band aids inside. I took the photo in front of my 'Long Distance Relationship' book. We had to be strong for many years to see that our relationship survived the distance. No band aid needed, we made it.
5. Warmth
Some days, I wish I had fur like Quatchi to keep me warm in Edmonton. 

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Monday, February 14, 2011

Winter Light ILLUMINATIONS - MORE fun under $5!

Chad and I managed to catch the last 5 minutes of the Winter Light Illuminations festival in Churchill Square. Again, fun under $5 (free!), but without the balmy temperatures...it was -35 and f-ing freezing!

The last 5 minutes was spectacular. Made me think that we should have caught the first 40 minutes of the show. Here are my favourite shots from the five minutes of freezing fun under $5. Most are SOOC: Straight out of the camera. I adjusted the contrast on some to make the sky more black, but most are 'as is.'









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Fun under $5


Chad and I are all about 'Fun Under Five Dollars' at the moment. The best, cheap fun we've found in Edmonton so far is ice skating at Hawrelak Park in Edmonton. I first took photos of this park in Autumn and uploaded them in the post "Fall Dayze." I am loving this park; it is fun all year round! AND it's cheap! Not just cheap, it's FREE to skate here between 11am and 10pm. Bloody bargain!
I've been told though, that nobody in Canada calls it 'ice skating'; it's just known as 'skating'. By saying, "I'm going skating," it's implied that you will be skating on ice, not roller-skates. I'm used to distinguishing the two because in Australia you can do both all year round.

I often skate in the evenings when there aren't too many people around to witness my skating skills. I used to be quite a good skater, but time has stolen my skills and I now stumble and grope my way around the ice. I also find that my lower back aches after 5 laps of the lake. A sign of the times that I'm not as young and agile as I used to be.

Skating on an outdoor lake is such a treat. It certainly beats Adelaide's rink, The Ice Arena where I learned to carve up the silvery cold dance floor. Many a Saturday morning was spent training and spinning with other young whipper-snappers. The best part of the day was after my lesson; mum and I would eat chips (fries) with sauce and vinegar and sooth my bruises and wounds with hot chocolate. Nowadays, I'm so scared of falling that I barely get a breeze going as I gingerly shuffle my way around. I must look as skilled as an octogenarian with arthritis crossing the road.

The day that Chad and I went skating was a crisp -6 degrees. A comparatively warm day compared to the weather we'd experienced prior. The sun was shining and we skated around the lake mitten-in-mitten. There were families and kids enjoying the sunshine and the respite to the freezing temperatures. It was the best 'fun under five' we'd had for a while. Yet another plus for Edmonton.


Happy Valentines Day!

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Friday, February 04, 2011

California Wine Fair

The Citadel Theatre holds the California Wine Fair annual fund raising event. I work for the theatre and would love to see you there! If you live in Edmonton, or even if you want to come out to Edmonton for the night, you can buy your tickets at The Citadel Theatre's website: http://www.citadeltheatre.com/

Tickets are $65 and the event is in the Shaw Conference Centre, Hall D. There are over 300 wines to taste, and the food on offer is designed to pair with the wine -  so wear dark clothing and be prepared to have a tasting-overload!

Support local theatre and buy your ticket today!


Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Ice Fest on Whyte

Even the most die-hard Canadian can be forgiven for wondering: Why in God’s name would anyone in their right mind live in a frozen hellhole like this? ~Rick Mercer on CBC

About 6 months before I moved to Canada in 2004, my good friend Anne sent me this quote in a Christmas card. I scoffed, laughed, giggled, tittered even. Comedians always embellish, especially Rick Mercer! Canada can't be that bad, I remember thinking.

It is.

It is a big, old, frozen hellhole.

Vancouver was livable. Oh, I moaned about the cloudy skies and dreary days. A commuter for 4 years, I saw it all; sleet, frazel snow, soft rain, hard rain, sun, mountains, black ice, white ice...

Alas, I wasn't really living in "CANADA". Living in Vancouver is like living in Costa Rica and calling yourself a part of "Central America". Costa Rica is the Disneyland of Central America as Vancouver is in Canada.

Moving to Edmonton has been as shocking as a prostitute dressed up like a Japanese school girl (seen it!). It's cold. And then it is freezing cold. Then bitterly cold. And finally, it becomes unbearable.

Driving a vehicle is dangerous. The roads develop 'ice grooves' that make you feel like you are driving on a scalextric track. Add into the mix a frozen pedestrian who can't see very well because their eyes have been iced-shut, and it becomes a deadly game of "Frogger". 80's toy references aside, there is nothing you can do if your wheels don't grip the snow or ice. Really, it is just a matter of holding onto the wheel and hoping for the best!

-35 would be bearable if your eyelids didn't freeze together and the wind didn't feel like stalactite needles stabbing into your thighs as you shuffle on the sidewalk. Getting dressed in this weather is a process.  Layers are the best way combat the sub-zero temperatures, but layers are frustratingly claustrophobic. I used to think "Sub-Zero" was a alco-pop that was quite popular in the 90's. If only by stepping outside your house in -35 could get you drunk real quick, it would make the trek to the train a much more enjoyable walk!  It takes an extra 7 - 10 minutes to get dressed a "second time" before leaving the house: Merrell down coat, Sorel boots, cardigan, scarf (sometimes 2) Russian hat, two pairs of gloves later and I am ready to brave the cold. I don't have to do this routine every morning though; I am quickly learning that the weather app on my iPhone is my best friend. -35 to -5 is cold enough to wear the heavy duty weather gear. -4 to +6 means that I can get away with Hunter boots, and a lighter jacket combination. I have to be careful of frost/ice in my Hunters - I've fallen twice already. It was a flurry of pink boots and a lime green umbrella. Again, Anne commented, "What's more embarrassing? Falling over or falling in pink hunter boots?" Touche, Anne. Double Touche.

I'm worried though...I am worried that I am becoming a recluse. If I had cats, I would also fear becoming the crazy cat lady that never leaves her house and finds comfort in a cup of hot chocolate while sitting in front of a heater. I've come to realize that the only way to enjoy winter in Edmonton is to get outside and make the most of it. But stepping outside is like crossing a road in Vietnam...you can't think too much about crossing the road, you just have to brace yourself and do it. Slowly.

Our first journey out was to the Winter Light festival.  Ice on Whyte was an ice-carving festival. Chad and I have been to Sapporo's Winter festival, so we were excited to see ice carvings again.

The festival was small, but it was great to see so many people braving the -25 temperatures. Thankfully, the weather stayed warm so the ice carvings were in top form. Scott and Nao went last year and apparently the were melting and soppy looking. I was so impressed by the detail and variety of the sculptures. The slide was incredibly fast. It doesn't look high in the photos, but the speed! So exhilarating! The picture of Chad and I riding down the slide is the perfect metaphor for our time in Edmonton: me, screaming and crying. Chad, calm and in control. After, we warmed up with an Alley Kat Porter at the Next Act Pub.

Thankfully, since I started writing this post, the weather has warmed up considerably. There are what I call "Surprise Puddles" that pool at the corners of the intersections. They are a surprise, because one can never be too sure as to how deep they may be and what consistency they are. Some are hard and easy to step on. Others are half way up your leg deep. Surprise! These are the days that the Hunter boots and I stride confidently. I almost look Canadian on these days. Almost.
The Year of the Rabbit's Ass

"I Retreat!" says the Rabbit. 
No, Chad. This is YOUR year!


"I Reign!" says the dragon.
"I feel!" says the Snake.
I look a little frightened...and cold.
Most of the pictures that I took below are SOOC: straight out of the camera! Love my Nikon D90.

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