Cross-border calculator

Many of us, especially those in rural areas, dream of a big shopping trip across the border- outlet malls, shops we don't have, and great prices.

So if you're thinking about travelling for a shopping trip, I found this handy-dandy cross-border calulator that will help you figure out if it's worth the trip!

Happy spending!

Editor's note: Retail therapy is a legit form of therapy. Just sayin....

Worst interview faux pas

Found this little gem on cnn: Worst interview faux pas.

Has some great stories and also some things that people did that are just weird!

Just Bust a Move!

If anyone of you haven't seen the 'Pink Glove Dance'- really inspiring! Check it out on Youtube! My fav is the older guy- so funny!

And if you want to help support breast cancer research there is something cool happening in our region- The Bust a Move for Breast Health Campaign.

Here's the run-down: The QEII and IWK Foundations invite you to join them for Bust a Move - a groovin', shakin', record-breakin', fundraisin' extravaganza!

Six hours of exercise, world record-setting, hundreds of people raising $1,000 each, special guests (including fitness celebrity Richard Simmons!), and the chance to make a huge impact in the lives of Nova Scotia women are combining to create an event unlike any other.

On Saturday, January 30, 2010, the Halifax Metro Centre will come alive as hundreds of men and women unite in support of world-class breast health services in Nova Scotia. Whether you’ve been touched by breast cancer, are a survivor yourself, have a passion for fitness, love tackling new challenges, or want to be part of a unique experience – this event is for you!

I am sure that you will hear and see lots involving this over the next little while- it's a great way to support people in our community who are making a difference and having fun while doing it!

Counting

I consider myself to be an intelligent person- lots of schooling, life & job experience etc. I feel as though when I don my cashier uniform that a lot of people assume that your IQ drops.

Even though I am a cashier- guess what? I can still count.

I absolutely hate when people come to the express lane (10 items or less, clearly posted, and fairly common for express lanes anywhere) and people throw up 15 or 20 items.

I will note that I don't mind when someone has a few items over and says is it ok? I don't mind when you ask- if you're nice. I should also note, as this has happened about 1089348903 times, that 20 items of the same thing (i.e. 20 cans of cat food, or soap, whatevs,) DOES NOT count as '10'. People seriously do this, and they say "well since it's all of one thing I thought it was ok". Um, no it is not, that is still 20 separate items and I can count.

I think the best thing is when people come up, they have too many and they're kind of eyeing me in hopes that i don't know. Um hi, I physically scan each thing through plus bag it, the jig is up- you have too many!

One thing that really gets me too is the people who wait in a huge line-up, come up with too many items and say "Sorry, i hope this is ok?". Um well you're already here, you're on my belt, I'm not going to kick out out now- little sneaks!

Just a little rant about a legit problem in the life of a cashier- I assure you that others can attest.

Happy shopping and no sneaking!

Wordle

So again, props to my mom for discovering this site called Wordle.

What is Wordle? Well: Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.

It's free, it's easy, and it's really fun! It can make a nice gift for someone, you can play with the colours etc. and frame it. Or just a nice cheer-up thing for someone- Check out the gallery to see what other people have created!

Just a note: the more times you put in a word, the larger it gets! So if you want to emphasize certain words but not others, then enter it a few more times :)

Happy wordling :)

People plow

Working in a grocery store I see a lot of people with strollers. I feel bad for a lot of them because it is next to impossible to carry a basket or take a cart- so I feel for people who have to grocery shop with them.

I also very much respect that fact that strollers are a useful means of transportation, and often difficult to deal with (I can't imagine the difficulty of taking a cab or riding the bus for people who don't have cars).

So, kudos to mums and dads that successfully use this mean.

No kudos and a giant slew of swear words to people who use strollers as self-proclaimed people plows. Yes you have a stroller, yes they are sometimes difficult to maneuver, and I respect that fact that shopping is difficult, but please, don't use it to run me over or force me uncomfortably out of your way. I will gladly move, as I'm sure others will, but I think sometimes strollers are improperly used.

Perhaps a bell or some mechanism to alleviate this problem in society would be useful- or general respect on behalf of both parties for each others needs?

Can't we all just get along?

This is not an attack on stroller users and or/babies- but merely a vent sesh much like we vent about bad drivers. Don't get me started on bad drivers...

At the Seam: NSCAD Textiles and Fashion Departments Show and Sale

Sorry if you're not from here but there may be similar cool events happening in your area that you can check out :)


At the Seam: NSCAD Textiles and Fashion Departments Show and Sale
When: Through Dec. 19
Phone: 494-8301
Students at NSCAD continue to show us how easy it is to buy local this holiday season. Tuesday marks the start of the Textiles Department's show and sale, with work by both current students and alumni. Seeds Gallery manager Jennifer Simaitis lists off the goodies. "You can expect woven scarves and blankets, screen-printed tees, handbags, one-of-a-kind garments, wall hangings, pencil cases, badges, great stocking stuffers, and more!" Official opening Monday, December 7 at 6pm. –Holly Gordon
Green Locally owned Seeds Gallery, 1892 Hollis Street, 494-8301

Graphics Fairy

So, I plan to post some more projects that I've done, until then- I'm going to post some sites with ideas etc that you can use!

I stumbled upon this site Graphics Fairy which simply has vintage images and crafty ideas. All of the clip art is free (!) and she also has a lot of cool ideas.

Basically I am overwhelmed by this site, it has so many neat projects, photos and inspirations! There's old advertisements, fonts, holidays, owls, wall paper and more. The possibilities are endless with what you can do with the clip art, but it's a great website to keep in mind if you're venturing to do some projects of your own and need a nice graphic.

So,if you're not the craftyiest person ever, this is a great site to print things that already are and you do something simply with them!

Supermarket Sarah

So i stumbled upon this great website, Supermarket Sarah. Basically this gal from London set up a shop in her house and sets up these cool displays, then you can go in, and literally buy things off of her walls, shelves etc! The pictures are interactive so you mouse-over what you like and it tells you if it's sold or not-and you can order it right off of her website!


So creative, innovative and neat! Her stuff is really cool, it is in Europe so it is a bit pricey- but art is an investment and who can so no to a champagne bottle lamp?

She also has a blog which is fun to checkout: http://blog.supermarketsarah.com/

Anyways- worth a browse and if anything, worth something for the creativity and neat way of creating your own means :) Make sure to check out the vintage section- really neat stuff and some things that we might not see too often in Canada!

Cake Wrecks

So my mom passed this site along to me and it is absolutely hilarious and looks delicious!

It highlights all sorts of cool cakes, cake decorating and designs! One of the best parts? The cake wrecks that people submit. What is a cake wreck? Well according to their site: A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.

so basically people submit photos of cakes that fit the above description- there are also really cool and fun cakes to look at but if you scroll down, on the right-hand side there are categories including: Literal LOLs, Mithspellings, and one of my favs: handwriting horrors.

So check out their website, it is really funny with regular blog updates including beautiful cake pictures, recipes and also, hilarious cake wrecks.

Flagpole Sitta

This one hails from 1998- Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger. Pretty catchy but you may have gotten sick of it's overplay- but hey, it's 11 years later why not bust it out again?

I bet you might even still remember the words! I looked into it: the band is no longer together- one hit wonders, but still a great tune. So in honor of the year the band broke up, throw it on your ipod and enjoy :)

The Art of Passive aggressiveness

We've all experienced. It's hard to detect, sometimes mis-labeled, often passed over, sometimes utterly frustrating, and sometimes hilarious-when we're not experiencing it of course. I'm talking about passive-aggressive behaviour.

In the age of technology, one could argue that it is more prevalent than ever- people writing in cap locks, misunderstandings of tone, varying interpretations around semantics and then straight up passive aggressive behaviour.

Did you know that it is actually a diagnosable personality disorder? That co-worker or that friend who constantly says things or does things that you're like, are they aware of this, is this serious? How much time do we waste trying to decipher if it is passive-aggressive or note?

I understand that it can be a completely, and utterly frustrating occurrence to deal with, and I'm sure a difficult diagnosis to live with but on the lighter side, and our personable enjoyment- let's share in other's experience with passive-aggressive behaviour at Passive Aggressive Notes.com.

Grocery store rant

I have a slight issue with flyers for grocery stores, particularly when they have a giant, and I mean like half a page, photo of raw meat! Does this entice anyone? Me? Not so much- show me a big cooked hamburger or a nice cooked steak-then I think mmmm steak- What gets me too is that the picture is so large! It is just a bug hunk of beef. See above photo, which would make you purchase beef on sale?

I can't even tell you how many times someone purchases one of those pre-cooked roasted chickens and on my break i just want to buy one and eat it. Not in a barbaric manner, I would use a fork and knife but still, all I want is one chicken-all to myself.

Also, as a cashier, I ring through about a billion products per shift (give or take a billion) and you end up with the most random cravings. Bags of marshmallows (um why?) jar of pickles, new kind of chips -- all kinds of junk that you don't really want but something sparks weird cravings and you end up buying them!

Fur babies

I am a huge lover of pets, animals etc (not spiders etc., important and significant technicality). I currently have a little bunny named Quinn, at home with my parents a Pomeranian-Poodle mix named Sassy and my roomie has a nice big cat named Binks! I also had a beautiful dog named Brier who has long since gone but was a part of our family for years and I miss her!

Anyways! I just want to highlight animals during the holiday season! During the holidays there are lots of charities and non-profits etc. looking for donations. I think an excellent one, that can be affordable and really mean a lot to you, is to donate to a local animal shelter. Lots of shelters even have holiday events for fundraisers such as The Nova Scotia SPCA's Tree of Lights. Here is the description below:

December 11 - 22, 2009
Tree of Lights
This year’s Tree of Lights in support of the Metro Shelter will be held during regular mall hours at Halifax Shopping Centre from December 11-22 and December 16-22 at Sunnyside Mall. This is a wonderful way to honour your pet, in a pet’s memory or an animal currently at the Metro Shelter. For $5, you can customize a decoration for the tree and turn on a light. There is also a wonderful assortment of merchandise for sale just in time for Christmas! Once again, we e will require a great number of volunteers. Visit our on-line sign up sheet to register for shifts.

How amazing is that event? If you don't have a lot of money, volunteering your time can also be a great way to help our furry friends during the holiday season! Check out your local animal shelter for local events, or even give them a shout and see if there are any specific items that they need that could be affordable to you! Sometimes it can be as simple as paper towel or other affordable products.

Please note I'm not undermining the importance of other charities etc. for families- help those two but don't forget about our furry friends :)

Special showing of the Polar Express

On Saturday, December 12th at 10 a.m., Empire Theatres in Bayers Lake will be showing the Polar Express in support of the IWK. This special showing is part of Empire Theatres’ third annual Holiday Charity Screenings program. Admission to the movie is free with a donation to the IWK.

Encourage your family and friends to get in the festive spirit by enjoying this great holiday film in support of a great cause!

Stranger danger

So I have another pet peeve: being approachable to strangers. I'm sure there are others who are like this but it's seriously a problem. Standing at a bus stop,on the bus, in a store- anywhere really, I somehow manage to get into conversations with people. Don't get me wrong,I'm by no means anti-social or a giant beyatch but sometimes it's like why do you feel compelled to talk to me right now? Even better, people still talk to you when you have headphones on. Dude, you made me take out my headphones so you can say "nice day out"? Bugger off I'm trying to get my groove on!

There are many situations where these random people feel compelled, obligated and entitled to strike up a conversation. Let's explore.

The elevator. It does not matter if you are going up two floors or fifteen, people feel that because yourself and them are in this 3 by 3 ft area, and have absolutely no escape that you are socially and conversationally bound. I have people comment on something I'm carrying "Oh hey what do you have there?" Um excuse me? None of your business? Who are you? Even if you are riding one floor that 6 seconds of silence and acknowledgment that you are in the elevator is instantaneously uncomfortable, but I assure you that awkward conversations are not the remedy.

The airplane. Um hi, we were randomly seated next to each other, I'm probably never going to see you ever again in my life, and don't get me wrong, but don't care if I do, and probably will never remember you. So don't ask where I'm going, where I'm from, what I do etc. Physical random placement beside me does not equal a new best friend; I assure you.

Again, don't get me wrong I enjoy conversing with people and learning about others, but these situations do not implicate me in a life long friendship with you.

We all grow up learning not to talk to strangers, yet we reach some right of passage where that apparently does not matter and all of a sudden it's game on. I'm going to go practice scowling and looking unapproachable....

Crafty-nest!

So, as I said I like to do crafts etc. so here I'm going to share what I already have on my Facebook, which is some before & afters of projects I've done. I'll start with my most recent one- feel free to use the ideas or do something similar- most of my projects are inexpensive (I'm both cheap & thrifty!) I also like to use simple techniques and supplies!

My favorite place to get items to do something with is the second-hand store. My most recent project I finished tonight is a bulletin board. I found the piece at the Salvation Army, it is a wooden calendar frame that is considered somewhat of a country style- it was wooden and had green ivy leaves on it. So I got this for $2, cleaned it up and gave it a few coats of black paint. Next, i found some cool crocodile plastic-leather scrapbook paper for $1.49 per sheet. I also picked up some embellishments that look just like tacks, sheet of 16 for $2.95. All i did was slap on the paper,the embellishments and then add some of my fav things to display! The picture quality is not the best (I used my crackberry to take it) but the green looks fantastic against my purple walls.

This is just one example of recycling and reusing someone else's junk and you can do it too! Seriously this project was under $10, minimal effort and fun to do!

Sometimes if I'm out I'll grab a few sheets of paper that I think have potential for a project to have on hand for the next trip to the second hand store.

Happy crafting!

Last name

When you start dating someone, it's hard to escape thinking about long-term problems you may encounter, but there is one that is pretty easy to recognize. A last name.

I'm talking about those names that just aren't great (I thought about giving examples and then I realized I wouldn't want to offend anyone, sorry Mr.Butts, but that last name is truly unfortunate). They may just be a bad name on its own, or you could heighten it's horribleness if you take it on.

So my dilemma, if you can call it that, is that my initials are NERL. And yes for those of you who I went to high school with, that was my nickname. In grade 12 I won "Best nickname", although I don't think many girls had nicknames, or at least ones they knew about (cough, swamp donkey, cough....kids are so mean!). Anyways, what's my dilemma you ask? I have for a long time been very aware of the fact that I would encounter problems if i married a guy with the last name that started with a 'D'. Catch on yet? New initials: NERD. Not cool.

So, luckily I do not have this problem, but it got me thinking about women changing their names, and other options available just out of curiosity and found this neat article: Should You Change Your Last Name?, which had some pretty neat insights, reasons why people do or do not change their names, and some solutions.

Makin' art

Bored? Don't think you're artistic but want to do something fun?

I was sent this website with a really cool wall mural (see photo above) Looks hard right? Wrong! it's so easy! (Also I realize it has a baby crib in it, but it's still a cool design that everyone can enjoy!)

This website offers a simple way to break down large pictures into smaller squares so that you can easily measure off a grid and draw each square. It is not very overwhelming if you work with one square at a time, user-friendly and good for people who can't draw well!

I love the photo that they used (they purchased the photo from a stock photo website). You can also google pictures you would like- surprisingly,Microsoft Office Clip Art has a lot of really cute art design ideas. Personally I like a lot of icon-style pictures. This style also makes it easier for using a few basic colours to create a beautiful mural or piece of art.

Live in an apartment and don't want to mess up your wall? Well you can actually print a photo you like onto regular computer paper. Then, tape it to a window and on the back trace the outline of the whole photo with a nice lead pencil. Next, flip it over (lead-traced side down) and tape it to a plain canvas, which you can purchase for next to nothing at DeSerres, Wal-Mart or Michael's. Next you trace the outline of your photo, and by pressing down you transfer a light pencil outline of your design onto the canvas. Next you can paint it with regular tole paints (so cheap!) and voila- your own art! Art stores do have acrylic paints, but tole paints are good for beginners, really cheap and fun to use. It's a great way to do something inexpensive hat expresses your personal taste-and a great afternoon project.

For those who are still scared or don't have time, you can purchase wall stickers which have become really popular. They remove easily from walls and don't damage existing paint-while still looking like a painting. They have them at DeSerres but I find them kind of pricey (gorgeous, but pricey). I've had some luck finding some at the Dollar store, Michael's and JYSK. They can also be found online if you google it. Another great way to add in your own artistic taste, with minimal effort and all the satisfaction.

Design Sponge

So I consider my self somewhat crafty- I love to make things, finding ideas in magazines or on websites and creating things. (My inner-old-lady comes out by way or cross stithcing which I love to do). But when life is too busy, which it often is, I still enjoy reading blogs and enjoying what other people make.

So, my favorite design, home decor and DIY blog is Design Sponge,.

I love checking up on this site- I try to wait a few days so there's a little build up of posts and then look through all of the beautiful ideas. The best thing is that a lot of the ideas are things that you can do yourself- there's always a material list, or a story behind the inspiration. There is a section on trends, city guides for the virtual explorer or trip planner, recipes, videos and podcasts.

She even posts a new "Living in:" section, where they chose a place, a movie, or a theme and select furniture, decorations and attire that resemble the inspiration.

My favorite section is the "Before and After" section, because it helps you see something for what it can be, not what it is.

So check out the blog for some of your own ideas- there's a lot of craft shops and art supply stores that have many of the products that you need for project.s I myself enjoy going to second hand shops like Value Village or the Salvation Army for potential greatness :)

So saturate all you can the ideas of Design Sponge- and be proud of what you may not have known you can create!

Err....congrats?? I'm sorry?

So as many of you know, I have the privilege of working as a cashier at a local grocery store. sometimes it can be utterly frustrating, funny, weird, and entertaining. so I've started a new category, 10 items or less, to share my experiences.

Two observations came from a recent shift:

1) I've worked as a grocery cashier on and off for about three years. Over time I've grown to ignore what people are buying. Mostly because I don't care, or people are buying things that I don't want to know why they are buying it or why they are using it. (i.e. people buying lube. I've been told that it can be used on windshields for rain protection, sort of like the product RainX, so when I see someone buying this and it makes me shutter, I assume it's for their windshield) But occasionally a product catches my eye. Enter pregnancy tests.

Usually mixed with the regular milk, snacks and other regular groceries, there is a pregnancy test.

So when I see these I cannot help but wonder: are they excited, or are they like eff my life!

And you know what? It's really hard to tell. And based on my observations I've come to a conclusion: There's no gray area- people are either very excited or they look like they might throw up on my grocery belt. (Note: please don't throw up on my belt or I will quit)

Observation 2: I also have the privilege of observing many awkward social situations. Sometimes people argue over who is going to pay and both people are pushing each other's hands out of the way to pay, as if I'm going to decide who's paying. Um...................nooo thanks-that's awkward!

I also have the pleasure of seeing people get mad at the people who are with them. Sometimes it's a stressed out parent with a kid crying bc hey can't get candy etc. Last night I observed a couple fight. Wait, "fight".

Turns out, it was actually the most hilarious disagreement I've seen. I told them their total and the husband went to reach for his wallet, didn't have enough cash and asked his wife what she had. She replied "Don't you have your credit card?" of which he checked one more pocket and found it, within 2 seconds mind you. While I was ringing through the credit card, she said "Hunnie? I'm sorry for being so exacerbated, but I was annoyed because you didn't check all of your pockets." His reply "That's ok hunnie, I only checked one pocket so I don't blame you." and that was it- the funniest couple disagreement between a real-life Ned and Maud Flanders. I don't know if they are both therapists, have attended therapy or are genuinely calm, reasonable people but it was the most hilarious disagreement when it came to paying that I've seen. And probs to the lady for busting out the word "exasperated" like it's no big thing. It was a text-book apropriate way to manage a conflict between too people.

Perhaps we can take lessons away of getting into small fights, or we can be normal and do it our own way.

Big Shiny Tunes

Take a trip down memory lane and feel old with me. Big Shiny Tunes. Not Big Shiny Tunes 1, it's just big shiny tunes, because it was the first. it was released in 1996 by Much Music television, featuring the top songs, all in one compilation.

So, some might say that since Big Shiny Tunes 2 was the biggest selling album of the series (and it is fantastic) I have to give a shout out the original.

Remember the line-up: I Mother Earth, Bush X (note: not Bush!), Sloan (props to Halifax-born musicians), Better than Ezra, Moist and for those who want to let their inner-emo escape, while still paying homage to the 80's and Annie Lennox, enjoyed Sweet Dreams with Marilyn Manson.

They are now on the 14th Big Shiny tunes, and special 80s and 90s versions have also been created.

So if you need some throw backs to the 90s, or want to revisit days gone by; check out the song lists for all of the Big Shiny Tunes, particular attention paid to the original and number 2.

I'm just a girl, living in captivity.....

When I was young....

Ok, so now they have digital cameras for kids. i can't believe I am saying this because it ages me slightly (ok, a lot), but when I was a kid we used disposable and had to get pictures developed!!!!

Now that my old person side of view is out, I'll flip to the other side. I think that this product is fantastic- it encourages the expressive and artistic side of kids, gives them a cool hobby, may keep them out of trouble (depending on what they're shooting lol). But I think they're so neat- you can drop them, get them wet, lightweight, some have a neck strap, built-in-flash, usb hook-up, and they look cute and fun!

So when I see the Fisher Price commercial with the little girl dropping her camera, spilling stuff on it etc. I can't help but think of two huge markets for this product, other than kids: clumsy accident-prone people and of course, drunk people.

I know some of you readers (albeit whichever category you fit into), have dropped your precious digi, spilled something on it or broke it. I myself, while in Miami with my friends on Spring Break was taking pictures right at the water's edge, dropped my camera and did not have enough time to save it from a giant wave. I would assume that you are assuming that I was in the drunk people category; however I was not.Perhaps I did have the 11:00 a.m. beach drink special, but that and only that, I swear. What I neglected to mention was that my camera went for a salty-ocean dip in the Atlantic the DAY BEFORE the Justin Timberlake concert. A tragedy really, I don't care if you don't like him, anyone can relate to that- it would suck and yup it did!

So anyways, to all those constantly tripping, two-left footers, accident prone people, and all you people who drink beyond their capacity, perhaps this holiday season ask Santa for your very own, kids digi camera, batteries not included.

Lost:one earring

So sorry for any dudes who read this, but this one is for the ladies; unless you have both ears pierced....but that's an entirely different subject....

I have had my ears pierced since I was a baby. You would think, with so many years of collecting jewelry and earrings that I would have quite a collection (a quarter of a century of earring wearing!). Well guess what? I do have quite a few, earrings that is; not pairs.

You see, as many ladies can relate to, earrings seem to disappear. Some die via vacuum, a pet eating them, they fall out, they get lost somewhere, possibilities are endless.

So what I am left with is a lot of half earrings pairs. One earring. Lots of cute one earrings. So, I have three options.

Option 1: Start a new trend where you wear mis match earrings. I think it makes use of what you have, it could be cool, plus then it would match my socks mismatching (I rarely wear matching socks, I don't have time to dig around and find a pair that matches, it wastes too much time- so I save a lot of minutes cumulatively in my life by not matching my socks). So I think I might start doing this- feel free to join.

Option 2: Throw away the earring. What are the odds of finding the other earring? Seriously, what is it because like most Ladies out there, we hang onto that one earring in hopes of finding its mates, ah but alas, we attempt and fail at this reuniting of earrings. This leads me to option 3.

Option 3: Find the earring. This morning I put on a bracelet that I have not worn in months. Literally. It;s gold which I don't wear much but felt like changing it up so I chose this bracelet and went on my way to work. Saturday night I had planned on wearing the bracelet an matching earrings however, one earring was missing- so I stuck with option 2, keeping one rando earring.

I'm sitting at my computer this morning and my wrist gets stabbed. I look down, and tangled in the bracelet is: the other earring! hence the motivation for this blog because I thought about how stupid it is to hang onto earrings and then I prove myself wrong by after many months of waiting to be worn, the earring survives my walk to work and reveals itself in true stabbing fashion.

So, there are your options for all of those earrings you have out there. You must note that finding the long lost earring was an extremely rare occurrence but if you really like pair and are looking for the lost one, there is hope :)

Btw, my bday is in a month and 2 days so feel free to purchase me earrings, any will do, including ones like the ones in my picture :)

Happy hunting!

Starry, Starry Night

Everyone knows American Pie by Don McLean. In the car, on the radio, sitting around a campfire; we all think we can sing it. Well, at least we know the words. I'm not kidding I think even at the age of 6 I knew every word of that song. My favorite line to sing when I was younger was "drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry" even thought I had no idea what the heck that meant.

So my mom used to pop in her Don McLean cassette tape (yes, cassette). And after us all belting our American Pie, along came a more calming, beautiful tune: Starry starry Night.

As some may know, this is also the title of a vincent vanGogh painting; of which inspired the song. See an excerpt below from Don McLean's website about the song:

McLean wrote “Vincent,” also known as “Starry, Starry Night,” in the fall of 1970, while he was working for the Berkshire School District. He was living in the Sedgwick House, a beautiful Federal style house in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The Sedgwick family included Edie Sedgwick, a colorful figure whom Andy Warhol had filmed in the 1960s. McLean wrote “Vincent” in his apartment full of antiques. The inspiration came to him one morning while he was sitting on the veranda looking at a book about Vincent Van Gogh. As he studied a print of Van Gogh’s painting “Starry Night,” he realized that a song could be written about the artist through the painting.

“The more I thought about it, the more interesting and challenging the idea became. I put down the book and picked up my guitar, which was never far away, and started fiddling around, trying to get a handle on this idea, while the print of “Starry Night” stared up at me. Looking at the picture, I realized that the essence of the artist’s life is his art. And so, I let the painting write the song for me. Everyone is familiar with that painting.”

Van Gogh painted “Starry Night” during one of the most difficult periods of his life, while he was locked up in an asylum at Saint Remy. He had to paint the scene from memory, not outdoors as he preferred. Van Gogh mentioned “Starry Night” only twice in his letters to his brother, Theo. It is therefore one of the more mysterious and intriguing Van Gogh compositions.

The tremendous increase in value of Van Gogh’s works during the Seventies and Eighties may not have been caused by McLean’s song, but “Vincent” has become a permanent part of the Van Gogh legend. When the Van Gogh Museum opened in Amsterdam in 1973, a time capsule, containing a collection of Van Gogh’s paint brushes and a copy of the sheet music for “Vincent,” was buried beneath the museum. In addition, the museum staff plays “Vincent” for visitors each day, despite the fact that the original painting of “Starry Night” is owned by the Museum of Modern Art, in New York.

Long read, but so interesting. Tragic biographical tale of Vincent VanGogh but an amazing tune if you're look for something old but new to you.
YouTube link to song for previewing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dipFMJckZOM

Enjoy!

The Atlantic Eco-Expo

Ever wanted to test drive a segway? What about check out the hype on new energy efficient vehicles? Well this weekend is your chance!

Enter, Atlantic Eco-Expo. Self described as being "designed to increase awareness of green products and services, so that consumers can make educated decisions about sustainable living."

There is an eco fashion show on Saturday, musical performances,a silent auction!
there's yoga, a kid's corner, a business panelist discussion “Can going green be profitable?”and on Sunday they have Green cuisine- yum-o!

The expo is encouraging people to use the transit system and also share-a-ride program- which is really cool. you can take bus number 6 from Mumford Terminal!

It is at Exhibition Park in Halifax, this weekend November 21-22. tickets are only $5 a person, OR if you bring in a used cell phone you can get in for free!! If you are sans old cell phone (come on, dig out your parents old Zack Morris-esque phone), then you can purchase your tickets online for an eco-friendly paperless way and simply have your name on an attendees list when you get there!

It's a great way to explore products, tools, companies and options available to Atlantic Canadians so see you there :)

The Art of Advertising

So in the past few months I have found myself a new morning routine: watching Breakfast Television while I get ready. Previously I've got the odd episode, if I was up early enough (usually highly unlikely).

I find the program quite enjoyable- cute stories, getting to see groups and places I've never heard about in my own community and some splash of local news (huge sidenote: what is with all the homicides recently across the Maritimes? Have people got nothing better to do!?).

I love Cyril, I love Jason and Maria and I can sometimes tolerate the lady who does the news- sometimes I think she forgets she is acutally on the air and thinks she is just sitting aorund with friends having a chat! Although I do have to give her serious probs as last weekend she got a Snuggie for her birthday and brought it to the show to share with everyone. Her coolness factor went up 5 points.

Anywho, today I saw that they had a really cool exhibit currently at the Dartmouth Heritage Museum: The Art of Advertising: Flirting with Fads and Fashions. It is on now until January 23, 2010.Here is the address:

Dartmouth Heritage Museum Society
26 Newcastle Street
Dartmouth, N.S.
B2Y 3M5
Google map


The Coast describes it as an invitation to take "an incredible journey of more than 50 years of visual communication".

Neat! So I'd like to check it out and hopefully some of you will too :)

Friday the 13th

It's Friday the 13th. In fact, it's the third Friday the 13th this year- and according to a CBC article I read, it's the most times it can happen in a year. I want to know if anybody has any funny superstitions related to Friday the 13th, or superstitions in general?

My personal superstition is that when getting dressing, putting on jewelery or footwear I have to put my left side on first. I am convinced that I have bad luck when I don't-perhaps it's psychological and I only feel that way because I think that but I also think it's legit!

Here is the article, Friday the 13th strikes fear in the hearts of millions, others not willing to press their luck
; which talks about hotels "not" having a 13th floor, some interesting conspiracy theories and some history on former president of the United States FDR. Great read if you're interested in this peculiar (yet surprisingly prevalent this year) event.

Watch out for black cats, don't walk under ladders and don't break any mirrors.

Freshen up your ipod- Owl City

So by no means am I into any sort of cool music scene, I just to listen to what is out there- I'm pretty mainstream but I have quite an eclectic taste. I like Britney Spears-alot-there I said it and I don't care.

So to help with one of life's simple pleasures I'd like to help you freshen up your ipod. So periodically I'd like to post some new stuff, or a random old song that hasn't been played since you had a cassette player or walkman, to give you some ideas for your ipod :)

So here is my first suggestion: Owl City- Fireflies. It's a really cool song, sort of different and totally strange lyrics- apparently the singer suffered from insomnia, much to his dismay but my delight it produced a great tune.

According to Wikipedia: Owl City is an American electronica musical project. It consists of Adam Young and he refers to his backing band plus himself as "Owl City" after Adam's hometown Owatonna, Minnesota. Young started out making music in his parents' basement,[3] which he claims is a result of his insomnia.

Here is the link to the Official site: http://www.owlcitymusic.com/home.aspx where you can hear the tune or just check it out on YouTube.

Pet Peeve: Kids with adult haircuts

Ok, so if you know me well you know that this is one of my top pet peeves. A genuine adult haircut on a kid should not exist! Although rare, they do exist! Kids don't need a style or tailored bangs, they need kid haircuts! Kids hair gets tangly, you don't need to blow dry it, straighten it or anything! (Flashback- remember bobble ponytail holders?)

Okay so the one on the right is an extreme- but sadly the one on the right is prevalent in society-just so you have a photo reference. Feel free to print it into wallet sizes and keep them with you at all times for the rare sighting.

Also, I'm sure that at some point from here on in you will see one and think gee, that IS terrible! and then I will feel good that I've brought it to the attention of one more person.

While googling pictures of this occurance, I noticed under searches related to: haircuts for people with glasses. ......................... um can't we just get regular haircuts and then put on our glasses? Feel free to google it for a laugh. It shows A) people without any glasses on even in the picture and B) celebrities with sunglasses on.

Sigh.... lol

Reasons for immediate annulment of relationship

Perhaps I've watched too many episodes of America's Funniest Videos aka AFV (note:one of my most favorite shows ever...just sayin) but it has given me one of my top reasons for immediate annulment of a relationship. This category will be another one that you will see often and I will post reasons (in no particular order). I also welcome comments, your feelings on it, or your standards for annulment of relationships.

Reasons for immediate annulment of relationship #1:
Shoving cake in your face at your wedding.

Why is this acceptable?! We've all seen the videos on AFV- I don't find it funny! And every time I see I think who are these people that plan to do this and think it's funny! For the record: I don't think it's funny, pastries are meant to be eaten not mashed into your face. I don't know if it needs to be worked in the pre-nup, but I will certainly make it quite clear that it's not ok.

Anyone else agree? Or is there anyone out there that thinks this is ok? Would love to chat with you about it...maybe I'm missing something!

World Peace Mushroom Soup

So today I stumbled upon this awesome blog site and shared it with a few friends and now I share it with you.

This blog is by Meghan Teplner, a nutritionist and holistic lifestyle consultant who was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and decided to take a natural approach to healing. Her website has really cool recipes (including pictures, which I need to know what something should look like before I make it!)

What caught my eye was this: World Peace Mushroom Soup. It combines two of my favorite things: peace and mushrooms. Kidding! I don't know if I've actually bought mushrooms, in fact two New Year's Eve's ago I made quesadillas with my friend Karen and bought my first pepper. Sidetrack...

Not only did the picture look delicious but read her description: "I am pretty sure that if the entire world were to taste this soup all at the same time, we would have peace across the land. It is THAT unbelievably, amazingly, wondrously delicious and super-powered. Super Powered I tell you and not a word of a lie."

That's awesome. (!)

So check out her blog and all the neat ingredients she uses (I only have heard of them through working as a grocery store cashier, I've never actually bought most of the ingredients but would like to try them out....I feel a New Year's resolution coming on here.....)

Making Love in the kitchen: http://meghantelpnerblog.com/

Life's simple pleasures

So, sometimes life is not that great. It's not fair, why me, why not him, how come her etc. Well although I wouldn't label myself as an eternal optimist, I do find that there are simple pleasures in life. Little tiny things, somewhat meaningless but make me happy none the less. So I'm going to start a category of life's simple pleasures as they happen- then you can have these little moments to appreciate- or comment on mine with some of your own- who wouldn't be open to hearing more simple pleasures?

Life's simple pleasure #1
Refreshing your ipod.I tend to be somehwat lazy, but if I revamp my ipod I could walk around the entire HRM (battery pending). I don't know what it is but I'm sure that there are scientists out there that study the effect that this has on motivation/physical exercise.

Simple pleasure-appreciate it!