Day 31 "Toothbrush"

Nope, but here's a cool picture that I took through the front door during the big storm the other night.

Day 30 "Calm"

The calm before the storm. And what a storm it was!

This picture was taken about 7 minutes before all hell broke loose on Sunday night. The storm lasted only about 30 minutes, but it was a half-hour of pure fury - 100km winds, lightening, driving rain, falling trees and branches, and random explosions (!!!)

When it was all said and done, the neighbourhood - heck, the whole city - looked like a bomb had gone off. And, in true Prairie fashion, the evening was quite lovely...like a charming toddler after an epic tantrum.

Small Craft Warning

After weeks (yes, weeks!) of careful preparation (read: procrastination), my new blog, Small Craft Warning, is up and running. You won't find much idle chit-chat or gossip there; SCW is all business!

I will be using it solely to showcase custom orders (like the yoga mat bag above) and to sell one-of-a-kind crafty items, much like I used to do on this blog before the days of daily photo challenges...

Please take a moment to check it out, and be sure to bookmark it for future visits!

http://smallcraftwarning.ca/

Day 29 "The Last Thing I Bought"

My kitchen drain is past the point of needing a quick unclogging. Whatever is in there is in there good. It's either going to take a miracle or an exorcism to get things moving again. Or some of this stuff:

Day 28 "Cup(cake)"

Some would argue that cake can't be taken seriously if it contains a vegetable, but I don't care. I love, LOVE, love carrot cake in all of its many incarnations (sheet-, bundt-, layer-, cup-, etc)

Today, the Mascot and I caught a Fringe play and, afterwards, grabbed a couple of cupcakes at our favourite bakery in the whole, wide world, Cakeology. Needless to say, I had the carrot. Doesn't it look pretty all dressed-up in its Fringe Fest finery?

Day 27 "On the Road"

More shameless Fringy advertising, this time in the form of chalk art on Main Street. Literally *on* Main Street.

Day 26 "Sunshine"

Day 25 "Heart"

Summer is festival season in Winnipeg and no festival is more festive than the Fringe.

Hola, Canola!

When Jenn from the Manitoba Canola Growers asked me to be a guest blogger on the "Be well!", I didn't hesitate for a second before saying "yes!"

I have been a regular reader of the Canola Growers blog and newsletter since meeting Jenn, Wendy and Ellen through food blogger events this past spring. I love their "whole picture" approach to health and wellness and I couldn't help but be drawn to their positive energy. Based on that, I jumped at the chance to be part of their blog.

My first piece (link below) is about finding the motivation to exercise...something that I think we can all relate to. Please check it out and feel free to share it and comment on it. And be sure to come back and let me know if it helped nudge you off the couch.

Uh...do I have to?


Photo credit: Brian Gould

Day 23 "Mirror"

In a pinch, a window makes a wonderful mirror. Here I am, giant coffee in hand - exactly as you will find me most mornings after I have dropped-off my fella.

Day 18 "Plate"

It sounds bizarre, but when my tummy is upset, I crave Mexican food*. Tonight, after a spin class that left my stomach spinning, I came home and put together this little plate of awesome.

- Simple guacamole: avocado, lime, cumin, pinch of salt, chopped tomato.
- Homemade baked tortilla chips.
- Jicama/mango salad: jicama, mango, red pepper, cilantro, lime, agave, ancho chili powder, salt.
- Fake crab chunks. Don't judge.

*When I was on The Rock Boat and suffering from a combination of seasickness and Southern Comfortitis, the only thing that I could keep down was a shrimp quesadilla. True story.

Derailed

Well, maybe "derailed" isn't the correct term. It's not that I have given up on the July Photo Challenge, It's just that there are a few holes here and there. Blame it on the busy, or blame it on some rather uninspiring topics this month (Finger? Really?)

Or, just blame it on the rain, Milli.

It was actually my mother that pointed out my poor, neglected blog. While I was tending to other important matters, such as the complete archive of Beverly Hills 90210 on Netflix, the tumbleweeds were starting to roll through the ol' Ticketyboo. What can I say? It's summer. It happens.

I promise to do better, Mumji. I'm all caught up now (sorta) and, with the kid away at fishing camp, I have all the time in the world to post Instagram photos and wax poetic on things like social injustices and climate change and the trials and tribulations of the gang from West Beverly High.

And, if that doesn't work, I can always post pictures of cats.

Day 17 "My Addiction"

The Twitter or the Starbucks? You decide. I believe I have officially reached addiction-level status in both.

Incidentally, I am writing this post from a Starbucks and since starting it, I have checked Twitter twice.

Make that thrice.

Day 16 "Sign"

My favourite thing about working downtown used to be the drive to work with my fella. With crazy schedules and two separate households, the morning commute was often the only time that we had to spend with each other. It may have been only 20 minutes or so, but it was better than nothing.

Now that I am no longer a cog in the machine, my schedule is a lot more open. Most days, I am finished work before most people are even out of bed. That hasn't stopped me, however, from driving my fella to his office in the morning. Not only do I get the privilege of seeing him in his shirt and tie before anyone else, I am handsomely paid for my troubles* in coffee. 

And there, my friends, is the segue into today's photo of the day. It's the spoon canister from one of our morning haunts, the Urban Forest Cafe. The "We Are Dirty" sign makes me giggle every single morning. It just doesn't get old....

*Really, it's no trouble at all. What the heck else am I going to do at 8am?

Day 14 "Building"

Winnipeg's *ahem* dazzling downtown skyline, taken from the unique vantage point of Shaw Park. 

I am so in love with the old-school Nutty Club buildings that sit nestled in the shadow of the string of highrises at Portage and Main. 

Day 12 "Texture"

Day 10 "My Favourite Colour"

Usually, my favourite colour is red. Today, though, my favourite colour is "Rainier cherry". 

I'm pretty sure it's a colour. Just like plaid is a colour.

Day 8 "Lunch"

This was all that was left after our little Sunday afternoon picnic on the back deck.

There were no signs of the freshly baked baguette, the hand-chopped bruschetta topping, the stinky taleggio cheese, and the herring in spicy tomato sauce. All that remained was just a red wool blanket and a torn label from the cheap (but cheerful) sangria that washed it all down.

Not pictured: two happy (albeit slightly-buzzed) people with full bellies and not a care in the world.

Day 7 "Garden"

Lilies at my fella's place.

Day 6 "Chair"

This 20s era chair is in my top 5 most-treasured possessions. I bought it at a yard sale in 1994-ish and then reupholstered and refinished it as my final project before graduating from RRCC.

My total investment for the chair and fabric was $120, but to me it is priceless.

Day 3 "Best Part of Your Day"

The best part of my day was a bike ride with my fella. The second best part of my day was this:

Baked tortilla shell, refried beans, spicy veggie beef with fire-roasted tomatoes, lettuce, tomato, green olives, and avocado. Charred peppers, corn, and zucchini on the side.

Day 2 "Busy"

My fella, busy being awesome.

Day 1 "Self Portrait"

Yup. There I am in my second-nerdiest pair of glasses. I love them ever-so-much, but I have to be in the right mood for them. If I am not careful, they can wear me.