Jun 26, 2009
Jun 25, 2009
RenovNate and DomestiKate (omg so bad...)
At the risk of sounding like a pre-teen valley girl (this is what happens when you stay with Mom and Dad in Elbow Valley for too long), we like ummmm...
totally bought a freakin' house!!!
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, like, oh my gosh. I have personally given myself a few bragging rights here because after living on a 40 ft sailboat for nine months, this is something I'm allowed to write on and on about. You can't take this away from me people!
Our new home is located on what I like to call the trendy side of cookie cutter Mackenzie Towne. The outside of the house is currently being finished with Hardie board stucco and stone while the inside of it will be left at drywall. With Nate's construction and renovation skills we agreed that we would finish the inside of it ourselves. I really like the fact that we'll be able to pick everything from the hardwood floor wood type and stain to the door knobs.
Here's the sweet floor plan:
What really sold us on the house is that it is one of a few in Calgary that are being built with a 'green' state. The project is called Emerge and all of the homes that they build feature Net-Zero, geo-thermal heating, solar panels on the roof, completely space age forward thinking brain homes. In their words, they build homes that; ''...promote practical yet effective environmental conservation solutions. Each house combines state of the art energy efficient construction techniques and equipment with renewable solar energy to provide energy for use in the homes". In my words; "less money to the bill man AND save the environment? I'm in."
We bought the house called the Aster which was named after the wild flower.
If you'd like to know more about it take a look at the Avalon Website:
http://www.avalonmasterbuilder.com/
or,
Jun 5, 2009
s s s s s
Back home but still dreaming of Paris...
I'm convinced that the city of Paris has some crazy voodoo magic that grabs ahold of your emotions and won't let go. My physcological being was so manipulated with various behaviours that I'm sure I was the most baffling travel companion. My frame of mind was varying each minute. I mean, I stood rock solid still in front of the Mona Lisa for the better part of an hour and wouldn't surrender my spot for anybody. I even kept my elbows extra wide just to stay where I was. Completely fixated is a complete understatement. Then, within the same afternoon, I cried like a baby when first setting my eyes on the Eiffel Tower. My poor husband must have felt like he was at an amusement park of emotions with the constant change in displays of awe, ecstasy and hysteria. The poor boy. But I think what I found especially interesting about Paris was that it revived the FIne Arts teacher in me with fierce conviction. I was so totally inspired. I wanted to sing, dance, design, paint - just really be involved in the creative arts again. So, to act on that (forgive the pun), I've enrolled in a summer intensive Dance program at a studio in downtown Calgary. Hopefully it will quench my artistic thirst before I plunge full tilt back into work at a Fine Arts High School in September.
The fashion in Paris absolutely rocked my world. Some may find that statement shallow or inconsiquensial, and if so, I don't care, but you may to want to skip the next paragraph. I was absolutely drawn into the high-end va-va voom of Haute Couture. I guess in a sense, fashion is an art form. The parisian woman are unusually beautiful and so is the clothing. For example, one day I saw a young mother pushing a baby stroller down the street. She stopped to tend to her son or daughter and this gave me the opportunity to stare at her and analyze her outfit like the crazy fashion stalker that I have seemed to become. Immediately, I noticed that this woman is decked out to the nines. Head to toe in the latest and most beautiful clothing I may have ever seen in my life. We're talking straight out of French Vogue. Leather gloves, black beret, boutique black dress with stockings and pumps, loose black trench and a silk scarf. Polished. Initially I thought to myself, there's no way that woman is the mother, how can she look so good? She's got to be the nanny. I had sufficiently suppressed my inner jealousies with lame excuses when suddenly she picked up the little bundle and covered the child in kisses. Definitely hers. How was this woman so polished and fabulous? Is it really her clothing? Well yes, of course it is Kate!!! Here is a woman who takes obvious time to present herself to the world in an way that encourages beauty. She obviously shops at boutiques and spends a great deal of time picking and choosing the best cuts and fabrics - plus she has a baby. Talk about superhuman. With all the crap that is going on in the world, this woman has taken time to make herself beautiful. Shallow? Hedonistic? Some will say yes. But I say dignified, graceful and self-confident, and I guess a little Chanel never hurt.
A few things that surprised me about Paris was that contrary to popular hollywood notions, the people are not snobby. Also, I really did think that the Parisian carrying around a Baguette in his or her grocery bag or in the basket on the front of their bike was a stereotype. Nope. Everyone, and I mean everyone smokes. It's not a bad habit there, it's a cultural necessity. You are weird if you don't smoke. The meal portions are miniscule compared to ours. It's embarrassing. The woman don't wear make-up. A bit of black eyeliner, a touch of rouge and good to go. There are very few gypsies and beggars - Calgary is much worse for street dwellers. Unfortunately, Notre Dame wasn't as grand as I had expected it to be, and finally it surprised me how good Ratatouille actually tastes. For peasant food, that's an (excuse my French) damn good dish.
Au revoir for now beautiful Paris. We will return one day.
e e e e e e
May 22, 2009
CHEERS!
London was an absolutely blooming good time. Nate and I couldn't have stayed with a more amazing couple. His sister Robin and her husband Dan welcomed us into their flat which was located in a small but beautiful village called Walton on the Thames. It's was a quick tube ride into the big city of London where we explored the sights of one of the world's foremost global cities.
In the very first weekend of staying in Britain, we were lucky enough to be invited to stay on the top level of a gorgeous victorian townhouse smack dab in the middle of posh Notting Hill. Robin and Dan's 'mates' offered the flat to the four of us while they were away and we all jumped at the opportunity. That weekend, we saw some of London's biggest sights and attractions on foot - Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, The London Eye and Shakespeare's Globe theatre just to name a few. Dan was able to give us fantastic facts about each of the attractions and Robin was able to provide great ideas about the best restaurant and vegetarian cuisine, and of course how to get to the stellar shopping - Oxford Street and Harrods. I was reunited with my favorite English cocktail; Pimm's. It's a delicious cocktail that tastes like a mixture of Lemonade and Iced tea with spices and fruit. Nate discovered a refreshing local London beer called; London Pride. It seemed to be his drink of choice for the remainder of the stay. In this first weekend, we agreed to devote a portion of our evenings to watching the first four Harry Potter movies in honor of everything that is haunting and magical about the big city.
During the week, Nate and I took a gander at the British Museum and were completely gobsmacked. It was beyond incredible. We saw the Reliquary of St Eustace from Medieval Europe, the tomb-chapel of Nebamum from Ancient Egypt as well as the Rosetta Stone. The 'wow' factor was prevalent. But perhaps one of the best parts of the British Museum was the it was easy on the budget. Tourists are able to see certain Museums and attractions in London for free so that you don't pay a pence! Have I mentioned that I love this city?
The following weekend, we all took a trip to Wiltshire to see one of the most famous sites in the world. Stonehenge (which new evidence has determined was an ancient burial ground from as far back as 3000 BC), was enigmatic. I couldn't believe that the bluestones were transported all the way from Wales, some even weighing 4 tonnes EACH! It was thought that they were dragged on roller and then loaded onto rafts along the coastline of Wales and then again dragged overland to Warminster. Jeepers! I can't imagine doing that type of backbreaking work. It was an honour just to be surrounded by such ancient times and ideas.
Robin and Dan introduced us to perhaps some of the best new television that I've seen in a while. Nate and I got addicted to an HBO show called Flight of the Concords and a British series called The In-Betweeners. These two shows are a long way off from Monty Python or Mr. Bean in terms of humour but they're also extremely funny in their own way. Now, I can't claim that it will tickle everybody's fancy, especially since Nate and I were living on a boat for nine months without comedy t.v , but we loved it and hope to get our hands on some more.
All in all, London was boss. I have no doubt in my mind that we'll go back again. Thanks again Robin and Dan for having us and hope to see you again soon.
May 7, 2009
Montreal '09
It was a wonderful and interesting ten days in Montreal. What a city. The culture is fierce! I can understand why Montreal is referred to as "Canada's Cultural Capital". The shopping makes you want to go bankrupt. The food and specifically the cheese is to die for. However, the people? Well, let's just say that they are very, very different from Western Canadians in oh so many ways. In my experience, the people of Quebec seemed generally grumpy and frustrated whether they were separatists or not. At one point, I remember thinking to myself that the woman must practice glaring at themselves in their mirrors to get the scariest scowl possible before going out. I kept hearing my inner voice loud and clear and it said; 'Lighten up!'. Surprisingly, the majority of people are bilingual, which is interesting considering the fact that a French language police and law is strictly enforced in Quebec. So, you'd think that the people would be somewhat patient when you try your hand at your extensive grade 9 french that you were forced to acquire in Jr. High. But alas, 'Je ne comprends pas' was one of the only phrases that I heard repeated back to me. How do you say 'fine, I didn't want to speak your stuck-up language anyway' in French?
Fortunately, Nate and I got to spend some quality time with two Quebecers who were extremely friendly and kind which just went to show that there are always exceptions. Harvey and Marie-Eve showed us around Old Downtown montreal, and took us to a weekend Market place where the kiosk vendors took maple syrup and poured it onto ice forming frozen maple syrup popsicles. We also went to the modern art museum downtown, a Quebec clothing designer 'underground' sale and a tour around the replica of the St. Paul's cathedral that we'll see in France in a few weeks.
One of the major highlights was visiting with my brother Ted and his fiance Laura for an entire day. The two of them took a break from their busy lives and drove the silver bullet in from Kingston. The four of us shopped and drank and laughed the day away. Teddy bought a beautiful black leather jacket from a posh Montreal leather shop called MO851 which made him look magnifique!
Traveling to Montreal was a fantastic experience and it was so great to back on 'home soil' ; however, we're looking forward to being on the other side of the country in June after our time in Europe just in time for the good ole Stampede. There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...
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