Behind the Art: POP!-sicle

June 30, 2019

The inspiration for this art print really came from the summer months as a child and the excitement over ice cream trucks and Dickie Dees. Those old-school rocket popsicles were amazing, but I found it so hard to get through one of them without feeling gross. Fudgesicles were my go-to -- after ice cream, of course -- but they don't translate as well in a drawing and literally look like poop on a stick. 
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Read It: Circe

June 28, 2019


I purchased Circe by Madeline Miller when I spotted it at the bookstore just after Christmas, and it ended up travelling with me to Mexico where I started reading it on the plane ride home. For a few months I was occupied with another series of books that I was trying to complete before going on vacation (Harry Potter), and I was excited to pick this book up again soon afterwards as I had started reading it one night instead of going to bed -- that was a big mistake.

I am a huge fan of mythology, especially Greek mythology, and so I was easily sucked into this book. I knew some of the characters and a quick Google search reminded me of their heroics. But it was Miller's writing, her prose and beautiful expression of words, that kept me coming back for more and will make me read it again. There are few books that make me sad that they are over and I continue to think about for weeks and months after finishing them (The Red Tent is one of them), but Circe is now at the top of that list.

I loved learning and growing with Circe. She was written in such a way that she never knew more than you in a situation, and there were no secrets. Her character was open, honest and refreshing, and I could feel her emotions as she moved throughout the book. I watched her life stretch over time, but never felt distant from her -- as most deities are made out to be. And the prose was always there, continually sucking me in as I got closer and closer to the end.

I don't want to give away any details, but the part of the book where the quotation "But perhaps no parent can truly see their child. When we look we see only the mirror of our own faults" really got to me. Going through the struggles that I currently am as a parent, I really connected with these two sentences and the situation surrounding them. Again, it is Miller's way with words that unwrapped me and made me feel as vulnerable as her character. That is truly a gift, and makes me want to read more of her work.


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California Adventures: Pismo Beach

June 14, 2019


When we started planning our trip to California, I had grand dreams of landing in San Francisco and driving along the coastal highway. But sometimes money is an object and you've got to adjust those dreams. My mom mentioned that when she visited California for my aunt and uncle's wedding, they made a stop at a place called Pismo Beach and she absolutely loved it there, so we decided to check it out. We thought it would be the perfect location to introduce our son to the ocean and a great place to act as home base while exploring the California coast.

While the weather wasn't as perfect as we had hoped it would be, we enjoyed walking along the beach near our hotel (which was absolutely lovely) every day, got some amazing family photos on the beach from local photographer Austyn Elizabeth, and it wasn't too far to drive along the coast to Big Sur (more on that later) from there. We also really enjoyed the drive to Pismo Beach (more on that later too), and really wish that we had had more time to explore California as a whole. Like I said in the post about Los Angeles, we will be back!
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Shop Update: Simply the Best T-shirts and Pride Month

June 05, 2019


The David and Patrick shirts are always available in the shop, and proceeds from each sale of the shirt will always be donated to OUTSaskatoon, but for the entire month of June, all profits from the sale of the Simply the Best t-shirt will be donated.

OUTSaskatoon provides opportunities to develop social connections and community support through social groups and events, counseling and psychiatry, educational training for local businesses, schools (including educators and administrators) and health care professionals, as well as the Pride Home, Canada's first long-term care home for LGBTQ2S+ youth, among many other things.

In his Canadian Screen Awards speech upon winning the award for Best Comedy Series, Dan Levy said “In Schitt’s Creek, we are writing a world that examines the transformational effects of love when the threat of hate and intolerance has been removed from the equation. And while that’s not a reality for many, our goal is to shine a light out there that asks the question: ‘What if it was?’ Wouldn’t we all be happier if we were able to love out loud?”

Inspired by what Dan and Eugene Levy created for CBC (a national network funded by the Government of Canada), the drawing on this shirt was created out of love for a show that has opened so many doors and windows for so many people across this country and around the world. They have created something beyond special with Schitt's Creek.


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