this is where I work

Over the next few days I'm hoping to share some photos with you of my new apartment. The reason for this? Well, for one thing, there's predicted to be sun in Vancouver, which will hopefully make for nicer photos. Also, we're finally starting to get things straightened out around here, so even though there are still some things that need to find homes and one special picture that needs to be framed, our new place is starting to feel like a home.

So, here's a couple of photos from my new office space. Above you see some of my favourite things, including the view from my window to our fire escape. The mug is not beautiful to look at, but it's for the Calgary Eyeopener, which I guess is the number one thing that I miss about waking up in Calgary every morning. The host, Jim Brown, is just so much better than the CBC Radio 1 Vancouver host. Incidentally, I heard that This American Life is joining the Radio 1 schedule, and I'm super excited. The lamp doesn't look like anything special, either, but it has a built-in magnifying glass and is super helpful when I'm making jewelry. Other things that I keep close at hand: pens and pencils, a sketchbook, some key books and magazines that are helping me right now and that little red tin of Vaseline. It's the best lip balm I've ever gotten my hands on, but it isn't sold in Canada. Whenever someone goes to Europe it's the only thing I ask them to bring back for me (thanks, Mom!).

The table practically deserves a post of its own. It's something we inherited from very good friends of ours when we moved into their old house. It's been painted but the paint is peeling off here and there, making it this amazing piece of art. I hope to someday put a sheet of glass on the top of it to preserve some of its character, even though I prefer the wood surface. It's been the best work table over the years.

And a little close up of a photograph that I got a million years ago at the Edmonton Antique Mall, my rock, sea glass, and chestnut collection, and my favourite houseplant: a rat tail cactus that I bought for $5 at a houseplant sale at UBC. This space looks pretty organized right now...but you should see my studio desk! As soon as I start working it starts looking like some sort of garbage dump. In other words, when things look clean, it's probably because I've been procrastinating! What do you need around you to work well?

weekend worship

This is a new feature that I'm going to attempt to keep up even after school is back in session in a few weeks. The problem is, when school is on, weekends just don't count as weekends any more. Regardless, here I will chronicle our weekend adventures, blog finds, etc. It will essentially be the space that I use to air all of the randomness of the week in one post. I'll include lots of photos and as many inspirational finds and features as I can. I hope you find something you like...

thesis research has begun, but is punctuated regularly with time wasters like photo sessions and magazines!

lemon pound cake from Solly's makes me miss Nova Scotia.

I am part of the UBC Farm Student Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program this year! A CSA asks members to support small-scale farming by sharing the burden of the initial cost of inputs and reaping the rewards of the outputs. In other words, I paid $150 up front in May and since the season is going well and vegetables are being produced I now get approximately $10 worth of fresh produce from the farm every Friday until the middle of October. This is an amazing program. The produce we get is literally picked by volunteers the day that we pick it up at the farm centre. We have been given so many crazy and amazing greens, as well as beets, beans, carrots, basil, garlic, and more! I love that every week we get to visit the farm, discover new plants, and find recipes to make gourmet, inexpensive farm-fresh meals AND we're supporting the farm. They have a regular CSA program for the general public, too, which is $25 a week. If you're in the Vancouver area check it out for next year, if not, there's bound to be a CSA in your neck of the woods, too (perhaps for salmon, honey, fruit, who knows what). And if you're not so into the CSA thing, you can always find other ways of supporting the UBC Farm.

In the meantime, does anyone know what to do with Ruby Streaks?

Here's a really ugly website that will help you find CSA programs in your area. Look around, though, there are lots of good ones out there!

UBC Farm poultry: you can see their leader in the back there with the bright red comb

garlic chandeliers at the UBC Farm Centre

And finally, take a look at this performance by one of my current favourites, Robyn. She's kind of awesome, don't you think?