Suzyville

Goodbye/Hello

2011-10-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

So, I've got a small bit of news...

I've officially started a new blog at www.suzannekruse.wordpress.com
I won't be posting here anymore so be sure to update your reader subscriptions :)

Also, I've started a new shop at www.etsy.com/shop/SuzanneKruse
I'm currently in the process of loading up my new shop with all sorts of goodies, so new things will be added periodically throughout the month.

To you, my favourite blog readers, I'm offering a 15% discount until October 31 for everything in my new Etsy shop. Just use discount code HAPPYOCTOBER2011.

Aloha!

Shop Sale!

2011-09-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd quickly pop in to mention...

From now until Sep 30 you can get 25% OFF EVERYTHING in my shop!

Just visit www.suzannemade.com and use discount code "BYEBYE25"

After Sep 30 the shop will be closed, as I'm working on a business-y project (details TBA ;)

Not that I want to advertise for Starbucks, but...

2011-09-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was PSL Day, in case you didn't know.
I have been saving my free birthday drink coupon that I get in the mail from Starbucks each year, to get my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season. I do it every year.
That's about the extent of my celebrating, unlike this "town":

Hilarious.
I can't. stop. watching it.

My favourite parts are the donkey named Chrissie, and the wife who sounds like a dinosaur.

I need to dye my hair orange now.

I'm back

2011-09-04T23:20:00.000-07:00

Back from some of the most amazing and unforgettable

experiences of my life, so far.

With over 2,000 pictures and videos (just my own, never-mind

my hubby's) - I don't even know where to start.

Vacation!

2011-08-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

I'll be a bit more MIA than usual, as I explore the Pacific Coast Highway!

I'll soon be sharing lotsa photos and amazing stories I'm sure :)

Happy trails to you!

On Repeat

2011-08-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://saidthewhale.bandcamp.com/track/goodnight-moon"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Goodnight Moon by Said The Whale&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

I'm sort-of re-discovering Said the Whale right now. They're from Vancouver and I had heard them a while ago but I think it was just something on in the background somewhere and I never remembered the actual name of the band to look them up later. Anywho, after watching a little documentary (called Winning America, on CBC) about their recent trip to SXSW in Austin, I've pretty much been listening to them non-stop. I was super excited to see that they are going to be on tour in September - hoping to be able to catch one of their shows!

Speaking of shows, the hubby and I are SUPER! PUMPED! to go see Sam Roberts Band this fall. We seem to listen to him/them on most of our summer road-trips, and also while camping. It just seems to fit. And their newest album, Collider, is GREAT!

Gotta love Canadian music! Hope you enjoy :)

Road-trippin'

2011-08-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

Did I mention, in a short while, I'll soon be doing this EPIC road-trip of a lifetime...?

Reno, NV

Las Vegas, NV

Palm Springs, CA

Los Angeles, CA

Big Sur, CA

San Francisco, CA

Portland, OR

Seattle, WA

(And a whole bunch of other stops in between, including camping practically in the Pacific Ocean, as well as in the Redwood Forests :)

Can't wait!

Pretty Pretty

2011-08-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

So, in addition to being a jewellery addict, I'm also slightly embarassed to admit that lately I've become addicted to nail-bling (of sorts).

pin/photo

I've always had a vast array of nail polishes in my collection (which I currently have on colour-coordinated display in my bathroom, just for fun... I'm sure my husband LOVES it).

(yeah, that's probably about 5% of what I have)

Anyhoo, a girlfriend of mine recently Shellac'd my nails, and I love the way they turned out!

We did them black with fuschia glitter sprinkled on top. I was pretty impressed, they lasted for 2 weeks, until I felt like I should take it off, due to the growth at the bottom....

(after about 2 weeks)

I am really liking the different-ring-finger nail colour trend right now, so decided to try it out again with these cute nail strips I had, and regular old black nail polish this time...

It's like a fun little surprise every time I catch a glimpse of my hands :)

I've also been saving pictures of other nail ideas I'd like to try at some point. (I'm not sure when I turned into a complete girly-girl, but I think it's officially-official now.)

Fun!

(As I've previously mentioned - I am very easily amused.)

Happy AUGUST folks!

It's the little things...

2011-07-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Every time I visit this great site I find myself smiling and nodding.

Confessions of a Jewellery Addict

2011-07-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

It was always rare for me to ever wear, or buy, jewellery made by someone other than myself - unless it has some sort of special meaning to me, or was a gift from someone special. However, when it became apparent last fall that I was obsessing over every single piece of jewellery created by Stella & Dot I decided to become a rep for them (a.k.a. an "Independent Stylist" - sounds fancy, doesn't it?) I figured it would be a nice compliment to my handmade jewellery shop, and a fun & easy way to earn some extra money (erm, plus it s a good excuse for me to wear the amazing jewellery! :)

Anyway, I just had to share a few of the pieces from Stella & Dot's new Fall 2011 collection that I am in love (LOVE!) with:

First and foremost, this vintage-inspired serpent bangle...

And this long snake pendant necklace...

These lacey earrings...

And this sweet charm necklace...

Of course, this stunning statement piece...

And I'm really diggin' this studded leather bracelet too!

Side note: I don't know how or when it started, but my hubby and I started saying "jewellery" as "jooooray" - in a funny voice, of course - and for some reason it stuck, and now every time I read, hear, or say the word "jewellery" it's always "jooooray" to me :)

Happy Monday folks!

Fun with Nouns

2011-07-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

photo

Okay, so... I'm a bit embarrassed to admit this, but after learning about the collective noun "a murder of crows" recently, I had to look up what other interesting ones were out there for animals. Sure, there's the usual "a pride of lions", and "a school of fish" but did you know about "a peep of chickens" or "a stretch of giraffes"? Here are a few other interesting collective nouns...

a shrewdness of apes
a sleuth of bears
a rabble of butterflies
a pounce of cats
a skulk of foxes
a leap of leopards
a prickle of porcupines
a crash of rhinoserouses
a scurry of squirrels

For some reason I find these absolutely hilarious. Obviously I am easily amused. Or bored. Or both.

Happy Saturday folks!

:)

A Murder Of Crows

2011-07-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

photo

Did you know that a group of crows is called "a murder of crows"? Sounds pretty creepy (and slightly appropriate), doesn't it? Well, it's also the title of this great little documentary that I recently saw on The Nature of Things. (Apparently it's also the title of a cheesey-looking 90's movie.) I've always been fascinated by crows - they're incredibly smart, and beautiful, but also have such a creepy reputation (you know, being harbingers of death and all).

Anyway, after watching this documentary I have a renewed appreciation for them. If you're interested in learning more about these fascinating birds you can take a look at the documentary here, if you're interested.

In other crow-related news... I've always had a thing for skulls (and birds) so I fell in love with this awesome necklace from Moon Raven Designs quite some time ago, and its now happily hangin' out around my neck...

And this concludes the Orinthology portion of the day :)

Hello?

2011-07-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

photo

I really did not plan to be away from this little blog of mine for so long (actually – at ALL). But somewhere along the way I lost a bit of my creative mojo and fell into a bit of a slump. BUT! I’m hoping this new post will be the jumping board into a flurry of fresh, exciting, and FREQUENT posts (or, less sporadic at the very least).

Talk soon :)

spokanada roadtrip

2011-04-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

the husband and i had an awesome mini-holiday over the long weekend and drove down to spokane, washington... we saw some sights, ate some eats and of course shopped some shops. we even managed to meet up with our new blog-buddies ashley and her hubby brad for some lunch (at my fave french cafe) and of course thrifting!

here are "a few" highlights of the weekend...

(warning: this post is photo heavy!)

the grand coulee dam

for some reason i was really enamored with these electrical posts

lots of wide open fields, reminded me of the prairies i grew up with

we took a little gondola ride over the spokane river falls

took a stroll through spokane riverfront park

had the best breaky at this train-car diner

are you still with me? i warned there'd be lots of pictures!

ashley & brad took us to the most awesome shops,
unfortunately i completely forgot to take pictures inside of any of them,
with one small exception:

anyhoo, here are some of my thrifty finds...

this fantastic old tin recipe box FULL of recipes and other snippets

sweet pyrex bowl and a lovely french

glass dish/ashtray? (which is now a ring holder :)

a spokane postcard from 1915 and awesome coulee dam mini-photo book

new addition to my tiny bottle collection

and a beautiful sterling silver ring

AMAZING new addition to my camera collection

now i can finally learn to take TTV pictures like this...

(clearly i need more practice, but i can't wait to figure it out!)

i also found some non-vintage/thrifty goodies...

roadtrip bingo!

a souvenir from my fave cafe

a great bargain on some sweet heels (and super comfy!)

treats for friends (and a few for us too)

check out that american junk food LOOT!

(i'm slightly embarrassed to show that, but at least it's not all for us ;)

(and of course a few instax photos for good measure)

whew! that's a whole lotta photos. thanks for sticking with me!

what a great weekend. how was yours?

lazy sunday

2011-04-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

spent the morning out for coffee with a friend,
having a good goal-setting chat

spent the afternoon listening to The Shins and
getting caught up on some much needed art journaling...

spending the evening on the couch,
watching part two of The Kennedys with the hubby

plus a load of laundry or two

not bad for a lazy sunday

word.

2011-04-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

and that pretty much sums it up.

film!

2011-04-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

i recently realized that i still had a roll of film in my old olympus camera (thanks mom!:) so i went and got it developed the other day. i had completely forgotten that i had the camera repaired and it wasn't just for decoration anymore :) i was pretty excited to see the pictures since i had no idea what they were...

turns out they were from a fall fair a couple years ago and a few other random things... i really liked how they turned out - kinda grainy and dark. i still love the convenience and crisp detail i get with my digital SLR, but there's just nothing like film photos from a vintage camera. i think i'll pick up some more film soon!

spring/summer

2011-03-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

i've been cooking up some colourful new goodies for my spring/summer 2011 line... like these funky earrings featuring vintage lucite... i'm really into oranges and greens lately...

i've also made some new bracelets, which are rather on the delicate side, for a change, and i am IN LOVE with them, if i do say so myself... i think i'll make a few in silver also...

i hope to get them added to my shop soon!

shop sale

2011-03-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

my Etsy shop is officially three, so i'm having a sale!

enter discount code "HAPPYTHIRD" and get

30% OFF your order at http://www.suzannemade.etsy.com/

simple pleasures

2011-02-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

photo from shannon blue photography

running hot water over my hands for a minute or two when i’m cold at work
“twisted peppermint” hand lotion from B&BW (it smells amazing and makes my hands super soft)
earl grey tea lattes with a hint of vanilla
big fluffy snowflakes softly falling outside my window
the sound & smell of fresh coffee brewing in the morning before i’m even out of bed
thinking i have no wine at home and then discovering a bottle i had stashed away for just such an occasion (and by occasion, i mean a monday night)
a bright sunny day after a week of being overcast
freshly painted fingernails
my cat instantly purring when i get home from work
spending an entire day off in my pj’s (which i plan to do this sunday while watching all The Oscars festivities on tv)

what little things make you happy?

happy heart day

2011-02-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

i'm back from a wonderful trip to winnipeg but unfortunately am now super sick with the flu. needless to say, my hubby and i will not be doing anything special for valentine's day (although we don't usually anyways). we had plans to go out to eat at one of our favourite restaurants but since i can barely get out of bed, let alone eat, we decided to postpone our dinner plans.

i thought i'd share this cute little video that a friend sent me today...

the ukelele at the very end of the video looks like the exact same one we have - it's so cute, and yellow! we got it to play around with while camping but i am actually looking into taking some lessons to really learn how to play it... or at least a few full songs anyway.

i'll be back soon with some pictures from my trip!

canadian content

2011-02-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

those are probably my top 4 favourite canadian musician/bands of all time. (oh, but not including chilliwack, but that's kind of a whole other story)
i've seen two of them in concert, twice (metric, tegan & sara) but unfortunately not arcade fire or feist.
and i'm DYING to see arcade fire live... their newest album is AMAZING and it's all i've been listening to lately.

lately

2011-01-25T21:20:00.000-08:00

went walking on thin ice

played with bubbles

drooled over some sweet lookin' sweets

played with puppets in the most amazing used book store

made some puppets of our own

kept jack frost away from my ears

stopped by a peach of a town

made the most delicious snacks

how about you?

project 365

2011-01-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

i decided to start a new "Project 365" this year. i have tried before to keep on top of my daily photos but fell off the wagon a few months shy of 12 :( here's hoping i can make it all the way through this time! i think it's a great way to journal/document your life - nevermind brush up on photo-taking skills, which i really need to do. you can learn more about it and join the Flickr group here.

(i thought my balcony needed a little snowperson :)

anyone else trying this? share the link to yours below!

mini milestone

2011-01-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

my little etsy shop reached a special little milestone recently...

a think a celebration (and perhaps giveaway?) is in order!

stay tuned :)

happy new year!

2011-01-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

goodbye...

hello...

i am so ready for a new year/clean slate/fresh start.
how about you?

i heart lazy sundays

2010-12-05T21:19:00.000-08:00

we switched tv/internet/phone providers today and have a whole bunch of new tv channels now. i'm (somewhat) embarrassed to admit i practically spent the entire day on the couch watching a marathon of Keeping up with the Kardashians, drinking red wine by myself and eating puff pastry hors d'oeuvres that i forgot to serve at my craft show/open house yesterday. it was a blissful day of nothingness.

totally unrelated...

holy sh*t i NEED to make these ASAP!

Happy Cyber Monday

2010-11-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note about my "Cyber Monday" shop sale - enter "CyberMonday20" upon checkout and save 20% off your entire order! Click here to shop: http://www.suzannemade.etsy.com/

somewhere

2010-11-23T19:58:00.001-08:00

i recently watched The Virgin Suicides for probably the 100th time. i really like that movie. it's happy in a sad way, if that makes any sense. but it really is just so SO beautiful. there is something about all of Sofia Coppola's movies that always haunt me. i can't get them out of my head for days after watching them. i can't wait to see her new movie coming out next month - Somewhere:

(again with the video size being too big - but i can't seem to find/make it any smaller, sorry! if anyone knows how to fix it please let me know :)

cheers...

2010-10-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

i have always liked the idea of carrying a flask in my purse

you know, in case of emergency

i really like this one, from In God We Trust, in particular

putting pen to paper

2010-10-24T23:45:00.000-07:00

if you like to write, journal, blog, scrapbook, or just plain pretty little videos...

{sorry it's too wide - having technical difficulties with this thing lately}

"true stories" online class: more info here from shimelle

tiny crocheted skulls

2010-10-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

these are awesome!

from Dewey Decimal Crafts

i'm still here

2010-09-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

photo

whoa. i didn't plan to be away from here for quite so long. i honestly thought just a couple weeks and then i'd be back to my regularly scheduled blogging. but, that's the thing about me and regularly scheduled things. i get tired of it. i like to do things when i feel like doing them. not when i feel like i have to. i was seriously feeling guilty about not blogging. isn't that weird? i want to go back to blogging whenever i feel like it. whenever i feel like i have something to share. not when it's been a day or two and i feel like i should post something.

it's almost my favourite time of year - autumn. pumpkin spice. gloomy weather. changing leaves. scarves. good tv. apple cider. warm blankets. i can't wait.

i've been working on a little secret project. i'll share more soon.

i am here...

2010-08-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

(photo from our awesome first camping trip together ever)

my hubby and i have recently gone a bit camping crazy and are now obsessed with spending as much time in the great outdoors as possible.

this is new for me, as usually i spend the majority of summertime in the great air-conditioned indoors... drinking something slushee... in front of a fan... spritzing myself with ice-water.

now i'm in front of a campfire... spritzing myself with bug-spray and sunscreen.

anyhoo, my appearances here will be a bit sparse/random for the rest of the month or so ;)

HAPPY SUMMER!

right now

2010-07-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

i'm looking forward to watching the season premiere of this tonight...

i would like to sleep here for the summer...

i am coveting this awesome/amazing/must-have bracelet...

Christmas in July Sale!

2010-07-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is post #300 for my little blog! I thought it fitting to celebrate with you, my lovely blog readers, so I'm doing something I've never done...

A "Christmas in July" sale in my shop!

ho! ho! ho!

25% OFF YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE

from now until 5pm Pacific Time on Sunday, July 18th , 2010

(which also happens to be my wedding anniversary - yet another reason to celebrate:)

Enter "Happy Xmas" into the Message to Seller box upon checkout and I'll email you a revised invoice reflecting the discount.

{Discount does not apply to shipping.}

Feel free to spread the word!

Happy Shopping ;)

dreaming...

2010-07-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

(Polaroid, taken in Vegas!, from here :)

i have really been thinking about my trip to Vegas last year and i really want to go back... which is so weird to me because i really never had any desire to go there before. but, our vacation there last summer was the most relaxed i have been in as long as i can remember, plus i had the most fun i've had in as long as i can remember. some friends and us (wow, bad grammar?) have been talking about a bunch of us all going down there going together, maybe for a long weekend in september or october... and now it's all i can think and dream about! eeeeek!

p.s. you can see the rest of my Vegas Polaroids here

p.p.s. next post is #300!

p.p.p.s. wow, do i ever miss having Polaroid film. i just wish it wasn't soooooo dang expensive!

p.p.p.p.s. i know i am waaaaaay behind in return-commenting on all your lovely blogs - i will catch up soon, i promise!!!

thrifting & vintage goodies

2010-07-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

my mister took me thrift-shopping this weekend and i was pleasantly surprised for a few different reasons;

- it was spur of the moment, and completely his idea

- he usually hates shopping, with me especially (i like a leisurely browse throughout the entire store, whereas he like to get in, buy what he needs, and get the hell out)

- one of the three(!) thrift stores he took me to was completely new to me - he had discovered it all on his own

- he didn't complain whatsoever when i showed him that i bought this...

(can i just say how excited i was to find this container?! HOW CUTE IS IT?!)

these pretties...

this sweet little spoon...

these great pyrex bowls (that are actually in much better condition than they appear in the photo - was having camera issues apparently)...

oh and i got these too ...

(just the liqueur glasses, i got the tray at a garage sale in Winnipeg)

while i was doing my little photo shoot, i decided to take some pictures of a few other thrifted/vintage goodies i've collected...

this amazing (new in box) coffee server from a yard sale (for $1!)

these kitchen containers... my mom gave them to me when i moved out on my own, i think (if my memory serves me correctly) they were a wedding gift to my parents when they got married... i have also seen the exact same ones in an antique store, in way worse condition, for quite a pretty penny!

the book on the left i got from a friend's garage sale, it's from the 40's and has hilarious "instructions" on how to be a good "homemaker".

the book on the right is from the 60's and was my sister's and mine when we were kids.

one of my faves - this little ceramic owl cup i got from a sweet little old lady at her garage sale last summer

and of course my vintage camera collection... the Polaroid is from a thrift store, the Olympus was my mom's, the Brownie was from a garage sale and i think the Instamatic was from Value Village.

i have others, but i'll save them for another time :)

whew! all this talk about vintage goodies and thrifting is making me want to go hunting again!

do you have a favourite thrifted or vintage goodie? i'd love to hear about it!

i'm baaaaaaaack

2010-06-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

lovely random photo from here

well! i'm back from my visit to the peg but haven't quite managed to get organized with my photos yet... i have about 500 photos of my beautiful 4 month old niece, and about 5 of other things/people. and no i'm not kidding. she's seriously the cutest baby i've ever seen... although i may be a bit biased... but i think i know a cute baby when i see one! (i'm sorry but some are just NOT cute, and/or look like aliens, or old men.)

i managed to not get attacked by the provincial bird too bad (except for one afternoon at assiniboine park), and despite it raining most of the time i was there i even got a bit of a sunburn (in the park again). of course i had to make a trip to Sephora and Bath & Body Works - two of my favourite stores that i used to only be able to visit when i went to the U.S. but YAY! for them now being in a few fine cities of Canada!

anyhoo, i had a great time visiting with my family! it's always hard to leave but i'm glad to be back into the swing of things here in virtually mosquito-free kelowna. my new job is keeping me super busy and i really like it! i never realized how stressed/miserable i was at the last place until now. WOW. what a difference - i'm happier, way less irritable, i sleep better, no longer dread monday mornings - even my digestive system has improved ;)

well, that's about it for the update for now - i'll be back again soon with pictures, i promise!

happy friday :)

p.s. i'm drinking the new passion fruit flavour of one of these right now and i've got to say, it's quite tasty!

taking flight

2010-06-11T22:20:00.000-07:00

photo from here

well i'm off on a plane to my hometown for the next week - to snuggle my adorable baby niece and celebrate my little sister's big (30th) birthday! (which is soooo weird to me, since I don't even feel 30 on most days. ew.)

be back soon!

p.s. i just realized only a couple more posts to go until #300! wow.

i heart the 80's

2010-06-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday folks! Just popping in to share a little Top 5 list I wrote for Venus Zine...

80's items that I think should make a comeback :)

new-ish

2010-06-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

i've been meaning to post some pictures of my new creations for a little while now, so without further ado - here are the newest additions to le shoppe...

Mixed Metals

Olive Branch

Mysterious Amethyst

Smoky Quartz & Gold Vermeil

Rose Quartz & Gold Vermeil

and here are a few more newbies, coming soon to le shoppe...

if you're interested in any of these pieces before they hit the shop please feel free to email me at info@suzannemade.com :)

happy wednesday folks!

snippets of seattle

2010-05-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

well our roadtrip to seattle was AWESOME! i love it there so much. i'm really happy we were basically forced to go. (see my previous post for the explanation.)
i just got around to uploading a small portion of pictures from the trip (70 of almost 700!) to flickr so here are a few peeks...

we went up the space needle, visited the graves/memorial sites of jimi hendrix, kurt cobain, bruce lee & brandon lee, checked out "the" apartment block from the movie singles (one of my faves), watched kites flying at gas works park, walked through pike place market, enjoyed a triple grande non-fat latte from the very first starbucks store, cheered on the seattle sounders at a soccer game, checked out the experience music project and science fiction museum, ate lots of mexican food and slurped up one yummy margarita.

as you could probably tell, i was seriously in awe of all the flowers in bloom there.

feel free to check out the rest of my photos here.

this will be a short post as i am exhausted and need to get to bed early, for my first day of work at my new job tomorrow! yay!!!

hope y'all had a great weekend :)

seeing green

2010-05-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

well i'm about to embark on a mini road trip this weekend...

to the emerald city!

no, not that one silly ;)

this one! woohoo! i love seattle.

it will be my first few days of being officially unemployed so we'll be on a mission to create the world's cheapest little holiday. (we actually probably wouldn't even be going but had already booked and paid for the trip in advance, before i was laid off.) but, you can bet your bootie i'll still be making a trip to the very first starbucks coffee shop. every time i've been to seattle before it's always been literally swarmed with tourists so i never bothered, but this time i am determined. even if i have to throw a few elbows to make my way in - ha!

we also had the somewhat morbid (but free!) idea of visitting the graves of bruce lee and jimi hendrix, as well as the "memorial site" for kurt cobain. (it's a park bench, but still - free!)

and of course the trip wouldn't be complete without going to a soccer game! note: that was sarcasm. (yet another bright idea to pay for tickets in advance... lesson learned folks! ;)

anyone else have any tips for a cheap get-away?

hello stranger

2010-05-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

well hello there! long time no see!

yikes, i haven't been around lately, and i miss being in Suzyville! any time i have spent online for the past little while has been spent job hunting. and from the looks of it, it will be like that for the next little while too!
my non-online time has been spent outside enjoying the amazing weather Kelowna has been experiencing lately. this past weekend the husband and i went for one of our photo-walk/hikes and tried a new place with an amazing waterfall, and an even more amazing set of staircases to get there! (my legs are still sore from all those steps.) we got some great photos though, which i will share soon, as soon as i can get them off my camera. in the meantime i will leave you with this cute one (if i do say so myself) we snapped with my phone...

also, i just had to share this song that has been on repeat on my little mp3 player for the past little while...

and this one too...

actually, i'm kind of obsessed with that entire album right now! (i think it's time to update my "currently obsessed with" picture on the right side bar of my blog!) it's the self-titled debut album from broken bells - i highly recommend it if you like the two above songs.

well, happy thursday folks! be back soon i hope :) wish me luck with the job hunting... and tell me what you've been up to in the meantime too!

Friday Faves

2010-05-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today's Faves Feature comes to you from the "Windy City"... welcome Draya Ann! I recently had the pleasure of "meeting" her when she contacted me about a special necklace and we began emailing back and forth. I am now a fan of her blog and will be a fan of her shop once it opens up too!

Hi there! My name is Draya Ann, I'm an almost (4 months to go) 30 year old gal from the burbs of Chicago. I have a little blog called Say Anything that I am giving a shot at. Stop by and say hi, when you have the chance! I love new readers!

I have a great husband named Jake, who I dated on and off for 10 years before we finally got married in September of 2008. I lived in New Orleans for 4 years and fell in love with everything southern. After deciding that being away from my family was not what I wanted, I moved back home to Illinois, and I have been here ever since. I love crafting, and I am working on putting together a craft room at home so I can really get moving on some projects, and eventually put together an Etsy shop with my best friend (who lives in Canada!!!). When my bestest got pregnant I decided to make her little one a little mobile out of ribbon, and I kind of fell in love with crafting again while making it. I'm ready to get my creative juices flowing more often and I am kind of excited to see where they might take me.

Favourite band/music: I like all kinds of music, but I guess I would say that Dave Matthew's Band has always been up around #1 in my book. After living in New Orleans I became a fan of country music as well.
Favourite book/author: The best book I ever read was "I Know This Much is True" by Wally Lamb. It's like 900 some pages but it was such a good book I couldn't put it down. My second favorite book would then have to be Green Eggs and Ham. My niece's like to see how fast I can read it without messing up.
Favourite magazine/newspaper: I have to have my People Magazine fix every Friday! I'm a bit of a magazine junkie. I could sit and read magazines all day if possible.
Favourite movie: Say Anything. When he stands outside of her house with the boom box over his head, it just gets me. The song he plays also happens our song.
Favourite tv show: I have so many it's insane. Some of my favorites are Dexter, Big Love, The Office, Sex and the City...and on it goes.
Favourite actor/actress: I don't really have a favorite actually...weird.
Favourite artist: I love Keith Haring, and I love my dad's work. He's been an artist his whole life and just this past year he finally gave me some of his work to put up in my house. I'm so proud to tell people it's my dad's art. He's an amazing artist and photographer. It's his passion and I envy his love for what he does and his creativity.

Favourite colour: pink, then blue, then green, then yellow
Favourite meal: My husband says I eat like a 5 year old cause I love pizza, chicken nuggets, and mac & cheese. Anything served in a grade school, I'd probably like.
Favourite sweet treat: I love pink Starburst. Or the pink Runts...but just the pink ones!
Favourite salty snack: I love saltine crackers with cheddar cheese spread on them. So delicious!
Favourite drink: Squirt, best pop ever!
Favourite smell: Babies! They smell so good it makes my heart melt.
Favourite day of week: Friday evening. My husband usually asks me out on a date for Friday and it makes me so happy to be with him and just be together.
Favourite time of day: 4pm...it means I'm off work in 15 minutes and the rest of the evening is mine to do as I please!
Favourite season: I love Spring and Fall, when it's in the 70's and you can be outside and it's just the perfect temperature to sit on the deck and hang out.
Favourite quote: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away." Author Unknown.
Favourite flower: Peonies, and I'm actually disappointed because a new neighbor moved into the house next door that has the most amazing peonies, and I can no longer go and snip some for my house now. I guess it's off to the garden center to buy my own.
Favourite vacation destination: As a kid we always went to Sanibel Island, Florida. It has white sandy beaches, no street lights and everyone rides their bikes around instead of driving. It was just heavenly to me, and I wish I could spend every day there. It was the last place we vacationed as a family with my mom before she died, that it just has a special place in my heart.
Favourite thing to do in your free time: I really love to just hang out with my husband. He makes me laugh so hard, and we always have really great conversations. We've known each other for 12 years now, and we've been married for almost 2 and he still is my favorite person to talk to.

Thanks to Suzanne for having me as her Friday Fave! I'm so excited to be making blogworld friends! Happy Friday everyone!!!!

Thanks Draya Ann! I actually found a lot of similarities in your list - Say Anything is one of my most favourite movies of all time, Dexter is SO awesome, as are Spring & Fall, and that quote is the best :)

If anyone else would like to participate in a Friday Faves feature, shoot me an email: dearsuzanne@gmail.com

TGIF! Have a happy weekend folks :)

simple pleasures

2010-05-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

lately i've been thinking about little things that make me happy, like:

- that photo
- and this one
- crossing off items on to-do lists
- the first pumpkin spice latte of the season
- when i trim my fingernails and can type extra fast
- an extra 5 minutes in a hot shower
- going through old photos/albums (especially when it's my family's)
- sleeping with the heating blanket on and the window open (only when it's cold out ;)
- my cat josie waking me up by purring in my ear
- the scent in the morning air when it's rained all night
- macaroni and cheese
- hitting the snooze button
- a new haircut that i actually like
- writing lists
- campfires
- an ice cold glass of water right after i brush my teeth
- thunder storms
- pressing my face into a warm, fluffy, freshly laundered towel
- surprise slushees or smoothies from the hubby
- getting all "gussied up" for a girls night out
- midnight skinny dips
- nutella straight from the jar
- coffee dates with friends i don't get to see very often
- the way my legs feel after i shave and moisturize
- prescription sunglasses
- sweet random emails from friends
- red wine and dark chocolate
- cranking my favourite songs on the stereo

it's the little things that count :)

happy thursday folks!
tune in tomorrow for a brand new "friday faves" feature.

lotto ticket anyone?

2010-05-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

i just had to share these cute tv commercials (for Washington's Lottery). they are so clever! this first one is their newest - it features a song by indie band Grizzly Bear, is directed by the same person who did Feist's 1,2,3,4 video, and was choreographed by the same person who did that awesome dance scene in 500 Days of Summer... i don't think you could go wrong with that combo!

i just love this one, it makes me smile...

this one is super sweet...

and this one pretty much makes me cry every time i see it...

maybe i will buy a lotto ticket when i'm in seattle for the may long weekend :)
happy tuesday!

confessions - part 4

2010-05-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

i meant to write this last week, when it was still april, but time seems to be flying by so damn fast lately! i can't believe it's may already.
anyways, onto my confessions post.... while last month's seemed to be the food edition, this month it appears to be my neuroses edition. and i've got a real biggie (for me) this time...

photo from here

- i think i am meant to be the size that i am, no matter what i do - sometimes that really pisses me off, sometimes i couldn't care less

- ever since that stupid movie Sliver, from the 90's, i have been mildly paranoid about hidden cameras in the apartments i've lived in

- i think i go into little mini-depressions once in a while... but maybe i'm just moody

- it makes me anxious if i can’t get caught up on my daily Google Reader items

- although i’m no longer claustrophobic, i still hate elevators – i’m worried i’ll get stuck in one with someone else and suddenly have to go to the bathroom really badly

- i am my own worst enemy, and i know it

- sometimes i would rather text/email than talk on the phone

and my biggie...

- three weeks from today will be my first official day of unemployment - i got laid off. i'm still not sure this news has really sunken in yet. and i'm still not sure how i feel about it - i have been experiencing a mixture of feelings: sad, scared, hopeful, angry, worried, happy, embarrassed, indifferent, betrayed, inspired, excited... you name it! i do, however, have lots of ideas of what to do next - we shall see what the future has in store!

happy monday folks! hope y'all had a great weekend - tell me all about it, ok? (even if it sucked)

TGIF

2010-04-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

monday you can fall apart
tuesday wednesday break my heart
oh thursday doesn't even start
it's friday i'm in love

photo from here

song lyrics from here :)

i've just realized it's been a while since i've done a friday faves post! if you're interested in being featured, email me at dearsuzanne@gmail.com

happy weekend folks!

um, i need this

2010-04-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

actually, everyone else needs this...

polite umbrella

genius.

i couldn't agree more

2010-04-27T07:00:00.001-07:00

so true.
from thxthxthx - a truly genius/hilarious blog - "Leah Dieterich's mother always told her to write thank you notes. So she does. To everything."
go visit and i can practically guarantee it will become one of your favourite daily reads also :)

pieces of (my) april

2010-04-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

courtesy of my cell phone camera

can't believe it's almost may already.

happy monday folks!

photos & quote of the day

2010-04-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

"The human brain now holds the key to our future. We have to recall the image of the planet from outer space: a single entity in which air, water, and continents are interconnected. That is our home."

- David Suzuki, Canadian environmentalist and activist

(photo from my talented sister-in-law :)

(photo from my talented hubby :)

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

love it or lose it folks ;)

weekend updates

2010-04-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

so, about Alice... i really liked it, especially in 3D, but it definitely wasn't my favourite Tim Burton movie... which is probably a tie between Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice... anyone remember the animated Beetlejuice tv show? i really liked it, even though i was probably too old to be watching cartoons at that point.
anyhoo, i had a great weekend - catching up with a couple old friends/co-workers, amazing weather, lots of errands accomplished, a movie date with hubby, checking out a couple 'open houses' (actually condos) just for fun, and i even got some new jewelry listed in my shop too...

i heart taking pictures + i heart making wishes

i heart jackalopes + i heart the snooze button

i heart unicorns + i heart butterflies

they are part of my new "i heart charm necklaces" line :)

and they can even be personalized with an initial charm too!

happy tuesday everyone!

tell me what you got up to over the weekend :)

vive le weekend!

2010-04-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

seriously.

(image from here)

off to finally go see Alice in 3D!
happy weekend :)

party time, excellent

2010-04-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

Vivianna is having a blog party today - celebrating 500 posts!

That's where I'm at :)

photo

suzannemade

2010-04-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

howdy folks! just wanted to spread the word, in case you aren't already a fan of my "business" facebook page (wink wink nudge nudge :) as part of my new hand-stamped jewellery line, i have started making "family necklaces"... you know, like those "family rings" with the birthstones of each family member, but this time as a necklace, and with initials too!
these would make a perfect gift for mother's day (coming up very soon folks!)... and you could always send this to your "other half" as a helpful hint too ;)

here are just a few of the options you could choose from...

initials with "birthstones"

initials only

birthstones only

last name initial with family member birthstone

tiny letters are available too and you can fit a name, set of initials, or word, up to 4-5 letters :)

these would be sweet necklaces symbolizing parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings, friends, couples, even pets! the possibilities truly are endless :)

i make them completely of sterling silver and swarovski crystal and they are not available in my shop so email me fore more info! suzannemade@gmail.com

completely random

2010-04-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

i don't like it when people say "über" and "huzzah".

it's "super" and "hooray". ok?

photo from here

happy friday folks :)

anyone up to anything exciting this weekend?

i might be going bowling.

and doing some laundry. hooray!

cassette tapes

2010-04-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

well i almost hate to admit it but i kinda miss cassette tapes.... i mean, look how pretty they were...

genius artwork from here

these days with mp3's and iTunes, we'll never have that "wall of tapes" (or cd's for that matter) ever again. it makes me a little sad. i loved thumbing through my tape collection to decide what to listen to next. and you really had to think about it. and commit. there was no random or shuffle... unless you wanted to wait while it fast-forwarded. and you really had to listen to the entire album, or at least one full side, in a sitting... like the way it was meant to be heard.

a little over a year ago i sold/gave-away the majority my old tapes at a garage sale. a guy came up on his 10-speed bike with a cardboard box attached at the back (as temporary storage for this exact occasion i imagine) and was so super duper excited about all the tapes that i gave them all to him for about $2 i think. (i had a LOT.) i kept a few though. some of my faves. and of course i kept all my mix tapes. those aren't going anywhere.

in case you have some old cassettes lying around with no use for them anymore, but can't quite bare to part with them... here are some great ideas to re-use them! (wallets and dresses and belt buckles - oh my!)

and then there's this...

which is just plain awesome. ("generate" your own cassette tape here!)

happy wednesday :)

giveaway winner and guest blogger

2010-04-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

happy monday folks! i'm back from my little long-weekend getaway! unfortunately it was terrible weather the entire time i was there, so i don't have many pictures to share - except for a few phone-photos which i'll post later :)

i just wanted to let you know that i'm guest-blogging over here today - check out my scavenger hunt!

and, i'm happy to announce my giveaway winner!...

Comment #2 who said:
"everything looks good!
Cute giveaway
September would be my choice
happy Easter too you!
Carrie"
Congrats Carrie!!! Send me an email with your customization choices and I'll get started on making your necklace ASAP!

For those who missed out, stay tuned for another giveaway soon! Or if you have your heart set on the custom personalized charm necklace, you can always get one here :)

It's giveaway time - no foolin!

2010-04-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

HAPPY APRIL 1ST! like the new look of Suzyville? i decided it was time for a little sprucing up :)

anyways... one month ago today i celebrated my blog & shop anniversary... but i was so sick, tired, etc, that i decided to save the "celebrating" for april 1st instead!

so...

i am giving away one of my custom personalized charm necklaces!

(example)

also, i am debuting a new design of personalized stamped charms (tiny, in the corner :) that the winner can choose from... (it's not even available in my shop yet!)

(example)

the winner will receive a sterling silver necklace in the length of your choice (16", 18" or 20") with a silver charm that i will hand-stamp with your choice of letter or number, plus a swarovski crystal "birthstone" in the colour of your choice! these are the colour options:

How to enter:

(please leave a separate comment for each of these that you do as I will be drawing a winner from the number of comments - and don't forget to include your email address:)

* Follow my blog (or subscribe with an rss feeder, Google Reader, etc... basically if you read my blog - it counts! leave a comment!)

* Post about this giveaway on your own blog

* Become a fan of my Facebook page

* Share my Facebook page with your Facebook friends

* Follow me on Twitter

* Tweet about this giveaway (as many times as you like, just remember to leave a comment for each one)

This giveaway ends at 9:00pm PST this SUNDAY, April 4th, and the winner will be announced on Monday!

Good luck!

Oh and Happy Easter too! I'm off to Vancouver for the long weekend with a girlfriend for a little R&R... actually, it will probably be more like a lot of E&S
(eating and shopping ;)

quote & photo of the day

2010-03-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

lovely photo from here

Life is not measured by the number of breaths that we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

- unknown

Geninne

2010-03-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

i just wanted to share the work of this fantastic artist that i have admired for quite a long time now: Geninne

i first spotted her prints on Etsy...

woodland print set

terrarium

don matias

(it's hard to choose a favourite, but i think this is it. he is so sweet!)

lovebirds

white bird

her ocean series is fantastic

and i really love her collage bird series

so, after falling in love with everything in her Etsy shop,

i soon became enamored with her sweet blog...

birdalope pillows! lovelovelove

tutorials

even videos of her illustrating and painting process...

Geninne Watercolors Part 2 from Geninne D. Zlatkis on Vimeo.

and i'm now addicted to her Flickr photostream as well...

photo

even her 12 year old son is talented!

Daniel's birds

oh, and her dog Turbo has his own blog too :)

i hope you enjoy her work as much as i do!

happy sunday folks :)

confessions - part 3

2010-03-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

{image from here}

well it's time for my monthly confessions post. this time there seems to be a lot of food-related items... not sure what that's all about.

(you can find part 2 here, and part 1 here)

- if i go see a movie at night, sometimes all i will have for dinner that day is the movie popcorn and drink
- i don't think i've ever actually watched a movie without eating popcorn. it just seems wrong.
- i am a bit of a pack rat and i hate cleaning
- sometimes i worry a little bit that i might become a hoarder
- i spent a ridiculous amount of time making my own daily planner... but now that i have a blackberry i will probably never use it. (i think i might turn it into an art journal instead)
- i have a bad habit of starting projects but never finishing them. (i have at least 3 art journals on the go, and a few half-finished paintings, and jewellery pieces. i think a few half-read books also)
- i love being at home. (even though i don't necessarily like my apartment, in particular.) i could totally be a hermit.
- i could eat poutine every single day for the rest of my life and never get sick of it. (although... if i actually did that, it would likely be a very short life!)
- i wear ear plugs at live music concerts (you can hear everything so much better and then no ringing ears the next day :)
- i am a big believer in "if you don't like something, change it - and if you can't change it, change your perspective of it" - in theory... in reality, it's really hard for me to actually do that
- i don't often follow my own advice
- i used to "hem" my work/dress pants with staples (even when i had a sewing machine)
- i looooove jewellery, and have a lot of it. but i have a hard time wearing anything that i haven't made myself when i go out in public. (i feel like i'm cheating on me!)
- i had baked brie and roasted garlic with french bread for dinner two nights in a row recently
- sometimes i worry that other people can read my thoughts
- i think - actually i'm fairly certain - that i think too much

ok. your turn... comment below with some of your own confessions, or post them on your own blog and comment with the link :)

spring has sprung!

2010-03-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

***

yay! it's officially my second favourite season :)

happy monday, and happy spring!

hello luvahhhh

2010-03-18T21:30:00.001-07:00

have you seen the new photo project by the selby, that he did for cole haan? well, have you seen that one of the people included in that project was maria sharapova, who designed her own collection for cole haan - including these lovelies (with Nike Air, so that means they're comfortable, right?)

holy sweet mother of shiny shoes!
me likey... a LOT

what? you don't do your baking in 4" heels???

happy friday folks :)

a note from the cat

2010-03-16T23:29:00.000-07:00

collecting (a.k.a. stuff i didn't buy... yet)

2010-03-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

i have quite a few collections... old cameras, tins, acorns, owls, snow globes, shot glasses, skeleton keys, tiny glass bottles, matchbooks, vintage postcards, and recently - buttons.
sometimes collecting things can get a little out of control - the husband also had a shot glass collection so with ours combined we have well over a hundred now!
that being said - i often fall in like with things i want to collect - most recently: teaspoons. when i was in winnipeg last month, thrifting with Leigh-Ann, i noticed an entire box of adorable vintage collectible teaspoons in one of the shops. they were all individually priced but i was really tempted to make an offer on the entire box... hello instant collection!
i didn't do it, but i have been thinking about them ever since... maybe i will look around some thrift shops here in kelowna some time soon...
would you like to start your own instant collection?
here are some good starters i found on Etsy recently, you may want to snap them up before i do :)

skeleton keys

thermoses (sp?)

vintage jewelry

hankies

pretty buttons, all in the same color :)

glass medicine bottles

(which reminds me, i found the most adorable little glass bottle at an antique store in texas when i was there over the holidays and it had the sweetest little owl on it! i bought it of course. i keep meaning to post a picture)

tiny figurines

vintage scarves

tea towels

vintage children's books

tins

what do you collect? or, want to collect?

a couple more new goodies

2010-03-12T16:20:00.000-08:00

new brooches now added to le shoppe!

what a hoot

sweetheart bow

ok, i won't post every single new shop item on here all the time... so for sneak peeks of items before they get added to my shop - become a fan of my facebook page!

new in the shop

2010-03-11T18:58:00.000-08:00

lucky charm necklace

hummingbird necklace

now that i feel like i'm finally starting to get my life back on track again - i'm going to try to add something new to the shop a few times a week!

happy friday everyone :)

have a great weekend!

quote & photo of the day

2010-03-10T08:43:00.000-08:00

image from here

when it looks like the grass is greener on the other side, maybe it's time to water your own garden.

- unknown

happy wednesday folks! hope you're having a good week!

p.s. blackberry won - and i love it! (thanks for all the advice)
p.p.s. i am finally over that damn cold! (thanks for all the well wishes)

help please

2010-03-04T21:04:00.000-08:00

it's time to upgrade my cell phone and i can't decide...

iPhone vs. Blackberry

I like that the iPhone (3G) has a large screen, great music player/iTunes, a million fun apps, and the touch screen interface is super easy to use (except for typing, in my case).

I like that the Blackberry (9700) is faster, has a proper key button pad, speedy emails, can record video, and the instant messaging service since just about everyone I know has a Blackberry (so messaging would be free).

I will use it primarily for emailing, web surfing/blog reading, listening to music and taking photos... and the occasional phone call :)

What do you folks think?
The salespeople at the phone stores were no help to me whatsoever.
Any advice?

happy blogshopiversaryday to me

2010-03-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

i'm back from my trip - unfortunately i'm even sicker now than when i left.
today is my two year blog-birthday/anniversary and yesterday was my shop's. i was going to post something special but my brain feels like mush right now as it's full of this cold/flu/whatever-i-have - so i'll save that for another day soon.
in the meantime, here is a lovely video for your monday morning...

discovered via here, although i've seen it at a couple of other places now too

p.s. happy march 1st!

i'm here!

2010-02-23T15:53:00.000-08:00

and i finally got to meet my new niece!

i love her to bits :)

i know, i know, i know...

2010-02-19T08:36:00.000-08:00

i've been a bad blogger lately.
i've been sick, tired and feeling creatively challenged.
but i promise to be back to my usual self soon. in fact, just last night my head was suddenly swimming with ideas that i can't wait to get started on (perhaps that was because of the ginormous vitamins i just started eating like they're going out of style).
and i especially promise to be back to my usual return-commenting. (i figure that since i love it when people leave me comments on here, it is nice to return a comment to your blogs too :)
i hope to return from my trip next week feeling refreshed, de-stressed, and full of creativity again!
normally i would have scheduled some posts for while i'm gone but i haven't been quite organized enough for that lately, so in the meantime i will leave you with this fabulousness...

heart and key by emily martin, a.k.a. the black apple

the original painting is sold, of course (her originals are usually snapped up within seconds of them being listed in her etsy shop) but you can get the print here. i seriously adore absolutely everything ms. martin does, and have a growing collection of her prints and et ceteras.

happy friday folks.
be back soon, once i have defrosted from my trip to winterpeg. (i'm going to have to dig out my parka and warm boots to throw in my suitcase!)

tattoo tuesdays (yes, i know it's wednesday)

2010-02-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

image via here

i'm really enjoying this series of posts from the lovely sometimes sweet blog - called tattoo tuesday. i always like seeing other people's tattoos, and hearing the stories behind them. i used to really like the tv show LA Ink for that reason, but unfortunately it started to have a little too much reality-show-drama for my liking so i don't watch it very often anymore. too bad, because it used to be one of my faves.

happy wednesday folks! just a few more days until i go on my trip back home to winnipeg! yippee!

quote & photo of the day

2010-02-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

Then give up.

There's no use being a damn fool about it.
- W. C. Fields

**************************************************

beautiful photo making me want to colour my hair from her fantastic photostream

i don't have much to say today.

happy monday folks
:)

quiet nights...

2010-02-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

... are perfect for art journaling ...

Remember lovely Vivianna from Polka Dot Robot, whom I featured here a couple months ago (who also featured me a couple months ago too)? Well, she has a (very affordable) online art journal class coming up in March and I'm super excited about it! I took a little art journal class about a year ago and have been hooked ever since. I've already signed up for this one now also and I think you should too!

In case you're wondering what the heck art journaling is, here is Vivs' perfect description:
"Love the concept of a journal but have a hard time keeping a traditional diary? Learn the free-form style of art journaling, where anything goes. While traditional journaling features words, sketches, and photos, art journaling emphasizes color, texture, and beauty. Learn to integrate these elements into your pages for a stunning effect."

You can get more information about the upcoming class here, and sign up here. Go!

coming soon

2010-02-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

new pretties made with some lovely vintage pieces.

coming soon to le shoppe!

i'm an aunty!

2010-02-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

after the longest weekend EVER...

i have a niece!

her name is leah and she is just a beautiful as her mama :)

i can't wait to meet her

WWJJD

2010-02-06T06:30:00.000-08:00

(from the bust boobtique, discovered via mixed plate )

that is probably the awesomest t-shirt, like, EVER. i think i need it.

i love joan jett.

and the runaways.

ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb is one of my (okay, one of my many) most favourite non-Beatles songs.

did i ever mention that one of my dream jobs when i was young was to be a female rockstar? i know you are thinking - really? a female rockstar? but yes, it's true.

anyhoo, i am definitely looking forward to The Runaways movie coming out next month! although i have to say that i'm a little weirded out/surprised it's starring dakota fanning and kristen stewart. but from what i've heard, they do a good job. so i'll try to be non-judgemental until i see for myself :)

here's the teaser/trailer...

can't wait!

confessions - part 2

2010-02-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

part 1 here

photo

- i may be a perfume-aholic (after i took that photo above, i found a couple more bottles hiding in the back of my bathroom cabinet - and this isn't even including the matching perfumed body lotions)

- i had a rat-tail in grade 3... or 4... i have almost completely blocked it from my memory now, but am still trying to destroy all photographic evidence of it
- one time in junior high i decided to cut only one side of all my hair off (myself) to see what i would look like with short hair again (after growing it out for a couple years)
- i don’t know if i want children, but i’d definitely love to know what’s it’s like to be pregnant
- one of my very favourite tv shows of all time is Felicity – i could watch the entire series over and over (and have) and never get sick of it
- i'm quite shy in "real life", i find it much easier to open up here
- sometimes i forget that people i actually know in "real life" read this thing
- i can type pretty fast (over 55 wpm last time i checked, 3 years ago) but i don’t do it the “proper” way with certain keys only for the left/right hand (i’ve tried to re-teach myself that way but i just can’t get used to it)
- sometimes if i’m upset or mad at someone, i will write them a letter or email, but never actually send it – it makes me feel like i still got to say what i was feeling at the time, without being unintentionally hurtful and regretting it later (one time i actually hit 'send' on a venting-email by mistake, so now i make absolutely sure not to actually fill out the 'To' field)
- i am 100% on Team Edward
- sometimes i feel like i have to remind myself that i’m 33, not 23 :)

your turn... comment below with some of your own confessions, or post them on your own blog and comment with the link!

p.s. happy friday :)

what the french toast?

2010-02-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

i'm always a fan of ways to swear without actually swearing. this commercial from Orbit gum (best gum flavours EVER by the way) has some good ones. (although not my absolute fave, which is "Shut the FRONT DOOR!" you know... instead of 'Shut the F-up'! although "What the french toast?" is a close second)

happy thursday :)

a day late

2010-02-03T08:01:00.000-08:00

oops, i meant to post this yesterday...

happy day-after groundhog day :)

(i heart bill murray)

so apparently phil saw his shadow.

is anyone happy for 'six more weeks of winter'?

oh, and not only was yesterday groundhog day, it was also my sister's due date! no baby yet, but it could officially be ANY DAY NOW! i am not letting my phone leave my side, excitedly awaiting the call (or text :)

happy wednesday folks!

month #2

2010-02-01T08:30:00.000-08:00

happy february! wow. i can't believe january is over already.

i am excited for this month though...

i get to visit my hometown and hang out with my family

i become an aunty and get to snuggle my new niece/nephew

i have some fun new things coming out for my shop

what are you excited about this month?

friday faves

2010-01-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

happy friday folks - i've got another friday faves feature for you - it's lovely melissa from the lovely sunlight & simplicity blog... i love her blog's 'tag line': "savoring and documenting the love, the lemonade, and the everything in between of life". reminds me of my favourite saying - when life gives you lemons, bake cupcakes! er, or something like that ;)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi there, everyone! I am Melissa from over at sunlight & simplicity. Feel free to pop on over anytime for a visit to see me and my creative escapades. If I am not cropping, clicking or cooking I'm probably spending time with the amazing people in my life, reading, traveling or teaching kindergartners. It sounds cliche, but life really is a gift and I love living it each day and documenting what adventures (and sometimes lack thereof...) that come my way.

Thanks to Suzy for having me on today, it’s been an honor!

Here’s a little about me….

Favourite band/music: I have a pretty eclectic music collection, I listen to everything from Classical to Christian and most things in between. Some of my favorites are Priscilla Ahn, U2 and Rascall Flatts.

Favourite book/author: Jane Austen, Jodi Picoult, and Mitch Albom

Favourite magazine/newspaper: Creating Keepsakes & Real Simple

Favourite movie: Pride & Prejudice. I still get goosebumps and cry every time Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth meet in the field at daybreak! I also love Mr. Holland’s Opus, Titanic and lately I have been cracking up over The Hangover!

Favourite tv show: So You Think You Can Dance, Say Yes to the Dress, 30 Rock

Favourite actor/actress: I thought Laura Linney was brilliant in the John Adams series. I kind of have a crush on Paul Rudd so I guess we’ll have to say him as well ;-)

Favourite artist: For painters I love John Singer Sergeant and Thomas Dewing…I adore Dewing’s A Lady in Yellow. For scrapbookers I really admire the styles of Lisa Day, Stephanie Howell, Elizabeth Dillow and Maggie Holmes.

Favourite color: aquamarine

Favourite meal: Soup and salad. I could eat that every day, all day and never get sick of it. Or my friend Becky’s green chile enchiladas…they are amazing!

Favourite sweet treat: Jelly Belly jellybeans, cinnamon bears and cupcakes!

Favourite salty snack: Lays used to make Dill Pickle potato chips, which I loved, but I can’t seem to find them anywhere! Aside from that I would say just plain ole potato chips or popcorn.

Favourite drink: Water and herbal tea.

Favourite smell: Fresh herbs…but especially basil and tomatoes, Williams Sonoma Olive Oil hand soap and my boyfriend’s shampoo.

Favourite day of week: Saturday. I love the feeling of getting all of the chores done then relaxing and having fun knowing that the next day is a relaxing one too.

Favourite time of day: I’ve coined it “golden time”, but I think most people would just call it sunset :) It is so peaceful to have the warm setting sun washing over you as you unwind from your day.

Favourite season: Couldn’t really say, I love something about each of them.

Favourite quote: To think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted. George Kneller

Favourite flower: peonies.

Favourite vacation destination: Bermuda.

Favourite thing to do in your free time: Spend time with my friends and family and cats, read, catch up on blogs, and scrapbook. And sometimes it nice to just sit in the quiet with a cup of tea.

Thanks again, Suzy! This was a lot of fun :-)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

thank YOU Melissa! i always get a kick out of reading other people's faves. i like Paul Rudd too - and jelly bellys - yum! (to both ;)

as always, if anyone else would like to participate in a friday faves feature, please email me! dearsuzanne(at)gmail(dot)com

TGIF! anyone have any fun plans for the weekend? i think i might finally take down my xmas tree (eek!)

stuff i didn't buy today

2010-01-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

some cute/quirky goodies from my Etsy favorites...

just a little "window shopping" for your thursday morning :)

on repeat

2010-01-26T06:30:00.000-08:00

do you ever have a song that you love so much that you listen to it over and over, day after day? you know every single word and note so well that you could sing the entire song on your own without even hearing the music? and you are sure that no matter how many times you hear it you could never get sick of it?
well, i get a few of those once in a while, but for me right now that song is this one - by Against Me! featuring Tegan Quin (yes, that Tegan)...

Against Me! - Borne On The FM Waves Of The Heart video

Against Me! | MySpace Music Videos

it's an older song but i'm totally obsessed with it right now for some reason. i've been listening to it on repeat every day. i'll be going to see Against Me! in concert soon and i'm really hoping they'll play that song, maybe with a "surprise guest" ;)

by the way... totally off topic by i have to say - thanks for all the blog-love on my little confessions post the other day. i don't think i've had that many comments and emails about one before (well, it was a lot for me anyway :) and i have to laugh because normally i try not to get too personal on here but yet when i do share some little tidbits, people really seem to relate. (not that i was spilling my guts or anything, but for me, it felt like it a little, in a good way i guess :)

happy tuesday folks!

quote of the day

2010-01-25T14:46:00.000-08:00

image

It's not your aptitude,

but your attitude,

that decides your altitude.

- unknown

happy monday!

(p.s. i totally believe in that quote... well, at least, i try to :)

confessions

2010-01-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

two posts in one day! i think that's a first for me.
i just have some things i would like to get off my chest...

- my xmas tree is still up, and probably will be for another week or so
- i think "guyliner" is hot (as in ewan mcgregor, not marilyn manson)
- i have six tattoos and want more - at least half-sleeves on both my arms (i already know what i want to get, i just need to win the lottery first so i don’t have any other financial priorities)
- i love sushi, and seafood, but i hate fish
- sometimes i regret not going to university, but then other times i’m glad i didn’t waste the time/money when i see other people who have degrees they unfortunately don’t/can't make any use of
- one of the main reasons i didn’t go to university was because i couldn’t decide on what i wanted – art & design? teacher? social worker? respiratory therapist?
- i think brussel sprouts are delicious
- i cry a lot – when i’m happy, sad, or (especially) angry - i usually try to hide it
- i have a crush on drew barrymore (and have since the early 90's)
- one time in elementary school i peed in my snow-pants because i was having so much fun outside at recess and i didn’t run back into the school in time
- i used to have a big gap between my two front teeth and had a retainer to fix it (not the “cool” kind with the wire bar in front - i was actually jealous of my friend who had that kind) but then i got the opposite problem where my front teeth are kind of squished together and crooked
- my crooked teeth never really bothered me too much until i was in my early twenties and a boy said to me “have you ever thought about getting braces?” and that's when/how i started smiling with my mouth closed
- one of my favourite (non-Beatles) songs of all time is “More than a Feeling” by Boston – i like to belt it out at the top of my lungs when no one is around - i even “sing” along to the guitar-solo parts
- i wish on stars, birthday candles, and digital clocks (when it’s 3:33, 11:11, etc)

that felt good. i think i’ll make this confessions-thing a regular one.

would you like to play along? comment below with some of yours, or post them on your own blog and comment with the link

:)

i love bokeh

2010-01-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

i just discovered this fun little site where anything you type (well, anything up to 6 characters anyway) turns into pretty "bokeh" (i just learned this term like a year ago - it's nice to know there's a special word to something you've liked for a long time - rather than "blur" :)

it disappears moments after you type it... so lovely...

check it out here

happy friday folks!

wanderlust

2010-01-20T18:23:00.001-08:00

i know i just got back from a vacation, but i have really been itching to go on a good road-trip over the past few months.

my better half and i reeeeally want to drive down to/through the oregon coast (yes, i'm all about the forest-y goodness) and maybe even into california.

while we're shopping for a new car, we are keeping our road-tripping dreams in mind as we have been trying to look at vehicles that would be big enough to sleep in, yet still afford. it's a tough battle :)

if all else fails, along the way i'd like to stay here for a night or two...

treehouse point - in washington

and definitely here...

ace hotel - in portland

i mean, just look...

they even have a photo booth in the lobby! be. still. my. heart....

AND there is also an ace hotel in seattle...

and palm springs...

seriously - coolest hotel EVER. we could stay at each one on the west coast! ha!

and heck, if we ever go to new york, well, we might as well check out that ace too...

and, while we're (sort of) in the area, i'd also really like to check out this place...

lost river modern - west virginia

what are some of your dream destinations?
i'd really love to know!

the daily photo project

2010-01-18T08:12:00.000-08:00

i kind of fell off the wagon over the holidays with my little daily photo project... but so far in 2010 i have been back on track! (well, with the exception of yesterday, i completely forgot to take a picture :(

here's a little peek...

snow globes (and other collections)

our "fireplace" (tv channel i had on like 24/7)

we had lots of rain, and not enough snow - this was taken on a little xmas lights driving tour that my friend and i do every year

my two favourite festive travel mugs (another collection i seem to have)

on the flight to dallas - i couldn't believe there was actually frost on the windows

someone left the sprinklers on (and it was freezing outside) - almost a whole block was like this - even the grass was full of icicles - this particular tree was bent over almost to the ground from the weight of the ice. it was crazy! (and also kinda sad)

a fun old cafe/hole-in-the-wall we went to for breakfast in texas

a sweet little bird nest i saw on my walk home from work the other day

josie and her new favourite toy (a piece of felt with catnip inside)

one of the approx 500 pictures i took at the show i went to a week or so ago

and you can see the rest of my daily photos here.

happy monday folks!

did everyone have a good weekend? anything fun and/or exciting? or was it more productive?

i didn't get up to anything exciting except - i drove a car! and didn't crash it! (which is a very good thing, since it was a test drive :)

funny/sad

2010-01-15T17:23:00.000-08:00

pretty sure i wore the exact same outfit in high school

friday faves

2010-01-15T07:45:00.000-08:00

and we're back with another edition of the friday faves feature! today we have Janel ~ an all-around crafty goddess from the blog Run With Scissors...

------------------------------------------

My name is Janel. I am an elementary school art teacher and I feel super blesssed to have such an awesome job!! In all of my spare time I am crafting like crazy!!

Favourite band/music: My music collection is soooo ecclectic. I have so many favorites from Beethoven to Deftones to Jay-Z :) My favorite song though is Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd.

Favourite book/author: Again, a super hard question!! I love reading so much. I am a total reader! My favorite book of all time though is The Diary of Anne Frank. I have a huge list of my favorite books on my blogger profile so check there for more :)

Favourite magazine/newspaper: I love Ready made, and DIY magazines. I am also a sucker for US Weekly :)

Favourite movie: Man on Fire

Favourite tv show: The Office

Favourite actor/actress: Actor: Clint Eastwood Actress: Zooey Deschenal

Favourite artist: My sister <3 and Rob Ryan

Favourite color: Mexican Ocean Blue

Favourite meal: eggplant parmesean

Favourite sweet treat: red velvet cupcakes

Favourite salty snack: pretzels

Favourite drink: diet dr. pepper

Favourite smell: lavendar

Favourite day of week: Wednesday

Favourite time of day: between 4:00 pm-7:00 pm... so random but so true!

Favourite season: fall and summer

Favourite quote: "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a means in which we arrive at that goal." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Favourite flower: lavendar

Favourite vacation destination: I have always wanted to travel to New Zealand so that would be my dream destination. Out of the place I have traveled to, I would say Cozumel, Mexico and Ireland.

Favourite thing to do in your free time: read, craft, and spend time with my family :)

------------------------------------------

thanks Janel! that is a GREAT quote, and who knew that one could have such a specific time of day as a favourite! love it :) oh, and i'm totally with you on the red velvet cupcakes - they seem to be a popular fave for the sweet treats. yummmm - i think i might make some this weekend :)

as usual, if anyone would like to participate in a friday faves feature, please email me at dearsuzanne[at]gmail[dot]com

TGIF! is anyone up to anything exciting for the weekend? i think i'll be finally taking down my xmas tree (yes, it's still up, don't judge) and most likely shopping for a new car :s ooh! and i also have some cute new goodies for my shop that i'll try to get posted as well :)

happy friday

highlights

2010-01-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

well, so far this year has been off to a great start! here are some of the "highlights":
- i brought home some really cute acorns I found in Texas, only to discover a maggot had tagged along for the ride. EW!!! (luckily i had a second, separate, bag of maggot-free acorns :)
- our car started making a strange clunking noise... which turned out to be a pricey repair.
- i cried at work. twice.
- our car died/wouldn't start at all... and then a pricey tow to the mechanic shop.
- our computer decided to take a permanent vacation. it won't even turn on. (luckily i had recently started making back-up discs so the only really important thing that we lost was our entire music library :(
- i almost choked to death on an extra strength advil liqui-gel.
- i accidentally marked ALL my Google Reader items as read. (i had about 100 saved from while i was on holidays that i wanted to read more thoroughly/bookmark/save when i got back home.)
- our car died AGAIN.

needless to say, i think we will have to go car-shopping pretty soon. especially since i was going to start my driving lessons (in a parking lot) this weekend... i think i'll need a car that is somewhat reliable. (People of Kelowna be warned - i will be driving on the streets soon!)

i would love something like this... ;)

image from here

happy thursday folks!
don't forget to enter the giveaway over here... last day to enter is today!

pssst...

2010-01-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

i'm having a little giveaway over at Run With Scissors!

deep into the forest we go

2010-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

so, on the flight home from Texas last weekend (i can't believe that was only about a week ago. and i promise i will post about my trip soon!), i finally caved in and started reading Twilight. i finished it this weekend, and now i'm starting to read New Moon. i'm actually embarrassed to admit that. (um, because i'm not a teenager :) but i actually really liked the first two movies, just for all the beautiful imagery alone, and so far i really like the books too. they mostly just really make me want to run away and live in the forest. or at least go on a road trip through the beautiful misty forests of Washington & Oregon.

but in the meantime, here is some lovely forest-y eye candy i found on weheartit.

link

happy monday folks :)

hope you had a lovely weekend!

sweet hearts

2010-01-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

now up in le shoppe