I am fond of this song

Perhaps it's the french accent and the cheerful beat, but there is something very quaint and likable about this song by Yael Naim. I haven't paid much attention to the words yet, but it just sounds nice. You can find the link to it here.

Santa Yoda's Coming to Town

Hee hee hee! I just discovered a Santa Yoda over at the Fluffy Flowers blog. He has some recommended readings for your Christmas holiday. How delightful! Go check him out! I'd post his pic, but I don't have permission yet.

Felicia of Fluffy Flowers also has a lovely Etsy store filled with strange and wonderful creatures. See that cute little creation at the top? That's her Autumn Bunny!!! Isn't he fantastical!?

I love him!!!

Hockey Game Last Night!

I went to my very first live hockey game last night and I LOVED IT! I didn't think I could love a sports game because I've never loved watching sports games on TV, but I was surprised by how fun it could be. I was also blessed to have watched a winning game for my home team, the Vancouver Canucks. In fact, it was a shut-out game 5 to 0. (A shut-out is when the goalie blocks all the shots and doesn't let anything in all game. I didn't know until last night. )

So what makes a live hockey game so fun? Well, let me tell you what made it so good for me.

First of all, you are surrounded by uber-hockey fans. They jump up, they scream insults at the players, they cheer their players on, and they are so excited about every aspect of the game. These fans create a hype all around you, and it's easy to join in. I did my fair share of gasping at near goals, and it was fun to jump up and yell when there was a winning goal. It's fun to get into the spirit of the event.

Secondly, there are rituals. My home team goalie is Roberto Luongo, and when he blocks a goal, everyone says "Loooooooooooo!" It sounds like "Boooooo", but it's not! And when we won the game, there was a song to sing! It went something like "Oh waaaay, oh waaaaay, oh way-oh way-oh way-oh waaaaaay!" It was the most strange song to sing since it doesn't seem to make sense to me, but it's a victory chant of sorts and everyone sings along to it.

Thirdly, you sing the national anthem. Singing a song together that everyone knows the words to is so liberating. It also creates a sense of unity and community among the fans and players. The actual vocalist on the ice was also very good, and his daughter did a fabulous job of harmonizing.

Fourthly, there are breaks and entertainment intermittently. The game yesterday was sponsored by the Mexican Tourism Board, so there was a lively mariachi band that would get up and play once in a while. There is also a mascot that has a canon and shoots free t-shirts and toys into the audience. He also dances along to the mariachi band and harrasses fans. It's amusing to watch. During one break, two children's hockey leagues played on the ice against each other and it was adorable to watch the mini hockey players (they looked like bugs) zoom around the ice and, most of the time, lose their balance and wipe out. They were sooooo cute!

See? There is so much to amuse at a live hockey game! They also have a giant orca whale balloon that floats around and drops free gift certificates, lots of beer and munchies to buy outside, a 50-50 draw to raise funds for charity, and random games on the big screen like "Who has the best kiss" which zooms in on various couples in the audience encouraging them to smooch. I think the guys are really entertained by the random fights that occur on the ice too. From my view, there was no clear reason for the players to dramatically throw their gloves on the ice and commence fist-fighting, but the audience roared in response and yelled encouragement to the player of their choice. All in all, a very good game to watch.

So, what can I say, I've been converted. I may not like a hockey game on TV, but I LOVE watching live hockey games. They are just so much fun. The tickets are expensive, the parking is a rip-off, the food is highway robbery, but it's great entertainment. What a great business!

As we walked out of the arena, still chanting the Oh-way song, beggars stood around trying to eek out a living and a man in full scottish gear played a bag pipe. Maybe the best part of the game is the brief break from real life.

EA is Giving Away Free Games

If you were one of the unlucky ones to purchase a faulty version of EA's Rock Band, EA will give you a free copy of one of their recent games to help you cope with your disappointment. The games are pretty good too! They're offering Skate, The Simpsons, Medal of Honour Airborne, and Command and Conquer among their list of offerings. I personally think that the Simpsons game looks super good, so I'd recommend that one or Skate. You can read more about the deal here.

I am fond of these drawings...

I found some lovely drawings today on Etsy. Drawings of cute little girls and little animals... and I was quite fond of how they look. You can see the store for this artist here.

Aren't they adorable! I have to learn to draw like that...

Who Knew Pincushions Could be So Cute?

I don't really need a pincushion - I use an eraser - but I MUST make one now that I've discovered some fabulous pincushion tutorials. The results are sooooo cute! I think I might actually have most of the materials on hand too...

Tutorial #1
Tutorial #2

Here are some pictures of finished bottle cap pincushions - AMAZING. You can also buy these crazy awesome pincushions here.

I've been thinking lately that I take on too many projects. I have Mytutorlist.com, illustrating a children's book, crochetting monsters, blogging, housework, and a regular full-time job on top of that. I haven't even added in overtime, friends, and events. It's a pretty busy schedule. I'm going to have to rotate activities so I don't get overwhelmed.

Beauty and the Beast

My sweetheart surprised me with tickets to go see Disney's Beauty and the Beast live on stage at the Stanley theatre this weekend. We sat in the third row and it was awesome! I was so close that I could see the mics taped to their foreheads! The singing was spectacular and the costumes and sets were amazing! I'm a big fan of live theatre and this was a really sweet gift for me. Thanks, Bons!

Now if I can just persuade him to take me to the ballet... but perhaps that's asking too much? I saw a lovely insert in my bulletin for Sleeping Beauty...

Everything Etsy!

I found a great article by the NY Times today on Etsy and on the whole trend of buying and selling handmade things. A very long but good read for anyone who might be interested. My favourite artisan, Emily Martin of the Black Apple, is featured as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/magazine/16Crafts-t.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5088&en=53ee17396750479a&ex=1355461200&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

This little bit here resonated with me:

"Many of the artist-entrepreneurs opening up their virtual shops on Etsy want what Circa Ceramics or Emily Martin or the Austin Craft Mafia have achieved: Making a living from what they love to do. It’s a goal that reconciles ideology and self-branding, not so much to change the world as to stake out a place in it."

Holiday Dinner Tonight!

I'm really excited for tonight to arrive. I'll be going over to my friend's house and my sweetheart is going to cook for us! He has a delightful menu planned and my mouth waters just thinking about it. Oh, it's going to be good! There will be fresh baked nachos with everything for appies, honey and brown sugared ham, mashed potatoes, salad, and baked apple pie! There's more too, but I can't think of it all right now. I remember shopping for the ingredients with him and being so excited to see the final result. He's a very good cook, so I feel so lucky! Mmm....!

I'm looking forward to seeing my friends too. It's great how the holidays bring everyone together.

Got the Tickets!

Oh, I have the hockey tickets in my hands now. My eyes are burning a hole into them from staring at them so much. Take tickets out, stare, put tickets away, take tickets out, stare, put them away... I'm so excited! And I'm not even a hockey fan! Oh, irony...

No Holiday Train Yet, But Maybe Some HOCKEY!!!

So my Sweet and I headed off to dinner last night with the intention of seeing the holiday train afterwards. We parked in a close-by location, watched our time carefully, purposely extended dinner so that we'd exit with just enough time to check out the festivities and find a good standing spot before the train arrived, only to discover that we had the wrong night. It's on Tuesday NEXT WEEK. Oh... Much disappointed, we began to weave a new plan for the actual train arrival. BUT, if all goes well, we may have a new activity for next Tuesday: HOCKEY!

My sweetheart is a HUGE hockey fan. Alas, neither he nor I have ever been to a real hockey game. Well, next week is the turning point. Tune in next week for my feelings on going to a real, live hockey game. And not just any hockey game, a game between New Jersey Devils and the Vancouver Canucks - sweeeeeeet! (Actually, I know nothing about hockey and am not a huge fan at all, but I'm trying hard to learn because I know how important it is to my sweetie.)

Gasp! Zombie Teddy Bears! I'm in love!

I found the cutest zombie teddy bear on this Etsy page today. This particular one is sold, but I love the idea! My most recent crochetted creation is a Zombie Mouse (that is more of a Ghost Mouse), so I love all things zombie. I have yet to post pics of my beloved mouse. He also has stripes on his body. I love stripes!

Ironically, my friend just got hired at a studio called Zombie... cool!

Arrgh! Braces!

I went in to get my braces readjusted and tightened today and ended up with a frightening bright red contraption in my mouth. It was supposed to hold my mouth open and keep my cheeks away while the orthodontists glued on 4 new brackets on my back four molar teeth. Boy, was it a circus! To christen the completion of my 1 hour torture marathon, they cleaned my teeth with some super bitter wash. Arrgh! Apparently new equipment means nasty bitter taste because there is some anti-bacterial stuff added in. They kindly emptied the remainder of the bitter stuff in the sink for me after they discovered how nasty it could taste and the remainder of the procedure wasn't so bad.

To make up for my sufferings, I opted for festive lime green elastics on the top teeth and fiery red elastics on the bottom teeth. Hurray! I am quite pleased with them. However, my teeth are quite sore now because they are moving again from some new bracket placements. I am eating a piece of garlic bread by putting little pieces in my mouth and slowly dissolving them. I suppose you can say that I am savouring every little piece by no choice of my own :P

A Fun Day Today

I had a lovely day today filled with holiday-themed activities. I went to the Four Seasons Hotel Festival of Trees display, the Stanley Park Bright Nights Christmas Train, watched "Santa vs the Snowman" at Canada Place 3D IMAX (which is actually really entertaining), and I shopped for and found the perfect scarf for my sweetheart. I hate to be so materialistic, but it's great when you find something that you really like (especially when it's something for someone who's really picky!) A note for those who plan to go to the Bright Nights event at Stanley Park: DRESS WARMLY. We had to wait an hour and a half for our train and we were thoroughly frozen by the time we left. My feet were so cold that they varied between numb and painful to walk on. The lights displays were very cheerful tho, and the organic popcorn is really yummy.

On returning home, I was disappointed to discover that my first illustration will need some major overhauling, but it is good that I am learning more about what the writer wants. I am planning to send her my sketches instead of finished drawings for the remainder of the images. It is far too much work to redo if layout changes need to be made.

Drawing Again!

Yessss! Time to draw again! I do love drawing! I just finished illustration #1 of a children's book that I hope to finish illustrating by February. I am so excited! It's a delightful Christmas story that I'm sure many children will enjoy next year.

There's a lot of work to get done, so I'll have to stay focused. Sweet, sweet drawing...

Smeeta's Stuff

Ooh! Look at the neat stuff in this Vancouverite's Etsy store! Uber-cute! There are little ninjas too!

http://www.etsy.com/shop_sold.php?user_id=30039&order=&page=1

But the Lovely Lady Can't Dance

Here are some photos of my new monster. She's a lovely lady (monster) but, sadly, she can't dance. If only she could dance! Then she'd surely smile for you.

Little Birds' Flickr Photos

Here's another set of lovely photos from another talented lady: http://flickr.com/photos/littlebirds/

She makes stuffed creatures, including mushrooms, pigeons, hedgehogs, and squirrels - my hero! Lol...

This is her blog: http://stephaniecongdonbarnes.blogspot.com/

Painting is Hard

I tried to do some painting last night and discovered with dismay that my paint is a little translucent. This meant that covering up an older painting to try again was impossible. I ended up running the canvas under water to wash the new paint away and ended up with a water damaged canvas, oops!

The good news is that the new paint is great on paper. I thus drew a nice little picture of Unloved and my new creation, Zombie Mouse, traversing the earth together. It turned out nicely and I got to practice painting and learn which paint brushes work best. I think I will need to invest in some new, more precise brushes. Pictures coming soon...

Got Socks?

It's been on my mind for the past week ever since seeing a wheel chaired fellow with what appeared to be missing toes and missing front part of his foot downtown. It was icy cold that day and he had nothing but a thin pair of socks on those already damaged feet. I couldn't help but wonder if that was the reason why he was missing parts of his feet - severe frostbite.

As you turn up the heat in your well insulated homes, I hope that many of you will go out and buy the warmest pair of socks you can find and give it to someone in need. Many of these less fortunate folk LIVE outside in this blistery cold weather and they can really use some extra warmth. Blankets, scarves, and mittens are good too, but if you've ever stood outside in winter weather for a long time, you'll know that the feet get numb and super cold FAST.

You can also drop off your sock and warm stuff donations at various health and city government offices, like police stations, hospitals, city hall, and fire halls. It's going to be a very cold winter. Please don't forget those in need.

Hey! Mytutorlist.com works!

I ran an experiment to see if tutors can actually get students by posting on Mytutorlist.com and, hey, it works! I posted a Featured Tutor ad and was contacted by a student looking for help editing their papers. I'm pretty pleased :)

Snow!

It's a beautiful snowy day today. I hope you're safe and warm at home. As for me, I am enjoying a nice cup of hot chocolate and dreaming up ideas for new little crochet monsters. I feel sleepy and lazy today, knowing that I'll have my work cut out for me trudging through this heavy frozen blanket tomorrow.