I just had to tell you....
It took me three months to make my very first skirt...actually my very first piece of clothing. I wrote about that project on April 20th. At that time I was up to the challenge and ready to go! Crazy how things can change once you open a pattern and start reading the instructions. So the pattern and I developed an unhealthy relationship! I would promise to spend time with it during the weekend (to figure out my size, cut the pieces, etc.). Then the poor thing would get stood up and would stay on my craft shelf gathering dust! However, last week, don't ask me what happened but I started and almost finished the skirt in an afternoon. The only problem that I had was the button hole...I just couldn't figure it out with my sewing machine. Plan B: a discrete metal snap. Now, I'm ready for another sewing challenge. Any suggestions of easy patterns but without button hole? I'm just not ready ;)
For the past few months, I put a lot of energy convincing myself that I was happy at work. I would tell myself that not that many people like their job anyway and that I was being picky. However, a new opportunity presented itself and I decided to go for it! Well, guess what? Convinced happiness is not at all like real happiness!!! For the next three months, I will be the promotion/event coordinator for the nicest little public market located in one of Montreal's most underprivileged neighbourhood. The main goal of that non-profit market is to give a better access to fruits and vegetables to the less fortunate. Some people in that area haven't had fresh strawberries in years!.jpg)
I took a risk. A BIG risk according to my overprotecting mother!!! Thursday...hold your breath... I meet a blogger. Yes, a person that I only know through the scary world of Internet ;) Well, you know what? I'm still alive and I also had an amazing time with Ingrid and her husband Jesse. They were on vacation in Montreal and we decided that a craft shopping extravaganza (we really didn't spend that much money!) would be the perfect way to spend an afternoon in the city. I must admit that, while I was waiting for them at a coffee shop near my office, I was a little nervous: what if we don't have anything to talk about? Luckily, it was not at all the case. We simply talked like if we were friends that knew each other for a few months. Oh, wait, we have been friends for a few months...but in front of a computer! Thank you so much Ingrid and Jesse for that wonderful day!
Over the past few weeks, beautiful packages found their way to my mailbox. Slowly but surely, I'm working on little "thank you" gifts for those people who totally spoiled me :) Monday, I will send to a very talented lady a pincushion that I made from that tutorial. I hope that she will like it!
With spring comes colorful crocus, sweet maple syrup and flooded dog parks! But mostly, for me, spring rhymes with renewal. I now have a sudden urge to find creative ways to organize my small loft. By nature, I would say that I'm a messy crafter. In a "normal" apartment it wouldn't be a big deal but in an open room it could be a little embarrassing. Especially when I have unannounced company. Oups, there is a sewing machine on the kitchen table, pieces of fabric on the sofa, some craft books on the floor and an embroidery hoop under the cushions. Because admitting the problem is the first step, I then decided to make a knitting needles roll-up organizer. All my knitting needles, from 3.5 to 13, are now grouped together in pretty elephant fabric. Next step, putting back the needles in the organizer when I don't need them...that is a big challenge!
A challenge? A 365 photo challenge?? Why on earth are you doing that??? Actually, at the time, I had no idea. After 80 days, I still don’t really know what pushes me, everyday, to make a “tourist” of myself in my own city. I don’t want to become a professional photographer! As a matter of fact, I can’t remember the proper photography vocabulary and I carry around my tiny silver camera in an old beat-up mitten. However, if you ask me what my first thought in the morning is, I will have to say my daily picture. That’s too bad for my husband ;) My pictures are not showing trendy fashion, breathtaking landscapes or popular events. Taken separately, those images are just pictures taken with a basic digital camera. Taken together, they are a mirror of my life…one day at a time!
You should not judge a book (or a photo album) by its cover. Ok, but why would I want a boring cover when I can have a pretty one? The very talented Ingrid, from words starting with “p” are cute, sent me a few weeks ago the cutest little painting to put on my 365 photo challenge album. I totally see myself in that little "snow girl with camera". Thank you Ingrid :)
How did you come up with your blog name?
I have a university degree in management so I had to invent many fake business proposals. Once I used aux petits oiseaux for a little assignment in marketing. I always said that if I ever had a store, I would call it aux petits oiseaux but since it probably won't happen I decided to use it for my blog. Aux petits oiseaux means something like "at little birds" which doesn't mean anything but it is also a French expression for being very happy. For example, I'm aux petits oiseaux to know so many interesting people through my blog :)
Do your friends and family know about your blog? What do they think of it?
My parents and a few friends know about my blog but I don't think that a lot of them actually understand the concept. That's fine with me because I can have a different "liberty of speech". Sometimes, I find it easier to communicate when there is a computer screen in front of me. I don't know if that's healthy?
How do you write posts?
I try to write twice a week and it's always very spontaneous. I want to keep my posts short and sweet because...well...I got trained at school to do so! Business people don't have a whole day to read your proposal! (note: I'm freaking out because I didn't realized until now how my studies have influence my behaviors...next thing I know I will be talking about opportunity costs!).
Have you ever had a troll or had to delete unkind comments?
Nope. Lets hope that it won't happen.
Do you check your stats? Do you care how many people read your blog?
I got a free stats tracker and I take a look sometimes but I have to restart it after 500 entries. I mostly use it to look at the visitors map because I think it's cool!
What kind of blogs/posts interest you?
I really like crafty and artistic blogs done by "real people". I want to read about honest and true stories...even if that it's not pretty! Life is not alway perfect and it's ok to have "bird nest" hair, unshaved armpits and sandals with socks (even if that's very not classy)! I'm also into photography and design blogs but between you and me, they intimidate me a little...I don't know...they look so "wow"!!!
What do you like and dislike about blogging?
I like to connect and I don't want to disappoint. Man, after that, who needs a psychoanalyst ;)
If anybody want a cheap therapy, consider yourself tagged!
Last weekend, I attempted to make a "simple backpack" from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing and, to my great disbelief, I miserably failed! Feeling like a complete loser I had to succeed, as soon as possible, another sewing project in order to feel competent again! At 8:00pm, I hurried to my pile of craft books and decided to start (and finish) a little clutch from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules. Success! I didn’t need, afterall, to sell my sewing machine and all my supplies to another crafter wannabe!
A Little Papercut 
I could write that this morning, when my husband told me that there was yet another storm, I slowly pulled the blankets over my head wishing that I was across the country where the cherry trees are already in bloom. I could also write that going outside wearing wide leg trouser jeans was a bad idea because the wind pushed a multitude of cold tiny ice pellets into my pants and, at a certain point, it almost reached my underwear. Instead, I will write…well, mostly show…the work of three wonderful illustrators discovered on Etsy (where else?). Since I have no background what so ever in art, I decided to call it “cute darkness”. That style is, I must admit, not for everybody but I see such beauty in those uncheerful little women.
Being a little uncheerful myself, I decided to sneek into the nicest room of my office building which sadly enough is the bathroom on the 8th floor. While the receptionist probably believed that I had a serious digestive issue, I took my camera with me and had a little unplanned photo shoot that depicts my new jacket! Can you see the "french pout"on my face? What a day!
Note: I got my jacket at RW & Co (Canadian store).
I'm by myself at home on a weekend day! I don't even remember the last time that this has happened. My husband left at 7:00 for work and I have mixed feelings about the day. At first, I believed that it would be super fun to have a girly day: a chick flick, a wardrobe remix (winter vs spring clothes), a little bit of crafts (a yoga bag) and a cup of tea with my very first japanese magazine (cotton friend). In other words, a girl dream! Well, feminists will burn bras in front of my apartment because it seems that I'm slightly dependant of my husband. Not that I can't do anything by myself. I even had a very good time today. It's just that I missed him sitting next to me (playing games on his laptop) when I watched the film, his comments when I came out of the walk-in closet with a new outfit, his blown kisses from accross the room when I crafted and his “interest” (lets not kid ourself) in craft/fashion when I looked at the magazine. Am I a bad wife if I enjoyed my quiet little day alone? Nah, I don't think so! It just means that I love him but that I still need some girly time for myself. Anyway, he can't handle that much: Honey, look at that japanese skirt! Honey, do you think she is a good actress? Honey, do I look boring in that outfit?.......for an entire day!
I’m not a big fan of Valentine's day. I’m one of those party poopers who thinks that Valentine's day is an evil conspiracy made by corporations. What? Don’t we all need a cute and fuzzy pink bunny with floppy ears that says “Kiss me”? Well, it seems that the temptation was too big this year and I have not one but two Valentine's day crafts. It started with an easy papercut (nothing life-threatening) valentine from Little Acorn. It has squirrels and acorns (wonderful) and it respects my limited abilities with a blade! I must admit that brown and baby blue don’t scream “love is in the air” but I don’t think that it’s a big deal. I can’t talk about the other craft today because, well, it’s for Valentine day…tomorrow. I want to keep it a secret for my husband who had this panic look on his face when I said that I was planning a little something for Valentine day. Husband: “What, but, why??? We never celebrate Valentine day. Now, if I don’t want to look cheap, I have to get you something! ” I just hope that it’s not a cute and fuzzy pink bunny with floppy ears that says “Kiss me”!
Note: This is the "simplicity" photo that I will send to my swap partner.
This is what I said, half joking half serious, when a coworker asked me what were the characteristics of the camera that I got for Christmas. In my defence, it's my first "grown up" camera...you know with a zoom and more than three functions. After that humiliating episode, I understood the necessity of a canon powershot workshop. Yesterday morning, braving the snow storm, I went to my local camera store to find myself with a group of sweet elderly people who required a 10 minutes explanation on how to set the date on their camera. I was not that bad afterall! Especially now that I have been getting "mini workshops" from the same coworker who made me feel like a complete loser two weeks ago. I still have 341 pictures to take in order to complete my project 365...plenty of time to apply what I learned. And what did I do during the date setting chaos? I wrote this post on paper.
I will bake something new each week in 2008. It is not a New Year resolution. It is simply an attempt at making delicious desserts for my husband and I. Believe me, you can have an overdose of store-bought oatmeal cookies! Some people take part of the A month of softies and other enrol in the 365 Days Challenge. That is very impressive and I would love, one day, to sign in. In the mean time, I will keep it simple: eat something sweet, homemade and different every week...with a cup of tea!
A simple paper ornament, carefully designed, patiently cut by hand, send with a lovely note is the proof that bigger is not always better...even at Christmas! Thank you Tamara for your ornament!
To my great relief, I have been designated the person in charge of the dessert at our Christmas pot-luck lunch party next week. I decided to go for a really simple, yet festive, upside-down cranberry cake from the Martha Stewart book, Everyday food: Great food fast. I tested it last night and we gave it a 9/10. It is fast, not too sweet and really pretty on a Christmas table! I did not cry of happiness when I made it but I can’t wait to show it off to my coworkers on Monday!!!
The sky was gray and snow from the last storm was slowly melting creating unpleasant puddles of slush. In our loft, the cat and the dog were minding their own business (aka sleeping). It was a perfect day for board games. What can I say! I guess that we are seniors stuck in young adult bodies! We have a bookshelf full of games. I honestly think that board games are very popular but that people are just ashamed to say that they appreciate a little “family game night” once in a while. We played Ticket to Ride. It’s a cross-country train adventure in which players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America. That game fits our criteria: it’s short (30 minutes), sweet (pretty board) and even though you need to think strategically…it doesn’t give you a headache!
When Gilmore Girls ended last year I wondered about the next TV show that will captivate me enough that I will voluntarily not answer the phone while it is on...not even during the commercial breaks! I had Friends and Gilmore Girls. I tried Desperate Housewives but without much success...I answered the phone a couple of times. Then I found Pushing Daisies and I just love it. I know that the ratings are not very high but that show is just so sweet and unusual. I like everything about it: the sets, the costumes, the characters and obviously the scenario. How can you not love a show that is set in a pie restaurant?
