Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Random Thursday: Let's Get Spooky! Halloween Faves...


This week's Random Thursday with Lin, Katrin and I is going to make you want to hide under your bed. Or make pumpkin pie. Either way, it's gonna be awesome, because the topic is:



There are a few things that really stand out to me about Halloween.

1. Mini candy. Themed, if possible.

These are my all-time faves. 
2. An excuse to watch scary movies and scare the pants off myself.

Seriously, guys, I'm a total pussy.

3. That my cats come back in style.



I mean, seriously. Just look at them.

Happy Halloween!


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Random Thursday: Fave Things To Do In the Fall...

Time for a slightly more chilly edition of Random Thursday with Lin, Katrin and I are adjusting (somewhat regretfully, on my part, and with a lot of grumbling and shivering) to our new season - autumn. There's only one thing that's going to make me feel better, and that's if you guys all tell me your:


And because I'm sure you're in the same boat as I am, I'm gonna tell you some of mine!

1. Curling up in a warm blanket with a good book. Curling up anywhere with a good book, really.



2. Drinking my first peppermint mocha of the year from Starbucks.


3. A nice, hot bath.



4. Getting out the fluffy winter comforter.



5. Going for a brisk walk in the cold air, coming home, putting on my slippers and drinking hot chocolate.


6. Enjoying the fall foliage.



Let's hear it: What cheers you up when the weather turns crappy? Link up!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Random Thursday: A Random Fact That Blew My Mind AND A Big Announcement!

It's time for Random Thursday, and this week is extra special. You might have noticed a little change to the header image up there ↑. That's right, Lin and I have an announcement to make. Y'all know our beloved Meg, who has been hosting Random Thursday with us for quite awhile now. Well, unfortunately she's been really busy and hasn't really had time to post or host. So she's taking a step back from RT (though she'll still be linking up when she has time, so don't forget about her!).

Which leads me to the big announcement - we've recruited a new co-host, someone you all know from her dedicated RT posts and commenting on pretty much every single post y'all have written, too! That's right, Katrin from Land of Candy Canes is joining us! You're all going to love her, if you don't already - she's sweet, she's sassy, she's a vegan and she loves books & animals. So give her a really warm RT welcome, head over and check out her blog, and let's get to it!

This week's topic is:



Okay, so it's been a busy week, on top of which I can NEVER think of cool facts when I actually WANT to think of cool facts. Of course, have a slumber party with me and I'll keep you up all night throwing random things at your head and saying, "Wait, but did you know that...." Yeah. I'm that girl.

Anyway, I found a fun little video that's full of all sorts of things I didn't know. So I figure I'll share it with you guys.



Fun, right? Here are a few more from this site:






Mind=blown. K, now it's your turn to blow the few brain cells I have left. Link up below with some crazy shit that blew your minds!

P.S. A quick note - we're sending out Random Thursday emails every week (they go out on Tuesday mornings), but I've noticed that there are some issues getting past spam filters. So if you haven't been receiving yours, please check your spam folders and add us to your "safe" list so you won't keep missing out! :)

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Random Thursday: Art That Inspires Me...

 
This week I am SO on the ball. It's Wednesday, I'm blogging like crazy, and I'm totally going to have this post up tonight. I think. Maybe. Lin, Meg, and I want you to get with the creative and show us:


I am a huge graffiti and street art fan. And I mean HUGE. I've spent years peering and venturing down alleyways that most people avoid, just to check out a new piece, stencil or paste-up. I've scrambled over fences, wandered down railway lines and even crawled into abandoned buildings to take photos. I've got hundreds - if not thousands - of photos of my favourite street artists, and a couple of shelves of graffiti books. Yeah, you could say it's one of my things. So even though there are lots of different kinds of art I like, I'm gonna walk you through a few of my top fave street artists.

1. Banksy






Of course. I've loved this guy for years - I remember when no one had any idea who I was raving about. I love his style, his sense of humour and how he manages to boil down complex issues to one image with or without a few choice words to make an amazingly succinct point. He never gets boring and constantly outdoes himself. If you haven't heard of him before, do yourself a favour and get to googling. And don't tell me, because I like y'all and then I would have to disown you. (Get more Banksy here.)

2. Shephard Fairey (AKA Obey)





I love this guy's style. Edgy, clean, spunky -  and he also likes to take on social commentary and statement graphics. I have the first image as a print over my desk as I'm typing, and it's one of my all-time fave images. (Visit his website here.)

3. Daim



Daim, a German artist, is known for his 3D, intricate, clean-edged murals. As the daughter of a designer, his murals really appeal to me. (Find him here.)

4. Os Gemeos



Os Gemeos (Portuguese for "The Twins") are two artists from Brazil. I love that their style is so unique and recognizable - and they paint on a huge scale with amazing colours. (Visit their website here for more of their art - though the text is in Portuguese.)

5.  Swoon




Representin' for the ladies, Swoon is an awesome artist who mostly specializes in paper cut-outs of amazing intricacy.

6. Blek le Rat




Blek, known as "the Father of Stencil Graffiti," pioneered the aesthetic style that many others, including Banksy, have adopted and made their own. Blek first started hitting up walls on the Paris streets in 1981 (the year I was born!) and has been one of the big names in street art ever since. (Check out his website here.)

7. Miss Tic



Another French street artist, Miss Tic creates sexy, attention-grabbing images usually accompanied by thought-provoking wordplay (for example the top one is a play on "Amazon" and "a ma zone," which means "in my zone" roughly translated). I like how sassy and... well, FRENCH she is! (You can find more Miss Tic here, although it is in French!)

8. Lady Pink




Have you ever seen that really old classic movie Wild Style?  About the genesis of hip hop/graffiti in New York in the early '80s? Well Lady Pink is the girl graffiti artist in that movie. I have so much respect for her, not only because of her artistic style. She first started tagging at age 15, in the late 1970s. Girls weren't a big part of the early graffiti scene, so I see her as a great pioneer and role model for female artists. If you want to check out more girls in graffiti, there's an excellent book called Graffiti Women that showcases the work of female street artists around the world. (Find more Lady Pink here.)

9. The Dark



The Dark is a local street artist in my hometown (Vancouver, BC) and I absolutely love his work.  It's kind of like a cross between Banksy, Swoon and Miss Tic, and for years it was the backdrop to my nights out on the town.

Want more street art? Check out these awesome sites:

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Random Thursday: Things That Brighten A Rainy Day...

 
I know I did this whole apology last week, but yet here I am again, a day late! This time I have no valid excuse. I just straight up forgot. My bad. Without further ado, here's what Lin, Meg, and myself want y'all to write about this week!



Oh, man. After the last week here, I could write a book on all the things that DON'T brighten a rainy day - mainly public transit full of pokey, wet umbrellas and discovering several leaks in my very expensive and not-yet-two-year-old Hunter rain boots. Hmph. But that isn't what we're on about this week, so I'm going to tell you what makes things a bit more bearable and, in some cases, stopped me from putting people's umbrellas in places that would have freed up their seat on the bus for me. Here goes!

1. Starbucks. 

I'm not too proud to admit, there have been a couple of overpriced coffees in my recent past.

2. Warm winter blankets. 

I busted out the down comforter AND took a fleece blanket to wrap myself up in at work like a burrito. I was still cold.

3. A bath.

Unfortunately my bath plug thing broke, but I just got one of those suction plug things, so I'll be good to go - I sense quite a few of these in my near future as I get used to the new (freezing) temperatures around here!

4. Hot water bottle.

Between this and the random cats who are enjoying my winter comforter as much as I am, bed is toasty warm to get into.

5. Tea.

Yum!

6. A good book. 

Or several. I'm currently re-reading these for like the 800th time, and enjoying them every bit as much as the last 799.

7. Warm, dry socks.


If my feet are cold, I'm cold. And if I'm cold, no one is happy.

Okay, that's what I've got for you! Now share - what gets you through a dripping, wet, miserable day? Link up below!
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