CAREER CHANGE

I've decided what I want to be. An artist that does "installations". I want to be able to say things like, "I did an installation at the Gutenberg. You should check it out."

Anyway, while looking for wedding decor ideas, I came accross this awesomness of an installation by Jean-Luc Comec for the Frankfurt Museum. I want one. Maybe I should do a sheep/phone themed wedding.

JANUARY IS ENGAGING

I knew what was coming when he said on Tuesday, "Don't make any plans for Friday." I tried to push it from my mind. Like the time I saw the Sesame Street record under the desk before my birthday. Only minutes after my brain said, "What album? I didn't see any album." But come date night, the pushing became a giant shoving match in my brain. "Tonight's the night." became much louder than, "What date? I didn't see any date."

He picked me up and he was nervous. Every time he wasn't looking at me a giant grin was plastered on my face. I followed along with the worst lie in history. "We need to go to Henderson Lake and give Ryan a letter from the relatives in Holland. He want's us to meet him by the canons." Really . . . Sounds plausible, let's go.

We wandered down to the canons and nervously talked about the day we first met right there at that spot. He got down on one knee and said, "Patricia Joanne Bogdan, will you marry me?" and I said, "Yes . . . How could I not marry you?" Well, I wish I said yes!, i really said, "Yeah . . . How could I not marry you?" Just like that, up high, then down lo, then up high again. Like a giant stupid U. Well, I had to class up the proposal somehow.

But how could I not marry him? There is a reason I waited 20 years. It's lovely when it feels like fate, destiny and kismett clashing together. I don't care that they all mean the same thing. It's a powerful moment. I'm glad I didn't miss it.

And I'm not going to let the fact that I don't necessarily believe in fate ruin it for me! I'm in love.

MOVING AGAIN

I'm moving again. The farm house has been rented so I'm moving into town and finally found a nice clean place. I'm tired of moving. This is my 4th official move since September. Most everything is still in boxes so I don't really need too pack up to much, but if I ever want to box stuff up in a creative way, I want Michael Johansson to come and do my packing. His sculptures are crazy fun.

BATHROOM BEFORE AND AFTER

This bathroom redo is gorgeous. I saw it on Design Sponge and had to share the glory of it all. The tile on the floor, the vanity, the sink...yum. If I ever have a bathroom big enough to do this in, I'm totally stealing this idea. You can find it over at Southern Exposure.

FROZEN NORTH

What you believe about Canada is true. We live in igloos. It has been so cold up here that the inside of my windows froze. Ice inside the house = an igloo in my book.




It has been so cold my Listerine froze. I didn't know this was possible. I mean, don't people put alcohol in freezers and it stays a liquid? I don't know what the alcohol content is in Listerine, but I know it has been used by some people to take the edge off. Hmm, come to think of it, my laser cutter broke before I could even use it yesterday. Off to find my Listerine.

I DID THIS (PART 1)

It's been a month and a half since I left my job at Stampin' Up to move to Canada. Last weekend I was down collecting the last of my life and went to dinner with my "old" coworkers. I can't tell you enough how wonderful they are. If everyone got to work with as funny, beautiful, caring women as I did, you would be fortunate indeed. I miss my back up singers . . . "Trouble with a capital "T" And that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool!". You think I'm sucking up right now don't you . . .

Being a product designer is the coolest creative job and I wanted to show some of my favorite stuff I did. So anyone out there looking for a freelance paper product designer, HIRE ME! I'm available.

Usually after designing a product I'm pretty sick of looking at it, but not this. I still love this DSP, Urban Garden. Andrea and I thought we were such geniuses when we put these colors together.


Here is the stamp set I did to go with the silhouette line. I really wanted these pictures, I wonder where they ended up?


Build-a-fairytale . . . Reminds me of my felt boards I played with as a kid. Really fun to design.


Taking the Pink Flamingo paper to review was very heart pounding. I had worked on it for hours the night before and it felt very risky to present. It was so different. But Shelly put it in her line! That was a nice surprise.




Oh Raspberry Tart . . . I knew these colors were going to be to die for. And I don't like pink! I think I had a few eyebrows raised at me when I suggested the combination, but I work with a very trusting group. Kiwi Kiss, I wish that color would always be in style. I have an awful feeling that forest green will be raising it's ugly head soon, it was big in the 80's. Remember?


Well, there is the first installment of my SU! portfolio presentation. I have got to go to bed. WHY AM I STILL AWAKE! I wish I could show you the stuff going in 2010's catalog. It ranks up there with Urban Garden as one of my favorites.

SAVE CHRISTMAS

This commercial makes me laugh EVERY time. Last night Mike and I couldn't stop laughing. The more we see it, the more we laugh. There must be some subliminal message, because it isn't that funny.

IT'S DECEMEBER!

I'm so busy lately. Actually, it's not lately, it's always. There just aren't enough hours in the day. I'm continually making daily lists to work through, and yet I never make it through. I just keep adding to it. I now have two working lists, one that I need to work through now and one that includes things I want to do, but aren't going to happen any time soon. I just don't want to forget about them you know.

I'm also supposed to give out a Christmas list so I don't end up with . . . oh . . . say . . . underwear with ruffles on the bum. I got that for Christmas years ago. I was so embarrassed. I saw these Christmas Cheat Sheets this morning by Simon Cook and think they are fun.

He's got a lot of great designs on his website and free downloads too.

COMFORT

I go to bed every night when it gets cold with a hot water bottle. I like mine bare so I get good and hot under the covers. (Keep it clean people.) But these hot water bottle covers are so fun. I found it while stalking Maggie Makes blog, but the tutorial is found at Patchwork.

I love blogs and tutorials. What did we ever do before the web.

OH CANADA

I live here now...
I know you think I'm joking, That's my dad standing there. Okay, now I'm lying, that's not my dad and we do get snow but it usually looks like this...

A lot less exciting huh? It's definitely dumped snow here, but it likes to blow away, really faaaarrrr away. The wind blows so hard that they have put up a wind gauge in Lethbridge.

Yes, that is a big wrecking ball blowing in the wind. Okay, okay, it is also a sculpture. I can never hold onto a lie very long, but let me tell you, the wind has blown so hard here that I have almost been blown back to school on my walk home. NO JOKE! The wind has also blown me across a skating rink. I hate the wind. It's ruined many ice cream cones.

After 20 years I have moved back to where I grew up, Southern Alberta.
Andre Salvador
Mike Basil Otto RappTo date a farmer who lives on property very similar to this...
Otto Rapp
He doesn't farm the coulee of course, he farms the land on top of his coulee. The flat stuff. It's very flat where I live. Strange after living among mountains for so long. And the city of Lethbridge isn't known for it's quaintness, but I'm determined to discover it. I know it's in there somewhere.

Luckily the mountains are only 45 minutes away. Alberta has some of the most beautiful wilderness you have ever seen.

I worked here for the summer...

Okay, I bailed after 2 weeks, but I still worked there!!! Waterton is a slice of heaven on earth and just an hour away.

Then there is Banff. It can feel like another world. Especially when you walk into the specialty shops and the Japanese shopkeepers shake their hands at you and exclaim, "I don't speak English."

"But, I'm in Canada....aren't I? Where am I?" It's very disconcerting.

Moving back has been surreal. But I will admit, something fills my heart when the Canadian border guards say, "Welcome home."

So there will be more to post about Alberta as I do my best to convince everyone to come for a visit.

STOCKINGS

Almost time to think about Christmas. Look at this amazing tutorial for stockings from Maggie Makes. The colors are so beautiful and non-traditional. I think I might have to make some. I'm pretty sure if my friend Paula likes it enough she'll have it made by this weekend. She is compelled to craft after all and the fastest crafter I have ever seen.

NEW CAMERA

Yep, I splurged and got a new camera. The photogs at work tried to convince me that I needed the Canon 7D. They are silver tongued canon convincers and I almost took the bait. But in reality, I have a lot to learn before I plunk down what to the photog world is a paltry sum of money for fairly good equipment. If I ever think I'm good enough to deserve the 7D, I'll spend, spend, spend. Instead I just spent, spent on the Canon T1i.

I took it out for a spin yesterday and WOW, I love the camera and can't wait till I take photos that I drool over. But this is what I have so far, using my dog as my muse.

Off to find the rock amongst the grain.

I think he smells it!

Where'd he go?

A chocolate lab rises from the gold.


Stand BACK.



I could only get this shot by faking I was going to throw a rock. How do people get pictures of dogs? When I move, he moves. I'm not going to lie, me + camera + dog = a frustrated agony.