Since my TC posts are hardly daily any more, I’ve changed the name of this spot. This scene was too cute not to capture: TC and GJ feet to feet on the couch.
Little kitty feet and tall man feet united on the comfy couch!
What a glorious day for the Paint-In; 25 years of showcasing local professional and emerging artists in one of our most beautiful neighbourhoods. We spent several hours walking the route, chatting with friends and fellow artists. Tens of thousands of visitors had a great time viewing the work of over 150 artists. There was also great food and live musical entertainment. This year our friend Dame Mailarta, as part of her Portrait Palace project, walked the route to have her portrait taken with all the other participating artists. She also had a display set up where the public could take a picture of themselves posing as a stamp of the Queen which they could mail or email to the project. It was an amazing day!
One view of the crowds taking part in this year’s Paint-In.
GJ and I pose at Dame Mailarta’s spot on the tour. GJ loans the Queen his jaunty boater hat! Apparently the cardboard corgi caused great consternation to many of the little dogs passing by.
Our pals Stephanie and Ryan from Knotty by Nature and their pal Fran e have a show on right now at the Phillips Brewery. Ryan is showcasing scarves he’s made both woven and nuno felted. Stephanie has a couple larger projects including a shawl made from silk which she spun herself then wove. Fran e has some lovely paintings. This show will be up until the end of July. Visit Knotty by Nature on Lillian Road in Fairfield to see more examples of fibre projects as well as wools and silks for sale, and find out about classes offered.
Phillips Brewery has a great space and showcases local artists monthly.
Two pieces by Stephanie. The silk shawl is extraordinary.
I loved this felted piece.
Beautiful weavings by Ryan.
Woven and felted scarves by Ryan and paintings by Fran e.
Today we celebrated Pride with the Annual Pride Parade and Festival. Both events were huge this year and the weather was perfect for them. I’m proud to live in a community where diversity and love can find respect and be celebrated.
All the colours of the rainbow; diversity, courage, empowerment, love.
Rainbow colours make their way down Government Street towards the festival site in James Bay.
Pride pup at the festival!
TC gets into the spirit with the rainbow wool. Wink!
The other day, Taxicab was sitting on the counter waiting for something, so GJ took a photo of her off the fridge and leaned it on her. She waited very patiently for him to take her picture!
Funny girl! Posing for pictures!
Not long after we got her, TC posed for this picture, as if she knew the Taxi sign was important some how.
Here are pics of four of the new items I added to our Etsy shop:
Brown cultured fresh water pearls, pink vintage glass and mother of pearl; it’s like Neapolitan ice cream!
Another pink and brown combo, just can’t help myself!
Inspired by our neighbourhood, brass coin and carnelian.
Love this boxwood Ojime bead with a dragon fly.
Finally the reveal of a new baby’s hat I made a while ago. Couldn’t reveal it until the family received it and couldn’t send it until I finished the other part of the gift: one of my weird bunnies. I’m particularly pleased with this one, altho the felted flower embellishment looks more to me like a cross section of a tropical fruit than a flower! The second photo is a little felted flower pin I made this week. It’s was a gift for my favourite gal at the bank. She’s moving to another branch in another city to be closer to family. She is truly gifted in customer service and made a true effort to connect to her customers. I love making connections with people. Not just my close friends and family, but the people I meet and interact with in my neighbourhood, in my city, in the world. Even a smile or friendly word in passing with a stranger can hold a weighty amount of joy.
Super soft alpaca for this little hat.
Needle felted wool roving and cultured pearls.
After an exhausting day of city buses and museum we had a quick rest at the hotel then back out again for dinner with friends S and J. Of the places they recommended, Bao Bei sold us from their website, which is beautiful. We met there at 7:00 and put our name on the list (no reservations). Luckily there is a beautiful bar just steps away at The Keefer Hotel. We were seated at about 8:15 in most exquisite surroundings. It was cramped and bustling, but that only added to the charm. The menu is simple with small plates for sharing. We ordered drinks and about ten dishes which came out one or two at a time. The food was exceptional, one of the best meals of my life. As our camera is poor at taking indoor low-light food shots, I have no pics to show you. I can, however, recommend Bao Bei very highly as long as you have the time to wait for a table. I think my favourite things about this place are that all their meat is “locally sourced, ethically raised, hormone and chemical free” and MSG? “No! Never!” Check out the menu on their website.
On Keefer Street just off Main.
Gorgeously designed menu.
After our great breakfast on Commercial Drive, we grabbed a bus to UBC. We took a bit of time to walk the grounds and found our way to The Museum of Anthropology. The building was designed by Arthur Erickson, draw enough for me, and filled with collections from around the word. As well as providing cultural and artistic treasures to view for the public, the Museum conducts research and conservation work and provides educational opportunities for school groups. They have a beautiful website to explore. Here are a few pics from our visit.
A view from inside the Great Hall looking out towards the outdoor exhibits.
The O’Brian Gallery featured Asian educational materials and artifacts. This beautiful Buddha was carved from Alabaster.
There were a lot of puppets among the collections! (For those who don’t know, we love puppets.) These are from Taiwan.
The Koerner European Ceramics Gallery.
View of the back of the building from the outdoor exhibits which include two Haida Houses.
We had an awesome breakfast on day two in Vancouver at a place we’d never been called Bandidas Taqueria. Amazingly awesome breakfast place with lots of gluten-free options. I had the Huevas Rancheros and GJ had a big bowl of mild vegetarian chili topped with poached eggs. Big plates and bowls of home-made goodness. Then met up with a friend+baby and had delicious coffee at Prado Cafe. Very much fun to try new places! Breakfast can be hard to find in Vancouver so we’re glad to have a new option.
Yummy!
Great coffee on Commercial Drive.
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