Countdown to Andrew Bird!

Only 4 more sleeps! I am giddy beyond belief to see Andrew Bird on Friday at the Queen Elizabeth Theater! I got tickets for part of our anniversary present and we've been waiting patiently since February for this show. And now it's almost here! Love his music and energy, his mad whistling skills and the way he plays violin. He's one of those people that simply makes you think, yup, he was born to do that and share it with lots and lots of people.

Here he is on Letterman, singing Fitz and the Dizzyspells from his latest album, Noble Beast. You can listen to an NPR interview with Andrew Bird, as well as the entire album here. And while I'm on the subject, I should take a minute to rave about NPR's: All Songs Considered. Weekly podcasts about what's new and exciting in music. A great kick off to the week.

Now back to Bird. 4 more sleeps!!!!



I also love these photographs of him by Cameron Wittig. The lighting, the mood, the simplicity, the setting, it all really pleases me. I do love a good portrait and I think Wittig has made some truly beautiful pictures.

Little Us

I've been working on a series I shot in Oaxaca called Little Us. I've started to play around with the images to further enhance the miniature quality of them. Not sure where it's going yet, but it's been fun to experiment and see what works and what doesn't.
Click on the images to see them larger.

The garden project!

The process has begun. We're digging up some of the yard in order to expand the garden. It's coming along beautifully and very quickly. It helps that the soil is so great and that 2 people are doing the work, especially when one of them is Dutch and extremely skilled with a shovel. It also helps to not be striking rocks, bottles or bricks with every jab of the shovel, which was the horror and frustration of digging our garden in Mexico. Now that took a looooong time.

It's not a big garden by any means, but it's super cute and gets full sun and I can't wait to start planting! Climbing sweet peas, arugula, spinach and maybe even shallots will be the first to go in, hopefully this weekend. And soon....tomatoes!!!

It's almost done but still needs more weeding, hoeing, fertilizing and a little stone pathway so we can collect the fruits of our labour without damaging the garden. I'd also like to line the curved edge with potted flowers and herbs. All of this makes me incredibly happy and having dirt under my fingernails is what it's all about. And in some ways, when the sun is out and the breeze is just right, it feels as though I'm digging in the garden, in our beautiful yard, in our little village in Oaxaca. Almost.

Before:




During:




After:




Working on the Mexican garden


Our happy and oh so large yard in Oaxaca


The garden in rainy season

So if you go for oysters and I go for ersters..

I can't even describe how incredible my dinner was last night so I thought I would simply post the proof. My mister sure knows how to surprise a lady and make all her worries disappear. Thank you sweetie.

More squirrels you say?

This is Morty. He's a regular in our yard and he loves to leap around. Almost as much as burying nuts in the garden and chasing his best friend Marty.

Brilliant action shot courtesy of The Great Kiskadee.

LOL kittehs and comments go a long way too.

I Can Has Cheezburger? is another site that will definitely help improve any crappy day, if only for a brief moment. Jenn, thank you for turning me on to this. I can't believe I went so long without it.

Here's a sample of the funny:

Sometimes a little panda bum is all it takes.

Whenever I'm in need of cheering up I head on over to Cute Overload. You're guaranteed to find instant happy, like this adorably cute baby panda here. Can you stand it?! That little bum had me at hello.

Um...obsessed.

Neko Case's new album, Middle Cyclone, has been on heavy rotation these days. Can't stop listening to it. That voice! Wish wish wish I had tickets to her concert in April. Sigh.




This is my favourite song on the album. The video is equally satisfying.

Party like you're Mexican...not so much.

Some of my family are coming over tonight for a Mexican feast and fiesta. Looking forward to it. Though it'll be different than the parties I've been to in Mexico. There won't be a smoke machine, or a sound system that will crack your windows, there won't be cases upon cases of beer or copious amounts of homemade mezcal for when you want to switch to something stronger (and more painful), nor will there be awkward drunken dancing in one spot till the wee hours of the morning. I also opted out of serving desserts so sweet they make your teeth hurt. Nope. None of that. It really only works in Mexico.

Got my ticket in my hot little hand.

Soooo excited to see Loney, Dear!!! Emil Svanängen is the talented Swede behind it all, and he's playing the Rivoli in May and I'm going!! Tickets are only $10. Hard to resist.

Just try to sit still while you listen to this. Impossible.

Kate Ingold

I'm so happy Kate Ingold came into my life. We met in Oaxaca, instantly connected and have been friends ever since. I love it when that happens, it's rare. Kate is a beautiful artist and poet and all around incredible individual. She is a constant source of inspiration for me. No matter where she's living, what she's doing or how busy she is, Kate always manages to carve out time to write and make art. Oh and she's got a blog too!

Here are some of her pieces. She's represented by Roy Boyd Gallery in Chicago.


Eternally Beautiful and Everlasting, Multi-Media on Archival Paper, 2006


To Protect the Unknown from the Unknown, Multi-Media on Archival Paper, 2006


Untitled Study, Multi-Media on Archival Paper, 2006


Half the day I searched for what was lost, Multi-Media on Archival Paper, 2005-2006

exvoto
by kate ingold

half the day I searched for what was lost:
book of stamps
keys to the house
your wedding ring
I found a half-born blue jay by the back door
feathers more like fur
eggshell splinters scattered over
a burning body

held in the crux of my hand
the jay shivered as a new-born
the heart fluttered
beat asymmetrical rhythms

above me in the still-bare arms of an ailing tree
two jays screamed
took flight
left me
to wash my soiled hand

Cecil McDonald Jr.

The same day I was also introduced to the work of Cecil McDonald Jr. Wow. The luminous colour of his large photographs combined with his subject matter (his 2 daughters, his wife and himself) really captivated me. The images feel familiar and intimate and yet I can't help but feel lonely when I look at them.

From the series: Domestic Observations


Harmonic Portico (2007)


Frances Before Dinner (2006)


Why Scales Matter (2007)


1200 Meditations, Things My Mother Gave Me (2005)


Fresh Linens (2006)