fuzziness.

Today my brain is fuzzy and the only way to describe how I feel is with the song that I keep replaying in my head. 

A demain.

<3 S

lately.

Sometimes it feels like the winter months pass by with little to speak of that is of interest. I was totally feeling this way, and actually feeling a little sad-sap-sorry for myself (I know, how terrible), but upon looking through my iPhone photos, I realized my winter was actually kinda ballin.

Here are a few highlights from the past while.

Derek's band played fashion week in Ottawa!

It was super fun to see them do their thing. 

The background made for rad photos! Yea!

Fashion Week: I kind of didn't get it.

What I did get was SUPER excited to jump around

like a lunatic in the parking garage cause... look at 

all that SPACE! 

I love how the smallest, most boring little details are 

made romantic by a fresh covering of snow.

Snowy walks home after friendly get togethers.

They look super badass here for sure.

I drool over museums. At night. So eerie/pretty.

Lion in a hat of snow.

Queen of the blurry pics.

Lights are still up. At least it's pretty at night.

Sculpture made into monster in the evening light.

And then it snowed. A lot. 20 plus centimetres! 

Very pretty but very slow going if you tried to go...

anywhere.

Frosty everything. 

This park is usually teeming with people,

but this day it was cold and lonely.

And pretty! Just for me. :)

Teacher workshop! We were learning about fractions.

I think this picture makes me look very scholarly.

That's because it doesn't show all my cartooning.

Also, it's super fun to play with manipulatives.

I'm totally a grown up.

Also, workshops with free coffee are groovy.

I had a lot of coffee. I also talked a lot. Yea coffee!

AND I got to use the washroom any time I wanted. 

CRAZY!

(Teachers appreciate this freedom.)

I call it chat à côté de la fenêtre. 

Meetups with a lovely pal were great. In the window

of the coffee shop, we spotted Grover. He played

his guitar for us in a fancy outfit. Then he ran away.

I love getting serenaded by my love. 

Look at those beautiful feet!

Can't wait for more lovely adventures as spring encroaches. 

Mmmm spring.

Did I mention I'm on March Break?!

!!

<3 S

ready, break.

Can you hear that? It's the sound of anticipation. Of long awaited solace. Of sleeping in.

March Break!

I remember when I was in elementary school (sometimes way too clearly) and it felt like the break was over two weeks long. When I went back to school afterwards, I always felt like I'd been away for ages. Basically because I'd forgotten everything.

I've been looking forward to this break for a long while now. I'm aware that it's a perk of my job, but what many people fail to recognize is that we work so. hard. This job asks for your soul, for every ounce of energy and passion, and then asks for more.

I'm not complaining. I love my job. I love that I get to see excited little faces every day. I love that I get to hear amazing and hilarious comments on the regular. I love that I get to see those rare "Aha! I get it!" moments.

But you know, when you put so much into work every day you lose the energy for other things. It's been ages since I've painted. I fall asleep on the couch at 8:30 or 9 o'clock (sorry honey). I let my own passions slide.

I think when you're a teacher, you learn early on that life isn't just about you. I hear this a lot from friends with kids. When I comment on the fact that it's insane that someone hasn't slept for more than 2 or 3 hours a night for a week because their kid is sick, the reply is often "You don't really choose. You just do it."

I've always wanted to impart big ideas to my kids. I want them to feel like they can do anything. Sometimes I forget that the best way to do that is to take my own advice.

My March Break buddy. In the bathtub, of course. :)

Here's my super-rad March Break list of awesomeness:
- play the ukulele.
- meet with friends. have wine. in the afternoon.
- paint.
- sleep in!
- drink a full cup of coffee.
- run!
- take a walk to nowhere.
- make a stop motion movie.
- read. books.

This is a short and boring list and it makes me soooo happy.

Yea breaks!

<3 S

if you ask me what I like.

On Monday, I am a bear. Like every other person, I grumble as I crawl out of bed and try to make myself presentable. As a way of combating the Monday ickiness I feel, I make it my mission to be extra productive. I often plan my entire next week of school on Mondays. At the end of the day, I leave feeling thoroughly exhausted but satisfied that I did something to make this day worthwhile. 

During the week, I'm immersed in work. Complacent because I know there are several days left in which I have to share my time with work. While I love my job, I also love having time to do things like sleep, drink more than a cup of coffee, and spend my time how I choose.

By the time Friday rolls around, I'm actually giddy. Giddy with anticipation of 2 whole days that I get to fill with anything I damn well please! Two full days in which I get to sleep in, drink litres of coffee (yea health!), watch bad tv early in the morning, and eat candy for breakfast. Long live Hot Tamales.

So, in celebration of weekend awesomeness here are some cool things that I like at random. 

via

Ok. So. This shirt is amazing. I mean, let me count the reasons! Mint. Peter Pan collar allusion. SPACE. I think that the internet should gift it to me as a reward. For stuff. 

I ordered these jeans from urban last week. Every day I look in/beside the mailbox with hope - come soon pants. Your awesome high waist and retro-feel seams do things to me.

Tell me you've read this story. The accompanying gif is... allllll kinds of awesome. I cackled to myself on the bus when I saw it. For like, 20 minutes. Then, I sent it to Derek. What a party.

via

I recently purchased a cat shirt from a local boutique. I love it. It has reignited my love for all things feline. Like the shirt above. I need this in order to properly welcome spring/summer - cat style!

Every now and then I like to read through the archives of some of my favourite blogs. I'm recently reading through this amazing blog, and it's giving me even more reasons to admire this stellar lady.

And hey, you know what doesn't get much play? The chickpea. While reading the aforementioned blog, this post made me want to grab all of my cloth shopping bags and go and fill them with cans of chickpeas. So I can make all of these recipes. Especially the roasted chickpeas. Yum.

via

Sigh. Leah Goren strikes again. When I look at this shirt, my brain is all, "It's a crop top. A crop top! It will expose your midriff. You don't need to do that." But then I throw reason and logic to the curb and fawn all over the colour scheme. Also, with high waisted jeans? Come now.

I did a math problem featuring Peeps this week. (Sometimes I type these things and it's like... wow.) Multiplication allows for good times, folks. The best part of this moment was explaining to 25 children what Peeps are. And then realizing... they really aren't good for you. (But, they ARE good for your soul. You heard it here first.)

(You are doing yourself a dis-service by failing to click on that Peeps website link. That site is my 8 year old self's daydream.)

via

Man. I heart this dress. It cements the truth of the fact that I am indeed in love with all things 90's. Babydoll length, slouchy neckline... s'all good. 

Lately, I've been in a painting rut. The idea of putting brush to canvas makes me feel... disinterested. On the flip side, I know I need to do something creative. Excess creative energy with no outlet makes me... crazylike. So in a rut I remain. This lady is so talented. And I'm inspired by her.

Also: Anya from Buffy? Super. I keep forgetting how amazing that character is. But I think she is officially my favourite character. Aside from Willow. Why must I choose. This tumbler is awesome.

Ok! Wow. I have lots of disjointed things to say, huh?

In closing, let me link to this fantastic song that my beloved shared with me the other day.

Lovelove. This band.

Happy weekend!

<3 S

couch islands.

via

A lot of blogs focus on making the time for the simple things. On taking time to unplug, recharge, disconnect so we can reconnect.

Easier said than done.

Look out your window. It's 2013 (maybe there's a sign that's literally just outside your window proclaiming this - how cool would that be!). Technology is a part of our everyday. It's not going away. This is something I've been thinking a lot about lately.

It's easy to sit beside someone literally everyday and not really have a real conversation all that often. I'm guilty. I often sit beside a very handsome bearded fellow, and we romantically text/tweet/facebook/hilariouscatyoutubevideo other people as we sit centimeters apart. But you know what? We enjoy technology. For us, it's a part of how we unwind, and how we keep in contact with friends and family we love that are far away. For us, technology is important.

This makes me giggle. We want allllll of the technology!

So, I propose a variation on the "unplug to connect" rhetoric that you see everywhere. I propose communicating. Turning to someone and having an actual conversation. Initiating physical contact - fun!

I don't think you need to necessarily unplug. I think you need to be conscious of the world in front of you, and to enjoy all of it, in moderation.

Was that a rant? Maybe? I get tired of people blaming technology for everything. My computer is small and smashable. I win.

Long live the mighty human, keeper of technology, giver of hugs, friend to many.

<3 S

P.s: Wow. This was a weird one.

6 guitars, 3 days off, and 1 beer festival.

This has been a glorious family day weekend!

This time of the year, when the cold encroaches and seeps right inside your (cold! oh so cold!) bones, a little bit of down time goes a really long way. 

I've been trying to get rid of an irritating cold for what seems like ages, and this weekend seems to have almost kicked it. It's also been nice to just chill in and get in a few good runs this weekend. I am a homebody at heart. :)

We kicked off the weekend with a little v-day celebration. Derek and I are so awesome that we each got the other person flowers and a card. Dude has some writing skills! Romance high fives all around!

Guitar baby!

I also had a chance to test out my brand new, lovely yellow ukulele! So pretty! I've always wanted to learn how to play the ukulele, and in the spirit of 2013 being the year of doing things now, I finally picked one up. I was passing by the music store on the bus last week and just spur of the moment pulled the cord to stop. I was in and out of there in less than ten, and it was such a great feeling to just get things rolling. I've realized that I work best when I think less about things I know I want and just act. Thinking is great, but I know when I want things because I feel it and there's no doubt. So, I'm trying to push myself to be impulsive when it's really worth it.

And! Craft Beer Festival! We were lucky enough to swing by a local beer festival downtown with a few lovely friends. It was super fun to wander around and sample and chat! We totally would have stayed longer, but my feet froze. Like blocks of ice. 

But the maple cotton candy was worth it. Sooooo worth it.

All in all a lovely weekend so far. 

Now let's cross our fingers that this week is nice and easy.

Hah.

<3 S

green arrows.

via

Liking...

Fuzzy cat cuddles when I wake up oh so early.

Coral everything. Coral is my new happy color.

House finches. I read this post over the weekend and felt all melty-happy inside.

Soft, dense snowfall on an evening walk. (To get beer, and food. Natch.)

Shopping trips with pals who try on pretty dresses. (Boys feel adversely towards the trying on of dresses.)

New books for my classrooms.

Funny things that kids do. ("Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Spongebob." !!!!)

Holding hands with cute bearded men. Well, man. :)

I'm pretty impressed that I wrote this on a Monday morning. February, look what you do to me.

<3 S

risk.

via

No, not the game. Although I've actually never played, which fills me with a bit of shame.

Anyhow.

I've decided that 2013 is the year of caution and throwing things like caution to the wind. I think I've been too protective of myself for too long, so this year, all the things shall happen.

But not playing with fire dad, don't worry. I'm not crazy.

Step one of Project Sassypants (just trying that name out...we'll see) will follow soon.

In the meantime, this:

<3 S

cats, and other etsy loves.

Sunday is for many things.

It's for sleeping in, for excessive coffee drinking, for running (especially if you're me), and for laze in general. 

Also, it's for internet shopping.

I get a particular thrill out of sorting through many Etsy duds to find that amazing gem. I love that you can like something. And put it in your shopping cart. And then remove it when you lose the courage to actually spend dollars on said gem. Oh Etsy. You're so special.

The following are Etsy finds that you are not allowed to buy. 

Seriously.

via

I quite like cats. 

Today when Cricket wouldn't cuddle with me,

I looked up cute kittens at the Humane Society.

I know he was secretly jealous. 

via

Any red dress is a good... dress.. of mine. 

Anyhow.

I like red a lot these days. Clearly. 

This one is perfect. Also: wicked sleeve!

I'm still debating wearing my heart print dress

to school on Valentines Day. I mean... decisions.

via

I like this bag a lot. 

Very into all things Coach-esque.

This makes me feel slightly lame. Yep.

I recently quenched my black bag thirst 

by purchasing this lovely thing. 

And they all lived happily ever after.

via

I feel like a big cliche sometimes, but I've decided

that I'm cool with that.

This tee is super awesome. 

 via

This bear is the cutest.

His name is Sven, and if he were mine, 

I'd love him up something fierce. 

Bears in shorts are rad.

via

Ummm....

Right?!

 via

This shirt has cats on it.

And the fact that it exists makes my 

brain expel rainbows and glitter.

via

I have a supercrush on these tiny studs.

I just can't help myself.

Happy Sunday eve!

I have a very good feeling about this week, so I'm pretty sure it'll be awesome.

<3 S

in transit.

This post is brought to you from the bus. I figure it's where I spend a good portion of my day, so why not detail some of the time I spend in transit.

Prepare to be riveted.

Every day I catch a bus at 6:30 a.m so that I can begin my hour long trek in to school. (Let's point out that this means I get up around 5:30. Let's also not dwell on this fact, as I spend the greater part of my day trying to convince myself that I am, indeed, awake.)

Usually, I take a grand total of 3 busses each way, but I recently met a very kind bus driver. (Who today told me his name is Carlos "just like that show Desperate Housewives" because he is great.) My new driver lets me stay on his bus all the way to school as it changes into my last bus. For all you transit enthusiasts, this. is. rad.

While on the bus, I do a number of great things. Here they are in no particular order:

Read the Paper - Now, let's point out that the paper I read is the Metro. The Metro contains all sorts of ground breaking news such as facts about Justin Beiber, what I can do with my five kids on snow days, and of course, my horoscope.

Complete a Sudoku Puzzle - When Derek and I first met, he introduced me to Sudoku. Now there's no going back. I get a sick thrill from completing a Sudoku puzzle during the last leg of my bus ride. Also from using a colored pen to do so. Super.

Internet- Now is the time when I can look up things on the interwebs free from prying eyes of judgement. (Clearly, Cricket's. He's such a judgey fur ball.) I research things like, "Who was that guy in orange on supernatural" or "vitamins for sleep" or "cat." It's a special time for me. I also e-mail, and text. It's all very good for stretching the thumbs.

Read - This is last on the list because, as a modern lady, reading seems boring sometimes. But if the book is good enough, I'm down. I also enjoy cackling to myself as I read. It may be involuntary, but it's a nice bonus as it makes strangers give me the side-eye. I like this.

Clearly, this list now also includes crafting rambling blog posts.

<3 S

flowers.

Tiny vase? Check.

Tiny flower arrangement? Check.

Just a little something to brighten your day. :)

<3 S

the indoor life.

The following is a rambling account of what the extreme cold does to me. Enjoy. I cannot promise coherence, but it might be entertaining. I shall read this again when it's +30 and I'm whining about the intense heat. 

This week it has been cold around these parts. 

Cold. Chilly style cold. -40 style cold.

Yikes.

It's really given me a newfound sense of appreciation for my warm, cozy apartment and heating in general. Also, flannel. Flannel is great. 

It's also given me a horrible case of cabin fever. Or indoor fever? What does one who has no cabin say, really? Anyhow, this has been a week of hustling from one enclosed space to another and it's left me a bit worn out. So, in the spirit of taking a cleansing breath and reviewing so I may learn, let me list the events of this week (solely for the sake of self gratification, clearly).

Running Outside + 40 Below = Sad Face

As one who derives great pleasure from exercise outdoors, my main issue was that I didn't get to run at all this week. Ugh. Ick! Lack of exercise makes me batty to say the least. Which is why on Tuesday I decided to work out with the lovely ladies at my school. It's been ages since I've done any sort of group fitness of any kind. It's actually kind of funny because I worked at a gym for a couple of years during university, and was an honest to goodness gym rat. These past few years I've been loathe to set foot in a gym; it's not really my bag anymore because I tend to enjoy the pace of working out solo... I'm much less likely to push myself beyond my limits.

Case in point, Tuesday. We did a pretty crazy workout DVD in the school gym, and you know, I really enjoyed myself. I even went home feeling kind of self satisfied. Then, Wednesday came. And I could not walk. Literally, I was walking like a cowboy. And I remained stuck in a western for the rest of the week. Even today, sitting, standing, walking... they all seem to be skills I'm re-learning. It's actually kind of funny, which I'm sure I'll realize when I stop having to take pain killers on the regular.

Today the cold snap finally ends and I can lace up my shoes again and prance around the glebe at my own pace. Hurrah!

We Fell Down. Like, A Lot.

Last Friday, Derek fell on the ice on his way home from a rad night out with the boys. I feel that this fall was partially my fault as I'm 98.97658% sure that he was rushing on my account (that number is based in actual math calculations - true fact). Anyhow, he was carrying all of the computers he owns (that's many computers), and went down on one knee so that he could save them from an icy fate. It was a valiant effort, but I'm sorry to say that his knee suffered for that brave act. 

Also, this Monday, the second I set foot out the front door to rush to my bus, I wiped out on our front steps. My bags went flying, my hand broke my fall, and it was 6:30 a.m. badness. I started walking to the bus stop and then realized my hand was bleeding something fierce. Half asleep me had this moment of wtf, which only those who take public transit can understand. Nothing is worse than missing your bus, especially if it means waiting in the cold for a half hour as a result of that missed bus. So, I did what any self respecting girl scout would do, and dug around in my purse until I found something absorbent to shove into my mitt as I set out for the hour long commute to school. Fun times.

I also fell twice at school. I think that ice is not so nice.

Indoor Recess Is No-one's Friend,

Teachers everywhere know that if kids have indoor recess, craziness is sure to follow. Now, take that craziness and multiply it by, oh I don't know, a WEEK of indoor recesses, and you have the level of stir crazy fun that existed this week.

I know the kids can't help it. They're little and have so much energy to spend even on a good day, but my sanity suffered this week for sure. At noon yesterday I noticed I'd developed a twitch in my right eye, which is pretty indicative of the crazy brain. Everyone has a limit, and I reached mine this week. My grade 4's were my saving grace this week. They are adorably hilarious and they get my jokes, which is either positive or worrisome... who's to say? 

This week my 4's and I took many a dance break via YouTube dance videos. And although I have no co-ordination, nor will I be going on the road to achieve my Flashdance style dreams (which don't actually exist, by the way, it's just for jokes), a good time was had by all. 

If you, too enjoy a hilarious, PG good time, this or this will knock your age nice inner self's socks right off. 

Creativity or Lack Thereof.

I started painting the canvas above at the end of the holiday break. That means that it's been sitting in our dining room on my easel for almost a month. Everyone goes through creative slumps once in awhile, and I know that happens to a lot of people in the dead of winter when sunshine and motivation are at a minimum. My plan is to get into a head space where I can just say fuck it and get going on making pretty things again.

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

This weekend is rife with the busy! Derek is at a game jam, we have meets with the parents, there shall be bridesmaid dress hunting (fingers crossed!!), and a sweet sweet acoustic show featuring Kings Quest on Sunday aft. Oh, and cleaning. Heh.

Here's what I took silly photos of on my iPhone, enjoyed immensely, and/or bookmarked for funs this week:

This quilt. Too girly?

This book. Is. Hilarious. Thank you for entertaining me on the bus.

These shoes, I like. They are impractical for my lifestyle. But bows are nice.

Thank you Jenna for linking me to these adorable valentines. :)

This song. It will be on my running playlist today!

Am I seven years old for liking this? I might not care. 

In the spirit of the 4 in 1 acoustic set this Sunday, my fave for listening.

Loving this, bought this.

Fin! 

Have a lovely, cozy weekend! 

<3 S