long time no blog

Wow, I haven't blogged in nearly a year! Since NXNE last June.

I've been trying to see more than 100 bands a year for the past few years, success again in 2008 ... I saw 110. (I met a really great guy at one of those shows!) Here's the list of bands I saw.

I went to Sweden in the fall .... that was super-fun. It's so clean and stylish there. I was in Stockholm and in a small town outside Stockholm. I'm slowly learning to speak and read Swedish. Here's a collage I made of some of my favourite trip pictures:

Magnolia and Bobbie Dazzler came too, they loved it! I just got Bobbie in August.

Föda! Here's a collage of some of the really great food I ate in Sweden and on my flights. I was so excited that there was a vegetarian food fair when I was there! I had no trouble eating vegan there at all:

I got a really cute pink mini computer! It's on Linux and it's 11"... teeny tiny, and PINK!

I had lots of visitors last year and went to a few weddings, still doing school, sort of still doing crafts. Hurt my ankle, which interrupted my Wii Fit fun.

I'm off to Sweden again, for Easter. So excited! I was bummed to learn that the Easter Bunny doesn't go to Sweden. But there's still candy though, there is always candy in Sweden!

A couple weeks ago I went to Påskbasar, an Easter fair at the Swedish Lutheran Church in Toronto. I've been poking away at learning to speak Swedish since August, do you think that when I got there I could remember how to say anything other than 'hi' and 'excuse me'? Now I know, next time I go to something like that I'll have to prepare a few sentences from scenarios that might come up so I can practice on Swedes. Hopefully I'll get to practice my Swedish in Sweden next week! But they all speak English so well.

I don't know much about Swedish Easter yet, but they have a soft drink especially made for Easter, called påskmust. And kids dress up like påskkäringar och påskgubbar, which are witches who fly to the mountains on broomsticks. But the kids don't go to the mountains, they draw pictures on cards and give them to adults, who give them candy or money. Sort of like what we do here for Halloween. There were kids at the Easter fair singing songs and walking around with brooms and collecting candy:

Here are some cute little folk art Easter witches I got there:

Whoever lives in this house must be really fun! I saw this while walking near Corktown last weekend:

Glad Påsk! Happy Easter!

Earth Day 2008

Magnolia likes to take out the recycling!

Check out this bike shaped wreath. It was on McCaul, just north of Queen:

Easter in NJ + NYC

Spring's coming, believe it or not! I took a little trip to the US for family Easter and jam packed a lot into 5 days. I've been there a few times, but this was a first for Magnolia.

The first night was to see Sahara Hotnights at The Knitting Factory:

I always eat at different places when I'm there, even though I usually like everything enough to go back, but I ate first night at Whole Foods, even though we have it in Toronto, just because it was right there when I needed it. The next morning though, I had the most delicious non-bacon, non-cheeseburger at Curly's Vegetartian Lunch. Thanks for that recommendation, Krissy! It's a small little place on the East Side, and the non-cheeze was was divine!

Then lemon spelt vegan cupcake at Babycakes!

And later a small bowl of French onion soup at Kate's Joint, I was in the 'hood looking for something that was closed but not hungry. It was alright but I think they could've put vegan cheeze on it, like I do when I make it.

Employees must brush teeth:

Black cat taking a nap on the bin for 7" at Generation Records:

Magnolia thought these Barbies looked ridiculous in fur coats.

I love peanut butter too much, so I had to hit this place! Not all vegan but vegan-friendly:

That was right across from Sacred Chow, where I met up with friends from here and there for a fabulous night:

Magnolia played a bit at FAO Schwarz:

Magnolia was very patient in the long line to get up the Empire State Building. She liked to see the Chrysler Building from way up high, because it's in the SaTC theme:

And later we saw a Chrysler Building replica made of Lego at Toys R Us in Times Square:

In New Jersey we visited lovely relatives, walked the Jersey Shore:

.... caught a peek of the Easter Bunny at the pub:

..... had an Easter Egg Hunt with chocolate hiding up high:

... and dog-safe treats down low. Daisy didn't know what to make of the rush for the Easter Egg Hunt:

And of course there was more eating (I didn't eat this but it's pretty):

Hoppy belated Easter!

FO: green stuff

Months ago I painted some ceramics, here's how they turned out. Not the shade of green I expected. A rice bowl for me and a plate for Magnolia:




Magnolia went out for St. Patty's:



Speaking of green stuff...Amy Millan fans, check out She Brings Out the Broccoli, sung to the tune of He Brings Out the Whiskey in Me:

Blythe Brunch + Nuit Blanche

Yesterday there was another Toronto Blythe Gathering, what fun! We met at Sweet Lulu and had the whole upstairs to ourselves, great spot! Magnolia got to meet another Prima Dolly Violet and many more spectacular dolls:


And last night was the 2nd annual Nuit Blanche. I didn't take many photos, but I saw lots of neat stuff. Better time management needed for next year, plus I should've taken an afternoon nap. But we managed to stay out 'til a little after 4am, after a picnic of Fresh take out in Trinity Bellwoods Park. Here are some of the pom poms at Knit Cafe, snipped in the wee hours:

There was so much branding from a certain bank you know, and some of my student loans are with them. Glad to see they're using the interest I'm paying to fund some artsy things!

let's go to the Ex (oh baby)

I didn't grow up in Toronto, so I don't have the strong feelings for the Canadian National Exhibition that some have, but it's tradition for the end of summer here. I've only gone twice ever. I thought there wouldn't be much for me to eat, but they have a Lick's counter in the Food Building so I got a Nature Burger!! (yes vegans think about food all the time!)

Lookie, The Princess Gates were in this version of The Soft City. There were lots of CNE spots in it, like ferris wheel and Tiny Tom donut stand.

Magnolia loved the Lego tower. It's 96 feet high and broke the World Record:

Someone's Bart was too tired to walk:

There were some nice vegetables on display:


Magnolia took a wee rest on the proposed new streetcars:

Labour Day is my vegetarian anniversary, today it makes 14 years!