Tinkerblue

10 Random Things That Make Me Smile

I just finished a week of port manning.  I've said it many times before, I dislike port manning. I do not like having to stay on the ship all day every day for a week.  I get cabin fever.  But here are some of things that made me smile this last week...

One:

A new perfume. For years I've worn Daisy by Marc Jacobs or Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana or Acqua Di Gio by Armani.  Siele, the beauty specialist onboard, has been trying to help me find a new fragrance. Apparently my skin does not like fragrances.  It's not like I break out in a rash or anything but pefectly nice smelling perfumes smell like cow piss when sprayed on my skin.  Seriously.  Awful.  We finally found one. Dolce by Dolce & Gabbana.  The pretty bottle is a bonus. 

 

Two:

The purple ballerina that Jo gave me while I was in Hobart on vacation.  Jo, Claire, Cristy and Jo all have one too.  She hangs from my cabin ceiling and dances when the ship moves.  I think she needs a name. Any suggestions?

 

Three:

A small lamp that I bought in Mexico.  I have one a LED tea light in it. It makes pretty patterns on my cabin wall. One day when I have a home of my own again I'd like to have it made into a proper light fixture.  But for now this will do.

 

Four:

The ring my Nanna (my grandmother) gave me for by birthday. It was custom made by a Tasmanian artist Lynda Salmon and we picked it up the night before I flew back to Canada.  I wear it all the time and it reminds be of my Nan.  But also of the day I spent at Salamanca with Narelle and a day in Richmond with Narelle, Jo and my Mum.  Lots of good memories attached to one piece of jewellery.  

 

Five:

Tasmanian Devil socks.  No further explanation needed.

 

Six:

Mail from friends.  I was so excited to pick up three packages from the staff office.  Yeah for my wonder friends.

 

There were birthday cards from Barb and Stew, Kath and Garin and Hayley, Sharyn and Tony and Meg and Hannah and Josie, and from Michelle and Justin.  Thank you!!!

 

Seven:

Chocolates (and BBQ shapes) from the Lawrence/Hutchins/Dadson/Cook gang.  I even shared the TimTams.  But not the Black Forest, I am not sharing that with anyone.  

 

Eight:

A sock monster from Michelle.  He makes me laugh.  This is how the cabin steward left him on my bed. I think sock monster will be my new flat Stanley. He'll have to come along on my adventures and have lots of photos taken.  What do you think?  I do think he needs a name.  Sock?  Theodore? 

 

Nine:

Frozen, Arrow and Game of Thrones.  Frozen I first watched with Andrea the night before I came to Imagination.  I know it's a kids movie but it makes me laugh.  I love Olaf the snowman and Sven the reindeer.  I've watched it each time I've port manned.

Arrow is a TV series filmed in Vancouver.  My friend Kim is the Director of Photography on it.  Erin convinced me I'd like it and she gave me season 1 and 1/2 of season 2.  I had a few sleepless nights as I marathon watched a bunch of episodes.  Now I have to wait for the rest of season 2.  Argh.  I want to watch it NOW. That means I liked it.  

Game of Thrones everyone knows. I'm the last person in the world to watch it. Not sure why I waited so long. It's awesome.  I'm all caught up on Season 1 and 2.   I need Season 3 and 4. I think my favourite character is Tyrion Lannister played by Peter Dinklage and I am so not fond of the idiot King Joffrey. I want to read the books now as well - Erin had offered to lend them to me when I get home. I'm looking forward to reading them.

 

 

Ten:

Going for a run.  When I'm port manning and can't get off the ship I go for a run up on deck 12 in the City Sports Park. I'm not really all that keen on running round and round in circles.  The track isn't very long.  It takes 9 laps to run a kilometre and I keep losing track of how many laps I have run. And I have to dodge wayward golf balls from the mini golf, but at least it gets me outside.  

 

Chirp, Chirp, My New Pet Birds

Recently I received a parcel. From Jo. It's my birthday present. My belated birthday present. I love when my May birthday carries into July.

Jo always sends great gifts. So what did she send? Series 1 of Phryne Fisher on DVD, I've read the books and am looking forward to the TV series. Coconut ice and rocky road treats both of which are long gone.

And? And two pet birds. Not real ones. That would be too much work.

Pets - need watering
Garden - needs weeding
Guests - need feeding

My new pet birds? Need none of the above. Also, they don't argue with you.

They sit in their little myrtle tree on my bedside table and make me smile. I think they need names.

They are designed and made in Tasmania by Otekah. www.otekah.com.au

 

The Chocolates in the Bus

Remember when I wrote about the biscuit tins from London?

http://tinkerblue.typepad.com/tinkerblue_the_daily_tink/2012/06/london-2012-biscuit-tins.html

Well look what arrived in the mail from Morag. The chocolates are even still in the tin.

Old Fashioned Mail

I used to love writing letters. I sent 4-5 letters a week and received roughly the same amount. It was exciting to see an envelope addressed to me in the letter box. An envelope that didn't contain a bill or junk mail.  Then along came email, and texting and I stopped writing letters. Stopped getting them too. I know it's slower than email but I miss it. I miss the ritual of sitting down with a cup of tea (or a glass of wine) to read my mail.  

 

My challenge to myself this summer is to write at least one letter a week.  A real letter that requires handwriting and a pen, an envelope and an stamp and some pretty stationary.

 

I'm off to a good start. This week I wrote 4 letters. My pretty stationary is all back in Vancouver, so I bought some photocards from local Sunshine Coast artists. I'm not saying the receivers will find the content interesting but I hope they enjoy getting mail.

 

 

Excess Packaging

Are you kidding me? I thought the Girl Guides were supposed to encourage environmental friendliness, reducing, reusing and recycling. Yeah, not so much.

I ordered some earrings for my mum from The Girl Guides of Canada. See the size of the box they came in?

Check out all the paper inside.

Then look at the tiny bag of earrings.

They could have just sent them in a padded envelope.

How disappointing.

Polli Made A Pendant

My Mum and Dad sent me this pendant for my birthday.  Isn't it pretty?

 

 

It's made by an Australian company called Polli.  According to their website my pendant is inspired by the floral embroidery in traditional Mexican fabrics.  I have some Mexican fabrics stashed in boxes in the garage I should check and see how alike they are.

Mum and Dad also sent me chocolate  and vegemite. The chocolate has long since been inhaled. I like these little packs of vegemite, they can go in my bag for when I eat out or am at a friends house and want vegemite on my toast.

 

The Gifts that Made Me Laugh

When we were home in Australia for Christmas my mum was given two sets of matryoshka/babushka/nesting doll measuring cups. She gifted one set to me. I gave her the measuring spoons as part of her Christmas present.

So when I opened my birthday gift yesterday. I laughed out loud. She sent me Store-M's. They'll work well for packing snacks for the train. (Yes, we do get fed on the train, but it would be good to take along some healthy snacks too).

Inside the boxes were 2 caramello koalas (hubby assures me that one is meant for him) and a small plaque - The Does Not Cook. My Mum knows me too well.

Hubby's gift also made me laugh... he gave me the badge holder thingy. You might think that's a weird gift. But, I have a POS card that I use at work and I'm worried about losing it. I kept saying I need a holder for it, like I had at the bank or IKEA. So this was actually something I needed and had asked for. I'm impressed that he was paying attention and remembered.

Hubby also gave me the bluetooth keyboard to use with my iPad. I know it may seem odd to want a keyboard. Since my netbook died I've been doing all my typing on the iPhone or Ipad. While the onscreen keyboard is great for texting or browsing it really drives me insane for longer typing, like blog posts. I also dislike how half the screen is taken up by the keyboard. He went to three different stores before he found one he was happy with. I like it. A lot.

Another Famous Friend - On a Postage Stamp - Go Joern!

Yesterday Heather was an Olympic Torchbearer.  Today Joern is on a Canada Post stamp.  Well not actually him in person, but a photo he took.  A photo of Whistler Blackcomb.

Canada Post has a range of Vancouver 2010 stamps and collectibles and postcards.  Some with the Olympic or Paralympic Logo, or the mascots, or the winter sports.

As of January 12th, an image of Whistler that was taken by Joern takes centre stage on a book of 10 stamps, a pre paid postcard, a souvenir sheet  and an Official First Day Cover. 

 Canada Post
  

Joern and Jackie have a much larger version of this image framed and hanging in the reception area of their Bed and Breakfast.  I commented on it when we where there last month.  Joern hinted at something big, but didn't give anything away.  

 Canada Post
 

Just before Christmas I received the new sales sheets from Canada Post for January product.  I thought the image looked familiar but thought nothing more about it.  Until today.  I bought some Olympic stamps to put on some mail to the US and there it was again.  Finally as I was driving back from Whistler this afternoon why it looked so familiar.  I had to pull off the highway so I could text Joern.

 Canada Post

Click on each of the images above for more information from Canada Post.
 

How cool is that?

I'm waiting for him to take the ultimate photo of Whistler during the Games that we can hang in our living room.  

Insight-Photography

Cedar Springs Lodge

Canada Post

 

 

The Vancouver image is by John Sinal Photography Inc
 
 

A free personalised Vancouver 2010 journal

Courtesy of VANOC:

Capture all your Vancouver 2010 memories in your FREE personalized Official Vancouver 2010 Journal. Store tickets and memorabilia, and record your Games-related thoughts and experiences in this 160-page personalized journal (valued at $17.99 CDN). This unique keepsake includes photography ideas, questions to prompt Games memories, blank journal pages and a special pocket for Games-related memorabilia. A must-have for all Games enthusiasts! 

You can sign up for your copy here.  Unless you live in Australia or Palestine.

It doesn't say if there are any shipping charges and t's hard to see from the tiny photo exactly what it looks like.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

Once you sign up this message pops up:

Congratulations! Your Vancouver 2010 Journal has been reserved. Journals will be available for shipping beginning February 1st. On that day, you will receive an e-mail link with shipping details. 

Cleaning, Apples and Redwork.

There's been a bit of a funk over our house since the beginning of the year. I have ornaments to sew. scarves to button, tags to be cut, and more.  But I'm not motivated to do any of it, nope, it all sits there in its raw state glaring at me.  And I'm still procrastinating.

Instead I've cleaned my living room.  Really cleaned it.  The underside of the rug and the bottom of the couch got vacummed.  I almost couldn't get the couch upright again.  I washed the track that the sliding door rolls in.  Anything but craft.  Then I cleaned the dining room, and then the kitchen.  Then my wardrobe, three bags of clothes went in the clothing bin. 

In Japan New Years (Oshogatsu) is the big holiday, not Christmas.  Everyone takes a few days off to celebrate the arrival of a new year.  To get ready for Oshogatsu everyone does a big year end clean.   It's the opportunity to clear out clutter and dirt from the old year and prepare the home for the new year.  It even has its own name - Oosouji.   When it's written in Kanji the three characters translate to Big, Sweep, and Dispose.  Maybe that's what I'm doing.  A little late.

And it worked.  Well still no crafting, but once my kitchen was spotless I needed to cook/bake and make it messy.  Cause a clean kitchen just looks wrong!  Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies from a Meadow Vale Farm package.  Half crispy, half soft and chewy. Easy, peasy - just add eggs, butter and vanilla.

We had new friends over for dinner.  And I needed something to serve.  Brownies again from Meadow Vale Farm.  Very, very good.  Especially served warm with vanilla icecream and raspberries.  No photos - we ate them all.

Greek salad from my mother in law's cookbook.  I left the garlic out of the dressing, only included half a onion (I'm not an onion fan) and no olives - we forgot to buy any.  But it still tasted good.  Hubby ate it, so it must have passed.  And there's leftovers for lunch.

And Spaghetti with meat sauce from Apples for Jam.  We used ground pork because the store had sold out of ground beef.  Great recipe, we'll be having it again.  Have you seen Apples for Jam?

(excuse the photo, it's been threatening to snow for 5 days, and the light sucks)

Apples for Jam and Falling for Cloudberries are two collections of recipes by Tessa Kiros.   I was given both as gifts.  I think it was hint.  Didn't work.  Gorgeous photos, childhood memories, family stories.  They don't make me want to cook, they make me want to pack my bags and travel to Cyprus, Greece, Finland....and try new foods.  However, they are too stunning to be called cook books.  Even the inside covers look like pieces of fabric.

Tessa has a Greek Cypriot father, a Finnish mother, Russian Grandparents, and an Italian husband.  She has worked in London, Sydney, Mexico, and Italy,   Makes for a diverse collection of recipes. Last year I made the Cinnamon & Cardamon buns and the Cranberry Sorbet.  The recipes are much easier than they first look.  Simple ingredients...

And I haven't been crafting, but someone has.  Look what she sent me! 

A pillow, a pin cushion, fat quarters, and other goodies. 

Thank you Kristin.