A New Website

Hello All!

I doubt that anyone reads this blog, but on the off chance you do, thank you.

I have some exciting news to share.

This will be my last post to this site as I have now fully transfered over to my very own website.

The Artisan Penguin.

I will continue with writing my occasional randomness, but on my new site there is also Arts & Crafts and Book Reviews.  There is also a section for Vader & Loki, the two feline beast the live with me.

Hope to see you over at the new site!

Creative Ink Festival

Three years ago, the amazing Sandra Wikham had an idea.  Sandra likely had the idea a lot longer then three years ago, but I found out about it three years ago so that is where I come in.  Sandra wanted to create an event where creative people (of all types) could work on their projects in an encouraging environment, with "enforced" quite time and built in breaks to chat with other people. Thus Creative Ink Club was created.

Penguins at Sunset

Being a non-writer myself, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy Creative Ink.  I though it was an amazing idea, but if I didn't write what was I going to do?  However I like to encourage my friends in their endeavours whenever possible so attend Creative Ink Club I did.

It was amazing!  Everyone who attend was so encouraging, the "enforced" quite time really made you stop and think for a while and get to work and the mingle time breaks were just the right length.  I drew a picture of penguins.  I hadn't drawn anything in a long time and it was sure nice to be encouraged to do something creative.  Other people who attended worked on screenplays, writing stories, poems, blog posts and there were even a few people just doing homework or knitting/crocheting.

This event was my first exposure to the Creative Ink Festival.  I love the fact that the Festival is open to everyone, for writers, readers and artists.  I've seen other writing festivals in the past online and always felt that as only a reader that the cost of these festivals was not worth my time or money, nor would I get much out of them.  I can honestly say that The Creative Ink Festival is for everyone, writer or not, you will get something out of the festival.

Last year I helped Sandra with a bit a volunteering at the badge pick-up booth.  I hadn't purchased tickets to the event, but figured I could help Sandra out where I could.  I should have purchased tickets, everyone who picked up their badge was so nice, and very enthusiastic to be there, the energy was just amazing and I loved every moment that I was there.  All of the panels looked like they would be very informative, interesting and fun to attend, even for a non-writer like myself.  I also had a bunch of friends who attended the entire weekend of the festival, and the stories they came back to me with about how much fun they had made me really disappointed that I didn't just get tickets myself.

This year I'm not making the same mistake as last year.  I will be going to The Creative Ink Festival, for only $80 for three days of panels, I really feel that I will be getting my money's worth.  As for the my original exposure to Creative Ink (Ink Club), well Sandra has also included an Ink Club event at the Festival.  I encourage you to check it out if you can find the time.

As for myself I'm really excited to attend the Hands on Calligraphy with Barbara Gordon panel.  Sandra has been told I'm not available to volunteer during that time.

Links:
The Creative Ink Festival
2017 Programming: Descriptions of Presentations and Panels
Sandra Wickham

Musical Heart

It happened one day, a good friend sat me down and asked if I would be one of her bridesmaids for her upcoming wedding.  Of course I said yes.  Over the next few months we talked plenty of times about wedding details, mostly all the crafting the bride herself was doing.  Making soap, decorations, centrepieces.  The things she and her soon to be husband were creating for the wedding were beautiful and unique and just like the couple they are.  During all this talk the bride and I did discuss wedding gifts.  For her, just my being there and purchasing a bridesmaid dress for the wedding was enough, she didn't want any additional gift.  For a lot of months I didn't really think about gifts, figuring we had it all sorted, then one day inspiration struck.  

A little bit of background on the musical heart.  

(I completely forgot I was writing this blog originally starting it in 2015 and rediscovered it Jan 2017 while going to write a blog about the Creative Ink Festival - more on that later)...now back to the blog

When the bride and groom first moved in together, it was during a change in my life, as I was separating from my now ex-husband.  I needed a place to live.  Turns out the groom was leaving the perfect place and it was a nice and cozy and affordable place, and I was able to move into it.  On the door of the suite, was this musical heart.  The groom loved this heart and for both the bride and groom music has been a huge part of their lives.  Personally I was never a fan of this heart being on the door and I ended up covering it up with a Penguin wall hanging I had, but I always knew it was underneath and how much it mattered to the bride and groom.

A few months earlier, before I started making this musical heart, I just started to learn cross-stitch, having only completed one project so far (with tons of mistakes).  Undertaking this new project, including creating the pattern for it, was quite the challenge.  I was so pleased how it turned out in the end, and the bride and groom loved it.

Sew Geeky Crafts: Yet another blog

As my seldom blogging self will tell you, I am very proficient at procrastination.  In my latest (likely sort lived venture) I've started up a new blog, under a new crafty social media handle (Sew Geeky Crafts)  to write about my crafty creations.

You can find Sew Geeky Crafts on all the major social medias, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and for an extra crazy idea on my part, I even put up a shop on Etsy, which even has 1 thing for sale...for now.  Maybe eventually, someday I'll do more with it.  I have ideas percolating.

So without further adieu, here is the new blog:

Sew Geeky Crafts: Yet another blog: I need anther blog like I need a hole in my head.  No really, I already have two other blogs that I rarely contribute to so why am I making ...

Adult Colouring Books Contest

I love entering contests and I love colouring in the new adult colouring books.  The folks over at Magnetips.co have put both these loves together.  Check out their newest give-away for a chance to win a ton of adult colouring books.  CLICK FOR LINKhttp://magnetips.co/giveaway

Vancouver Crafty Geeks

I have some amazingly talented friends and they have started their own crafty blog.  I get to see some amazing creations made over time by these two lovely ladies and I'm super excited for them that other people will soon get to see the amazing talent they have.  Personally I'm looking forward to the patterns they will be posting shortly.  Please check out their new blog by clicking here: CLICK ME!!!

Fun with Cats

As I have previously mentioned in past blog posts, I love my cats.  They are always full of entertainment and continually make me laugh with their antics.  This past weekend they were even more entertaining than usual and I captured two cute and funny video of them.

I had a house guest staying the weekend and as I was making up the bed, Loki thought that he would make sure that the house guest would feel welcomed, and since he's a cat, he did that the only way he knows how, buy covering the freshly made bed in his fur.

Vader has always loved the water, playing with it even as a young kitten.  He would sometimes just hang out in his water dish.  When ever I use ice cubes he comes running to the freezer, hoping to get one to play with.  He is constantly jumping up on the kitchen counter to play with the running water as I'm washing dishes.  Well it was quite hot this weekend and I thought he could use a bit of a cooling down.  I put some water in the bathtub, and well...the rest is on the video.

Green Thumb?

I don't have a green thumb.  I have joked in the past that I actually have a black thumb as I managed to kill almost every single plant that I've owned.  Can a black thumb turn green?  Well I am about to find out.What about the plants I haven't killed you ask, well those plants have been eaten by my cats.

My cats ~ Loki & Vader

Lavender Work Plant

In addition to the plants I've tried to keep alive at home I also have the task of trying to keep orchids alive at work.  For anyone who know anything about plants should know that orchids are notoriously had to keep alive, let alone flowering.  I've tried everything, watering, not watering, ferterlizing, not fertalizing, putting in the sunny window, keeping it shaded.  Nothing I do seems to keep the plants alive longer than two months.  So once every two month my boss brings me a new orchid to try and keep alive.  Last week for a change we got a Lavender plant.  So far I've watered it once and now a week later it's starting to look a little tired.  I'm going to give it another good water (how much water do these things need any ways?) and maybe put it in the sunny window for the weekend.  It will either be as good as new or dead as a doornail. 

Last year I moved into an apartment that has a nice size balcony that actually gets sun.  All the other places I've lived in previously either didn't have a balcony or didn't get any sun if it did have a balcony.  I've been told that plants need sun?

Oregano & Rosemary on the Balcony

Now that the weather is getting nicer and I seem to be surrounded by friends with green thumbs I decided to see if my plant killing abilities have abated.  After a "quick" trip to Canadian Tire I came home with two plants. Oregano and Rosemary to be specific as those are my favourite herbs.  I've been told that they are both "hearty" herbs and should put up with a lot of abuse, which is good because I'm likely to forget to water them.  Vader (the cat) really didn't like me being out on the balcony trying to figure out how to get the plants out of their pots and into some new bigger pots (a shovel of some sort would have helped).  Plus I discovered after getting the herbs into their new homes that I didn't have a way to water them.  A big and cumbersome plastic bowl later they were both thoroughly doused with water.  If I manage to keep them alive for more than a few weeks I may pick up some sort of watering contraption.

I'll keep you advised on their well being.

UPDATE: September 8, 2016

The plants are dead.  Like really dead.  Deader then dead.  After just a few weeks they didn't get enough water (for some reason) and shrivelled up into little brown twigs and died.  Their carcass disposed of in a proper garbage can funeral.

I should not keep plants.

Cat vs. Bubbles

I love my cats.  I will likely post a lot about them over time.  This is Loki discovering bubbles for the first time.

Ahhhh, it's the end of the month

Wow, July went by quickly and I just now realized that I haven't blogged for this month, so without further ado, a quick tidbit something that happened today, just because I don't have the time to write anything else.

I was out to dinner tonight, sitting out on the patio, a bird flew into a building and died.  Landed beside people eating.  Once person picked up the bird and threw it into the bushes.  

Strange.

Edge of Tomorrow - A Simple and Quick Spolier Free Review

Edge of Tomorrow is Groundhog Day meets Starship Troopers.  I enjoyed all three of these movies and have watched the later two many times.  Last night I went out to see Edge of Tomorrow.  It was a Tuesday night at the movies, and that means TONS of people.  I saw the movie at the Landmark Theatre in New Westminster.  I like this theatre because you can reserve your seats, for all showings, without paying an extra fee.  This feature is amazing because you never have to wait in lines, and you can show up minutes before the movie starts an know you will have a good seat and that's really beneficial on a Tuesday night when it's crazy.

In Edge of Tomorrow, an alien race called the Mimics, have landed on earth and have started an all out war.  The human race is quickly losing.  The militaries of the earth have banded together to create the United Defence Force.  Cage (Tom Cruise), an officer of the UDF, is sent to the front lines to help defend the earth.  During one conflict he inadvertently harnesses the Mimics time travel abilities.  Now Cage has to repeat the same day over and over again until he gets it right.

Time loop movies can be hit or miss.  They quite often show you way too much of the same portion of the day or just not enough.  Edge of Tomorrow finds the right balance.  Each time that Cage repeats a day, the movie shows you a slightly more advanced section of his day.  This helps the story progress.  It's an interesting way to tell a story and hard to get right.  I really enjoyed watching this movie and look forward to it being released on video so I can watch it again.

As with any movie, especially a science fiction movie, Edge of Tomorrow does have some faults that the critics will pick away at, but if you are like me and just enjoy watching a good story and are able to suspended your disbelief, Edge of Tomorrow will keep you entertained from beginning to end.

A Million Ways to Die in the West: A Review

I am really lucky to get my hands on a ton of screener movie tickets.  It's a great way to see movies, and as an added bonus, I don't have to pay for them.  The only real inconvenience with screener tickets is that you have to arrive fairly early to the theatre in order to get good seats.  I can't complain at all though, free is awesome!  Last night I made the trek out to Silvercity Riverport in Richmond, BC to catch advanced screening of A Million Ways to Die in the West.  I, and from the sound of it, the entire theatre had a blast.

Seth MacFarlene wrote, directed and stars in A Million Ways to Die in the West.  He plays Albert, a cowardly sheep farmer.  After he fast-talks his way out of a gun fight he is branded a coward and his girlfriend leaves him for Foy (Neil Patrick Harris), the dashing owner of the Moustachory.  Contemplating suicide as means to escape the west, Albert finds himself in the middle of a saloon brawl where he meets the mysterious Anna (Charlize Theron).  Anna helps Albert find his courage as they slowly fall in love.  When a notorious gun-slinger (Liam Neeson) shows up in town looking for trouble, Albert must test out his new found courage.

Seth MacFarlene is not the best actor out there, but I felt that worked well for him in this film, especially when he is surrounded by other great actors.  A comedic western, with quick-witted dialogue from MacFarlene and a ton of sight gags, A Million Ways to Die in the West had me laughing from start to finish.  Throw in a few musical numbers, some poking-fun of old racial stereotypes and an interesting view of the oldest profession in the world, this film is definitely one of the best comedies I have seen in a while.

A Million Ways to Die in the West will be released to the general public on May 30, 2014.

Money no longer grows on trees

I'm sure that everyone has heard the phrase "money doesn't grow on trees."  Every time I heard this saying growing up, my inner voice would pipe up..."that's not true, money is made from paper and paper is made from trees, so technically money grows on trees."  How come my inner voice is a smart ass?

Thanks to the Bank of Canada, we have some lovely new polymer bills.  I know there are a lot of Canadians out there who are not the biggest fans of the new polymer bills.  They stick together, are kind of slippery individually and some of them smell like maple syrup, but I like them.  They're pretty, look neat with their see-through area and the heads are back in the correct direction.  Also, the new bills are a lot cleaner then the old paper bills.  Money is filthy.  Studies show that up to 85% of Canadian bills (and up to 90% of American bills) contain traces of cocaine.  At least with these new "plastic" bills we can clean them.

Polymer banknotes are made from biaxially oriented polypropylene.  In laymen terms, the plastic is stretched against a machine in two different directions.  It's basically the same process used to create certain types of food packaging.  Polymer bank notes were developed in 1988 by the Reserve Bank of Australia as an attempt to prevent counter-fitting, and in 1996 Australia switched completely to the polymer bank notes.  In addition to Australia and Canada; Vietnam, Romania, Israel and New Zealand are just a few other countries that use polymer bank notes.

It was sure a lot easier as a kid when you could think the money did grow on trees.  Now we have to work hard to have any money, and since money is now made from long dead microscopic organisms instead of trees, it's no longer a renewable resource.   Oh well, soon enough money will only be lines of computer code, paper/plastic bills will no longer exist.  Let's just hope that Skynet will only be a figment of James Cameron's imagination.

Afflicted: A spoiler free review.

I was lucky enough tonight to be able to watch a free screener of a new independent horror film: Afflicted.  When I first read what this movie was about, to be honest, I wasn't really interested.  The story is about two friends who set out on the tour of a lifetime, around the world in 365 days, documenting the entire process on film for their blog.  At the early stages of their trip something mysterious happens to one of the friends and he becomes "afflicted".

I thought the premise sounded quite boring and done before, but I figured I would give it a chance, after all it was a free screener.  I watched the trailer a few days ago, before seeing the movie.  I was intrigued.  I sure am glad that I decided to give this movie a chance.  Over the course of the movie, I jumped a few times and chuckled a little bit at the screamers in the audience.  Using the "classic" Blair Witch styling of filming, the movie was quick paced, thrilling and quite interesting and at no time did I wonder when the movie would be over.

Derek Lee and Clif Prowse, the writers/directors/stars of Afflicted, recently made a big splash at the 2013 Fantastic Fest, walking away with Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Director in the horror section of the festival for their film.  Their wins were well deserved.  I really enjoyed this movie and would recommend anyone to see it...even if horror/thrillers are not their usual cup of tea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtfSuXbPYUU

What have I gotten myself into?

So I have decided to write a blog.  Why?  I have no idea.  I don't have any theme or particular topic that I will write about.  I am not a writer by any stretch of the imagination.  This blog shall be a random assortment of various topics, ideas, thoughts, musings and anything else that doesn't really fit into a specific box.  So welcome!