guilty pleasure: elf

Things are coming together nicely at our new apartment (thanks to many helpful people who sacrificed Sunday morning and maybe a pair of pants to get us moved), but I'm not quite ready to share any pictures yet. However, I thought I'd catch the Guilty Pleasure Movie Club postings up by mentioning that last week we had our Christmas extravaganza. Candy cane cookies, rice krispie squares, delicious soup, bread and cheese, and two different salads made for one of the more delicious dinners we've had (still thinking about "country" dinner, though...). And the movie, a unanimous pick by the whole group, Elf. It's definitely a must-watch for me and has surpassed National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation as my favourite Christmas movie...well, almost.

I know you've all seen Elf before, but watching this clip will make you smile even if you just watched it yesterday. I feel like I could put up almost any piece of Elf and it would be awesome. Here's another favourite:

And, should you somehow have not seen the entire movie, here's a trailer to convince you to go check it out right now!

When I first saw this movie with Jeff and our friends Matt and Jill we all laughed so hard we cried. I think of that original viewing and Jill and Matt every time Jeff and I watch this. It's become a movie that I love watching and that makes me think of the good times I've had watching it...including the last Guilty Pleasure Movie Club of 2010. Well, time to unpack some more and watch another of my favourite Christmas movies: Die Hard. I'll be posting some new stuff in the Sadie shop in the next couple of days and then will be heading off to visit my family over the holidays! Can't wait for snow and mountains and my mom's baking!

By the way, did anyone see the winter solstice total lunar eclipse tonight?

bright lights

meat, cheese, and ornaments at granville island

Our apartment is all packed up, my school work is coming along, and I can't wait until, say, Tuesday, when a lot of the stuff I've been working on is complete and I've spent a couple of nights in my new apartment. I'm going to miss a lot about our current place: the dishwasher, in suite laundry, underground parking, a big storage unit, our bbq (goodbye, good friend!), and being a two minute walk from my community garden plot BUT... Our new place is pretty great. I'm looking forward to downsizing our possessions, putting our art on the walls at the new place, exploring a new neighbourhood, and meeting all of the dogs that call our new building home. I'm also excited to live in a place with lighter coloured hardwood and bigger windows and built-in bookcases. Moving helpers have been recruited, school stuff is almost at a point where I can believe it's all possible, and Christmas is really, really close! Can't wait to reconnect with friends in Calgary, see my family, and relax for a week or so. Luckily I had to take a walk yesterday to find some supplies for one of my projects, so here are some photos from that. Lola is a bit unsure about cameras and all of the boxes in our place right now. Okay. See you on the other side of all this madness. Taking a deep breath now...

How do you relax when life gets a little crazy?

let's go for a walk...

The nice thing about the big school project that I'm working on right now is that it's all about walking, which means I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't get out on walks regularly to break up my writing and researching. Though I've mostly been spending my hours in a pile of papers and books on the couch while Jeff packs the house up around me, I have been trying to go outside and enjoy these nice winter days, too. And, of course, my dog Lola wouldn't have it any other way. This is a photo I took while on a research mission the other day. Those are snowberry bushes in the foreground, probably my favourite Vancouver winter plant. 

Oh, and Jeff found Vancouver's real candy cane lane: the Trinity Street Light Festival in East Van. We passed it tonight and it was pretty impressive. I think there was a clear winner with a lot of amazing runners up. Go check it out if you have a chance! It would be a great place for a night time walk, and since night starts at about 3:30pm these days, you have lots of time before or after dinner to get over there.

granville island after dark

Living in Vancouver, where it rarely snows, I find myself seeking out holiday spirit in other forms: namely baked goods, perhaps a little retail therapy, and lawn decorations and Christmas lights! In our recent travels around the city Jeff and I have encountered a gingerbread house someone skillfully constructed on their front lawn, a motorcycle-riding Santa perched atop a garden archway in East Van, and, of course, every day we look at the traffic circle down the street that's been decorated with every manner of white hula hoop, plastic snowflake, and crystal globe. (A holiday-minded neighbour makes sure that traffic circle gleefully expresses whatever special day might be coming up on the calendar.) The traffic circle looks great. In fact, a news team even shot a segment there and I can heartily recommend that they return at any time of the year to see what expressive use that traffic circle will be put to in the future. 

To my mind, the best place to find Christmas spirit in Vancouver is Granville Island...at night. It is beautiful and inhabited almost entirely by people wandering home from Christmas parties. You have great views of the city, False Creek, and the bridges, but you also get to see things like cement mixers all gussied up for Santa. A few of my favourite shots of Granville Island at night are included in this post. If you have the chance, you really should go. (Of course, if you go during the day you could probably get most of your shopping and baked goods eating done, too.) Where are the holidays best expressed in your city? Do you decorate your lawn, balcony or local traffic circle?

Finally, I'd just like to extend a quick welcome to everyone visiting from Lune Vintage. Happy holidays, everyone! Now back to that paper...

nights in white flannel

I am sure that it is too late to order anything from this fabulous Canadian company that I'm about to introduce you to in time for Christmas, but New Year's Day might just be possible. Now, let me start by saying that winter is not my favourite time of year. I just don't like being cold! I am barely capable of getting out of bed on mornings when to be on the other side of my Hudson's Bay wool blanket would be to risk certain, well, discomfort. I thought there was no solution out there for my dislike of the cold, until I was in Powell River one fall and discovered Nights in White Flannel.

In my humble opinion, this is the ultimate in Canadiana. I definitely had sheets like the material they make their bedclothes out of and, as is shown repeatedly in their print catalogue, Nights in White flannel is perfect cabin wear. I can certainly imagine wearing an adult onesie (yup, dreams do come true!) at my Grandmother's farm in Nova Scotia. Or at our favourite getaway on Mayne Island. Now, you'll never get a picture of me actually wearing my onesie because although I ordered it thinking it would be fun and funny, it turns out that it is a little more funny-embarassing...but I still love it and do wear it pretty often. Each piece is custom made to fit you perfectly, which means loose and comfortable. I loved the customer service this company provided and urge you all to check out their website. These really are unique and comfortable pieces and I know that if you order something from them you will love it. And that name: Nights in White Flannel? You'll never forget it!