Happy Victoria Day everyone! Fun fact: I was born on Victoria Day but since it’s always on a Monday my birthday doesn’t often fall on that day. This year my birthday’s on a Friday! Anyways, back to what I made. While I was looking at instagram one day I saw some photos of knitted rings. They’re made by Claire Ward who lives in Sydney, Australia. Her line is called Bless Your Cotton Socks and her nautical knitted rings are so cute! You should check them out on her Etsy page www.blessyourcottonsocks.etsy.com She loves cats too! Since I have yarn and lots of buttons I thought I’d make one of my own. I think it looks fab! Thanks Claire, for the inspiration for such a cool, creative accessory.

I’d love if you’d follow me on instagram! Click on the yellow camera button in the top right hand corner or find me on instagram. My user name is victoria_day.

I also got to visit my hometown this weekend and spend time with my family and this lovable pooch!

Sometimes bigger (buttons) is better. I love finding new ways to take things I already own and create something fun to wear!

I’m so happy overalls are back in style! And I think that this will be the summer where I find the perfect pair, I can feel it. Finding a pair of overalls that are both stylish and comfortable can be challenging. You need one that is fitted in the right spots, not too loose in the wrong spots, and doesn’t ride up your crotch! My roommate in college, Colleen, had the perfect pair and I loved borrowing them from her. Kind of wishing they would have wound up in my pile on moving day. sigh. There are also lots of styling options with overalls. You can cuff them up, wear both straps done up, only one strap up, or have both hanging down. I think it could be a great summer staple. Now it’s time to find a just right pair of my own!

Hopefully this will inspire you to give overalls a try this year. I’m going to keep an eye out at thrift shops. Just please DO NOT get these ones. Sheesh.

I bought a clock from Ikea to put in my sewing/craft room. It was super cheap at $2.99 but also super ugly. A clear smokeyish plastic. What a great opportunity to use washi tape to brighten it up! I stuck it on while watching Mad Men. Yay for multi-tasking! To fix the problem of some of the edges coming up off the rounded corners I gave it a coat of Mod Podge.

Now this once generic clock looks like it belongs in a craft/sewing room!

This is my second year volunteering with the CBC Calgary Reads book sale. After seeing the humongous selection of books last year I was hooked. I’m an avid reader and this is right up my alley! If you haven’t been yet, and you live in or near Calgary, I highly recommend going. But if you need a bit more persuasion here are 5 reasons you should check it out.

1. There is a huge, and I mean ginormous, selection

I was awe struck when I saw how many books there are, and that’s after volunteers weed out all dirty/old/worn ones. The books are well categorized too. Fiction on one side, non fiction on the other, and then sorted into groups such as art, travel, humour, ect, ect. I can almost guarantee everyone can find a subject that would interest them.

2. Your supporting an amazing charity

All of the funds raised go to Calgary Reads which is an early literacy initiative devoted to changing the lives of struggling grade 1 and 2 readers and their families in Calgary and area schools. Increased literacy in Children can boost their confidence and academic achievement and also enables curiosity, creativity and critical thinking. Happier and healthier kids turn into happier and healthier adults. Yay!

3. You could meet that someone special

Ok, this one might seem a little far fetched but I heard a story on CBC Radio 1 about a couple that met at a Calgary Reads book sale, he asked her out for coffee and they ended up getting married! Maybe you might connect with someone over your shared love of sports trivia or vegetarian cooking. Maybe you might reach for the same book, your fingers touch, and sparks fly. Hey, you never know!

4. It will help you stay young

Confucius says “you cannot open a book without learning something.” Patty Berg, founding member of the LPGA says “Always keep learning. It keeps you young.” So therefore read a book and stay young!

and if reading doesn’t appeal to you….

5. Book crafts!

If the thought of cutting into a book send shivers down your spine skip this one. There are some books out there that might not get chosen to read but have very pretty covers or would be perfect for that craft project you’ve been meaning to try. Why not use a book to make a lamp, clutch, or table runner. there’s even a book all about making crafts using books!

So do I have you convinced that you should head down to the Calgary Curling Club from May 10-12? If you want more information about the hours, address, or how you can get involved next year check out the website. www.calgaryreads.com or follow them on facebook or twitter!

Looking at the haul I brought home I think I might be spending a lot of time on the deck this summer with a book and a cold beverage.

This morning I had the wonderful opportunity to go for a tour of one of the new Calgary Target stores a day before it opened. This one in Market Mall, as well as the stores in Chinook Center and Forest Lawn and seven other locations in Alberta will be soft opening May 7th. The Target in Shawnessy will open May 14th and the grand opening for all is scheduled for May 24.

It was quite the experience to be in a new store in which no one has shopped in. The “team members” were all busy with final touches, looking sharp in their Target red and khaki outfits. The layout is totally redone from when Zellers previously occupied the space and it’s all shiny and red and white.

Target carries a lot of great brands such as Papyrus, Mossimo Supply Co, Dyson, Apple, Kitchen Aid, Sonia Kashuk, Pixi, and tons more. They also do limited time collaborations, Roots and Sam & Libby, and are planning to do more with Canadian designers. I was quiet impressed with how fashion forward the maternity collections are.

Nate Berkus Collection home accessories

There are lots of ideas and products for organising.

Unicorn bank anyone? When I went to a target in the states years ago I bought a set of Simply Shabby Chic sheets in a cabbage rose print and they are still my favourite! They’re great for summer as they always feel nice and crisp. I’m so excited that Target still has this line!

Our tour guide, John Morioka Sr. Vice of Merchandise, told us that Target is testing these bright beauty displays in Canadian stores. With three rows of every beauty product imaginable I’m sure they’ll be a hit.

Mr. Morioka is explaining about how Target tries to stay freah and on trend with their products. They have an Expect more. Pay less. brand promise which is sure to please plenty of new customers.

You might be wondering, like I was, why there are no lights on in the ice cream freezer? Simple, the lights come on as you walk by! How cool is that? Sorry about the pun. Lol

These cereals, a target exclusive brand, include chocolate chunk hazelnut biscotti and French vanilla almond crunch. Yum!

This packaging is designed by textile designer Orla Kiely. Another Target exclusive.

Because who wants a sales person hovering around you. When I need help I’ll just summon someone with the press of a handy button.

This has got to be the cutest gift card ever!

So who’s excited to go see what all the fuss is about? I’m definitely stoked to go back when I can actually purchase instead of just looking at longingly.

You can learn more at their website www.target.ca or follow them on facebook www.facebook.com/TargetCanada or twitter www.twitter.com/target.ca

What is your favorite thing you’ve purcheased at Target? Or what are you looking forward to buying?

I had such a informative and fun time on the tour. I can’t wait to get my hands on all the cute things I saw!

I love local markets and craft fairs. Without them I don’t think I’d own any cool things made locally. I bought the 2 prints above, Aurora Borealis and Mooswa Nebula, from a market in Calgary. They hang on my wall in frames I found on my buildings “take it or leave it” table and I love them.

The artist, Andrew Olivier, lives in Edmonton and seems to have a passion for art, animals, and science. All the illustrations below come from his Polymorphism series that focuses on channelling scientific exploration into artistic form.

I find these “animals” very thought provoking. This style merges a natural tribal flow with industrial and mechanical elements. Some of the lines are very sharp and harsh while others are soft and circular. There is a push in pull, nature against science, which in the end comes together to create something amazing.

If you live in Edmonton your in luck! Andrew will be at Tribal Nation Saturday May 4th selling his paintings and prints and on May 25th you can check him and other local artists out at Harcourt House for an Art market in the Gallery.

5 Questions with Andrew Olivier

1. What is your favourite colour?

That is an incredibly hard decision, and changes often. I more appreciate color palettes and combinations. Lately I’ve been loving soft blues, coral together.

2. Polymorphism is a biology term. Do you think in nature fact is stranger then fiction?

Well, Polymorphism is a term to describe the infinite variation of characteristics that exist with any given species. For instance, each butterfly has the possibility of infinite variations for the patterns of its wings. they never repeat. Always experimenting and inventing new colors and details never seem before. Life is stranger then fiction if your looking closely.

3. If you could be a ‘morph’ of any animal which would it be?

Definitely a whale. They are mythical and peaceful creatures, most have no natural enemies, and the whole ocean is their playground. what more could you want.

4. What is your favourite medium to work with?

A 0.5mm pen will always top that list. however lately, I have been liking good old standard house paint too.

5. Where is one of your best loved places in Edmonton?

The River Valley, and more specifically Hawrelak park. great big pond to ice skate on in the winter

Andrew is a recent grad from the design studies course at Grant MacEwan University. Check out his website to see more illustrations, digital, and web design work. http://wanderingwhale.com/

And you can also follow him on Facebook! www.facebook.com/thepolymorphist

Being able to see the world in a different way is a good thing. Being able to share your view and have it respected by others is what makes a cultured society. Yay for art!

These cookie bars are really good! Unless your one of those people who don’t like chewy, raisiny, moist, oatmealy fantasticness. If that sounds like you then DO NOT make these cookies! You’ll absolutely hate them!

I got this recipe off allrecipies.com. It’s the first place I look when needing a recipe. What makes this my fave recipe site are the reviews. Thanks to the helpful reviewers, their tips and substitutions can take a dish from ho hum to oh yum! For instance, in this recipe I took Chef Tara’s advice and boiled the raisins in the microwave to make them super plump. I also used LizL’s tips for adding a 1 teaspoon of baking powder because I didn’t have self rising flour and doubling the amount of cinnamon. Reading what changes can be made gave me ideas for a few of my own. I only used 1/4 cup each of white and brown sugar (it was plenty sweet for me) and added shredded coconut on top.

Click HERE for the recipe if you want to make up a batch of your own! And read some reviews for suggestions that would work well for you and the people you want to share them with.

I enjoyed these cookies a lot, but I wonder what changes I can make next time? Maybe chocolate chips or a nut of some kind. hmmmm….

I can’t remember where I first heard of Chvrches but I know that after looking up some of their songs it didn’t really matter. This group from Glasgow was formed in 2011 and consists of feature singer Lauren Mayberry and keyboardists/vocalists Iain Cook and Martin Doherty. If your wondering if my auto correct stopped working, it didn’t. According to Wikipedia the band choose to spell churches with a V in order to avoid confusion in internet searches. That, and it looks pretty damn cool. Described as electro-pop, Chvrches gets inspiration from Prince, Depeche Mode, and Kate Bush.

Chvrches is touring this summer! Check out their facebook page to see if they’re stopping in your neck of the woods. Maybe one day they’ll make their way to Alberta, fingers crossed.

The Recover EP was just released in March and I’m already waiting in anticipation for more groove worthy music from Chvrches.

When I looked out my window on Saturday I saw a grey cloudy day with a skiff of snow on the ground. Not ideal weather, but that wouldn’t stop me from heading down to the community of Sunnyside to check out Wreck City.

“Wreck City: An epilogue for 809” is a group of local artists who have taken nine houses that are slated for demolition and turned them into temporary art, instillation, and performance spaces. 8 artist/curators and 100+ extremely creative individuals have worked very hard to bring this together and I was super excited to see the results!

“Enter at your own risk” is posted at the entrance of each house as well as the names of the artists who contributed to that space, but don’t be alarmed, everything inside is secure. Here’s a tip: for the optimum experience wear clothes you can move around in and stable shoes. Also forget the big purse or tote, it will only get in your way. The spaces are amazingly hands on and remind me of a real life snakes and ladders game. There are things to climb, crawl through, peek in and slide down, but only if you want to, and believe me you’ll want to! Thank goodness I was wearing thick tights!

This is truly an experience for all your senses whether it be sight, touch, smell, sound, or taste (fresh baked cookies anyone?). Each day also features different performances. Click Here for a schedule. I had a fantastic time immersing myself in these houses and chatting with the artists. The following photos are only a tiny sample of what you can expect from Wreck City. If your going to be in Calgary this week you would be missing out if you didn’t venture down to Sunnyside to check it out!

Wreck City is free and open to all ages, everyday until April 27th.

visit their website at www.wreckcityproject.wordpress.com to find out more!

Yes, that’s a slide and yes, that’s a railing. Safety first!

Going down! Side note: I was just talking about Light Brights at work and how much I wanted one. After seeing this one now I want one even more, sigh.

This is a great example of how when people come together, they can take something that one might deem worthless and transform it into something extraordinary. Have I piqued your interest yet?

I haven’t knitted in quite awhile even though I have a stash of yarn and plenty of needles. While perusing Pintrest the other day I saw a picture for a DIY of a Super Simple Knitted Bracelet, and inspiration struck! If you want to check out the bracelet I saw along with other fashion DIY’s on my Pintrest page click HERE.

I still kept it simple by only using the basic garter stitch, which is where you knit every row, but used 2 weights of yarn to add the pearls and added a buttonhole. The materials I used and directions are below.

Materials

• Yarn in 2 different weights, 1 thinner for the pearls and 1 chunkier
• knitting needles size 3.75mm
• pearls or beads
• yarn or upholstery sewing needles
• button

Directions

When choosing your yarns it is important that the yarn you pick is thin enough to fit through the needle that also is thin enough to fit through the pearls or beads your using. If you can’t find thin enough yarn embroidery floss would also work well! This is key because you need to string all the pearls onto the yarn before you start knitting. It is better to add too many pearls instead of too little because in order to add more you would have to break your yarn or start all over, not fun. I threaded 40 pearls onto my yarn and pushed them down the length of yarn so I could have enough room to start knitting.

Holding both pieces of yarn together cast on 40 stitches. If you feel like your wrist might be smaller or larger cast on what you think would fit. Remember that a button and buttonhole is being added so there will be some overlapping! Also when knitting with 2 threads of yarn I try to keep my tension a little looser then normal just to make it a bit easier on myself. You will always be holding the 2 strands together through this pattern.

Row 1: knit.

Row 2: knit 5 stitches, slide a peal up the length of yarn till it is at the needle. Knit your 6th stitch and as you bring the yarn around the needle bring the pearl with it.

The pearl should be knit into your piece. Continue down the row knitting in a pearl every 5 stitches or so. Add your last pearl on or before the 35th stitch and knit to the end. You need to leave 5 stitches at the beginning and end of each row without any pearls so you can add the buttonhole.

Row 3: knit 10 stitches, add a pearl and continue to the end same as row 2. Doing this will stager the pearls so they are not all in a straight line.

Row 4: knit 3 stitches then bind off 3 stitches. This will be your buttonhole! Continue down the row adding pearls.

Row 5: knit like row 3 but when you get to the 3 stitches you bound off cast 3 on and knit to end.

Row 6: Knit like row 2.

Row 7: Knit, without any pearls.

Bind off and weave you loose yarn ends into the piece. Your bracelet is almost done!

If your buttonhole is a little wonky don’t worry! And if some of your pearls poked out the back you can just push them through to the other side, like I did. Here’s the back of the bracelet.

Using some thread or the thinner yarn sew your button onto the side without the buttonhole.

Now your beautiful bracelet is complete!

Here’s a little tip: Don’t do like I did and let one of your balls of yarn get all tangly. What a mess! I will definitely be rolling my yarn into a ball before the start of the next project. sheesh.

This is my first knitting tutorial so hopefully it is easy to understand. There are so many variations for this project. just using different yarn and buttons would give it another look. You could also use sequins or small shells instead of pearls! I just might have to make another!