bebojo

Watch

2009-07-19T20:37:00.007-04:00

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The child folk love this one - what's not to love!

The cast was selected from the SOUR fan base around the world. The fans were shot purely via webcam. Love the song too!

Wait for it ... wait ... for ... it!

I just got back from our first camping trip as a family!
Details to follow soon - instead I thought I would open up a few of my youtube favourite videos. You have most likely seen them already, but they are all so creative go watch them again.

Thanks for stopping by.

Winner!

2009-07-17T10:15:00.000-04:00

I have been following all the spectacular discoveries of Blomma Finds for many months now and was delightfully surprised to learn yesterday that I won one of the wonderful give-aways!

A gracious 'Thank you' to both Blomma Finds and the wonderful artist behind this sweet print, Rebecca Peragine of Print Pattern Paper! I know two child folk who will be arm wrestling for it - so I'll place it in a communal living area for all to enjoy!

There are so many other gorgeous prints available from this wonderful eco-conscious company!

Check them out!

Thank you for stopping by.

Purple

2009-07-13T09:49:00.001-04:00

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Via IdealHomeMagazine.co.uk

Via Stylefiles.com

Via Designties.blogspot.com

Via British Homes and Gardens, 08/2008

Via Domino

Purple.

It has always been a non-existent colour for me.

I have neither hated nor loved it. It has just never come into play. I have never worn it, painted with it, decorated with it, or really ever noticed it.

It is little K's favourite colour and ever since this past gruesome winter, I have had it on the brain.

There is something so enticing about the luxurious depth of an eggplant purple that I can no longer resist. Cool yet enveloping.

For months now I have been working on an oil painting in my head (featuring purple) and it is just about time to lay it out on canvas. This will take some time and strategizing to work out, however, since Mr. K moved his studio from the dungeon to a proper space out of the house. I used to be able to come down stairs after the child folk were in bed and putter about on a painting at my leisure. It was perhaps the only perk of Mr. K working entirely from home.

I do have my studio, of course, which I draw, paint watercolour, and sew in - but it is not big enough for the size of canvas that I want to paint on ( 34"x 64").

Truth be told - I am an extremely messy oil painter.

So I will have to book some time at Mr. K's and get down to business.

Yellow & Blue

2009-07-07T14:55:00.001-04:00

yellow fever by bebojo featuring Gucci bags

night and day by bebojo featuring Nine West shoes

Blue Leather by bebojo featuring Chanel bags

Distracted

2009-07-07T10:33:00.003-04:00

pretty distraction by bebojo featuring Anthropologie shoes

Thank you for stopping by.

Splash!

2009-07-06T09:17:00.006-04:00

I adore this Rachel Pally retro style swim suit.

It looks so pretty on the model - of course!

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Fourth!

2009-07-04T08:42:00.007-04:00

I want to wish all of my American friends and family a spectacular Happy Fourth of July!

I love my peeps south of the border, but during the last eight gruelling years I though we were going to have to break up.

When Super 'O' was elected I think the universe released a collective sigh of relief.

I am here to thank you - ya done good, folks!

Have a wonderful day - you deserve it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Alex Ross Obama illustration found here.

David Friedman Bush illustration via Boing Boing

Oh Canada!

2009-07-01T15:41:00.006-04:00

Happy Birthday Canada!

You are such a young and clever country aren't you?!

There are so many qualities that I love about you.

Today I celebrate these:

Freedom

Health Care

Equality

Immigration

Nature

Peace

Not necessarily in that order.

To celebrate we enjoyed a fabulous picnic in Toronto's High Park.

Among us: a South African, a Jamaican, a Briton, a Japanese, a Metis - all of us Canadian.

We are normally a modest bunch, we Canadians, today we showed our pride.

Thanks for stopping by.

ColdWater

2009-06-30T08:45:00.002-04:00

Mr. K has a show coming up at The ColdWater Gallery, which is located in cottage country. On the weekend he had to drive up and measure the large beautiful space, so the child folk and I tagged along.

The weather was gorgeous, so after an ice cream treat, we took a little trip over to Balm Beach. The lovely owner of the gallery gave us top secret directions to a special stretch of beach that was virtually unpopulated. Thank you Luba!

Sun, Sand and Water have got to be one of my favorite combos. Little feet loved it also.

Thanks for stopping by.

Western Party

2009-06-29T08:24:00.003-04:00

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Big K and Little K were both born in February, thirteen days apart. We celebrate with one big bash and this year's 'theme' was a western party. The entire month before, I busied myself making sheriff badges, stuffed wooden ponies, decorations, games etc ... but on the day of their party the entire family had a horrible flu that kept big K out of school for an entire week and Mr. K sick for three weeks. The party was cancelled.

Last Friday, we checked the weather, decorated the backyard, gathered our friends and shouted a big 'SURPRISE' to two shocked little people.

After the big reveal, costumes were handed out - cowgirl/boy hats and bandannas.

At my request, Mr. K made a cardboard cutout of a sheriff and each cowpoke had his/her photo taken.

The ponies that I had laboured over were finally distributed but there was a hitch: to earn a deputy badge, the cowpoke had to successfully complete the pony riding obstacle course!

Badges were decorated and the games continued.

We played the ol' standby of pin the tail on the donkey and a new one - slimy bug toss.

Thankfully it was a gorgeous day, but the sun was really intense so we took cover under the umbrella and enjoyed some lunch. Due to the heat, I pre-scooped ice cream and served it in ice cream waffle bowls with sprinkles and chopped brownies instead of cake.

While the cowpokes ate, I hid plastic farm animals around the yard. I had doubles and told the deputies that I required their assistance. A robber had stolen half of my farm animals and I gave them each one and they had to find the match to the pair.

After all of the animals were returned to me, they deputies received medals of honor and fake money as a reward.

The night before I had set my studio up as a general store. Each child was given a loot bag and got to go 'shopping' with their money. I chose marbles, harmonicas, whistles, rubber snakes, gummy snakes, lollipops, jewelry, barrettes and other little treats for the shop. The deputies went wild!

The Western Party was a success, despite the four month delay! All the little cowpokes successfully kept the surprise secret and participated eagerly in all the activities. Even the Sheriffs had a ton of fun. Yee-haw!

This is my face on roughly four hours of sleep.

A generous 'thank you' to all of our cowpokes for joining in the festivities and helping to make amazing memories for our family.

Thanks for stopping by.

MJ R.I.P

2009-06-25T19:39:00.005-04:00

I'm not here to wax poetic on his death or discuss the controversial life lived by Michael Jackson.

I just have to say that Thriller was the soundtrack to an amazing part of my youth.

My first heart-pounding slow dance was to Human Nature.

The music of The Jackson Five are part of a regular rotation of songs the child folk and I dance to, and most recently big K performed to Micheal Jackson's version of Rockin' Robin in her dance finale.

This Jackson Five's Top of the Pops video was performed the year I was born.

Thank you for stopping by.

Outdoor Play Area: Part Four - Tout Finis!

2009-06-22T09:42:00.005-04:00

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Before and After !
Click image to enlarge.

Ta Da!

Here is the before and after of the child folk's outdoor play area.

What began as a wild and enticingly dangerous corner of our garden with an open window well etc ... has finally become rock soup and worm rescue HQ!

I really had my heart set on making some kind of flowing canopy/tent top to the kitchen, but in the end decided to top it with wood and shingles. Only some of the miles of bunting I made was used to trim the top.

I purchased four colors of oilcloth, stitched them together and stapled them under the kitchen top both in the front and in the back. Besides looking mighty cute, they keep the rain out of the storage space.

I used the same oilcloth to make reversible cushions for the wee benches.

The chalkboard is simply a stretched canvas painted with chalkboard paint. Mr. K had an extra canvas stretcher and I covered it with an end scrap of oilcloth and drilled it into the top of the chalkboard to keep some of the rain off.

The child folk painted the art on the wall and I used some varathane to coat them.

The burners are simply drink coasters purchased at Ikea along with the other kitchen accessories.

The best part of the play space is that it gets used rain or shine. So far it has been a restaurant, a castle, a dungeon, a ramen street stand, a space ship, a school, and a home for poor souls captured by the evil dragon and forced to live on Virginia creeper leaves and pebble stew.

When it gets muddy, I hose it down.

Summer fun!

You can see the entire process here: part one, part two, part three .

Thank you for stopping by.

We're Off To See The Wizard ...

2009-06-19T12:48:00.008-04:00

Tonight is the night! The child folk's dance school presentation of The Wizard of Oz will be performed by munchkins and monkeys alike.

At the ripe ol' age of five, Big K is a veteran performer and is so excited to be a part of this wonderful show.

This is Little K's premier performance and despite the pre-show excitement I expect there will be a lot of little butterflies flapping around that tiny tummy.

I have had a busy week of costume resizing, dress rehearsals and such but will be back next week with some project wrap ups.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Thank you for stopping by

Departures

2009-06-15T08:30:00.002-04:00

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I love film. I have a University Degree to prove it (ha!). I just can't stand sitting in a theatre to watch a film.

I like the atmosphere, and the popped corn - but these short (barely 5'3) legs can not sit for more than thirty minutes before they make me want to lose my mind.

But I will do it gosh darn it all - just to see this film: Okuribito (Departures is the title in English, however the translation is literally 'the one who sees you off').

As soon as Mr. K stops working for five minutes, I will take him and a box of tissues and I will sit and watch.

Thank you for stopping by.

Pancake Sunday

2009-06-14T09:36:00.006-04:00

Easy Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour ( I use organic whole wheat)

2 tbl spoons white sugar

2 tbl spoons baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 egg beaten

1 cup milk

2 tbl spoons vegetable oil

Mix dry ingredients together and make a well in the center pour in wet ingredients.

Mix until smooth.

Cook.

Serve with Canadian Maple Syrup.

Eat.

Yum!

I like to add bananas, blueberries, or flax seeds to mix it up.

I always double the batch as we like to have them the next morning too.

Oh Happy Day!

Thanks for stopping by.

Brain Crush

2009-06-11T09:59:00.003-04:00

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I have a crush - a brain crush. It's okay, Mr. K knows - he's cool with it.

I have had a huge crush on Malcolm Gladwell since the first time I picked up his #1 best seller The Tipping Point back in 2000. Since that time I have eagerly awaited each and every new publication. Gladwell, also a staff writer at The New Yorker, writes the type of books that once you are finished reading them - you want to turn back to page one and begin again.

His first book The Tipping Point

His second book Blink

His most recent book Outliers

Gladwell is also a fine speaker; you can watch his TED presentation "What we can learn from spaghetti sauce."

It is 18 minutes long - go watch it.

Gladwell's hair, by the way, is to credit for the basis of Blink. I think his fine locks ought to win a Booker prize for pure fictional genius.

Thanks for stopping by.

Brain image from medem.com.

Yuka Yamaguchi & The Plastic Monkey Shop

2009-06-10T09:23:00.008-04:00

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Months ago I stumbled upon the fabulous art of Yuka Yamaguchi - a Japanese artist transplanted in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I love the subtext in her clean, well-crafted images. I like that she takes it there: that she isn't afraid to put it all on the table.

i can wait

i didn't do it

Happy muscle knitting

To see more of Yamaguchi's prints and drawings, visit her Plastic Monkey Shop.

Thanks for stopping by.

How Ya Like Me Now?

2009-06-08T14:52:00.003-04:00

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I was so eager to start up my blog a few months back that I didn't stress too much about the little knowledge I possessed regarding the layout how-to. I did, however, want to make it my own and I am finally translating my ideas on to the screen (with the help of the handsome Mr.K).

I have a lot of work to do in setting things up the way I want them to be, but the header has just been personalized ... how you likey?

Thanks for stopping by.

Meow!

2009-06-08T08:11:00.004-04:00

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We Are All Household Pets in Plum

We Are All Household Pets in Boys on the Beach

We Are All Household Pets in Retro

We Are All Household Pets in Shore

I couldn't resist posting the new colours of prints in Mr. K's shop. They are available in individual cat 8.5x11" prints or these nine cat series. It's no surprise that I love the retro colours - but my favourite is the shore series ... it must be summer!

These are prints of an original oil painting Mr. K did of our blind bold cat Bochi. It's a tongue -n-cheek take on Warhol's Elvis, and I think it is hilarious. Fortunately, the child folk don't even know what a gun is and so don't really understand the image. They just think it's their tough blind kitty with an attitude.

Thanks for stopping by.

The Leather Handbag

2009-06-05T07:45:00.000-04:00

The Truffle Handbag by Morelle

The ValhallaBrooklyn Handbags

The Pipishop Handbag

The LeatherStore handbags: The bow bag, The pleated tote and The frilly bag

The Annie Handbag

The leather handbag. I want one. Plain and simple. I have a vegan leather-like matt and nat bag that I love the design of, but am totally disappointed with the quality of. The trim on the handles came off right away and can't be repaired.

I would like to invest in a good quality, buttery-soft genuine leather handbag and I love to support the designers without the big labels. Which do you like?

Thanks for stopping by.

Tag - I'm It!

2009-06-04T10:07:00.019-04:00

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'Getting to know you ... getting to know all about you...' Alyssa tagged me - so here we go!

What is your current obsession? Drawing pigs.

What is your weirdest obsession? Definitely washing out and saving large tin cans for some unknown future craft project. Yeah, I know ... weird.

What are you wearing today? Grey Puma's, old jeans, O'Neil T-shirt

What's for dinner? Amazingly simplistic lentil soup, steamed spinach, and rice

What would you eat for your last meal? The most decadent chocolate cake in the world!

What's the last thing you bought? Fresh cut lemon-yellow flowers for the art tour.

What are you listening to right now? I like to mix it up: Culture Reject, Snoop Dog, Hayden, Ohbijou, City and Colour, Otis Redding, Santogold ...

What is your favorite ice-cream flavour? French Vanilla

What do you think of the person who tagged you? Talented, Gorgeous, Underrated -Merci Alyssa from the incredible BrooklynRehab.

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be? Ocean side, beach front property ...

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? Back to Darjeeling, India for an amazing cuppa tea, the view, and some much needed serenity.

Which language do you want to learn? I would love to speak Italian and Spanish, but need to speak Japanese fluently to understand my child folk's secrets.

Who do you want to meet right now? I'd love to have a beer and a bazillion laughs with Bobby Lee from Mad Tv.

What is your favorite colour? Heather gray to wear - robin's egg to see.

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe? I'm a hat gal - so my hats.

What's your favourite magazine? Kateigaho: A Japanese publication that is stunningly beautiful that my hubby has to painstakingly translate for me. The international version is mediocre.

If you had £100 now, what would you spend it on? Kiva donations/loans - a la micro finance.

Favorite designer? I love John Galliano's haute couture for Christian Dior, but would probably have problems fitting into the swings at the park. I love the swagger of Coco Chanel (the woman not the label) and the ease of Calvin Klein ( the label not the man).

Do you admire any one's style? Small Ant Productions founder and owner, my BFF Lindsay. Piksi and Ingrid Bergman

Describe your personal style? I think style/ fashion is like a fingerprint. I would say I am a little bit geek and a little bit chic. I like to mix it up, be comfortable, and punch it up with a unique accessory. Since becoming a SAHM, I am happy to walk out of the house wearing anything not covered in cat hair - just keeping it real.

What are you going to do after this? Host a play date, make lunch and help to craft rock pets for little people.

What are your favourite movies? Born into Brothels a must see for anyone who doubts the transformative power of creativity - and anyone with a beating heart.
Borat - anti-pc hilarity
Finding Forrester, Shakespeare in Love, Good Will Hunting - feel-good films

What's your favourite fruit? The almighty blueberry!

What inspires you? People who live with passion and go for it.

What is your dream job? I studied Theatre and International Development so naturally I would love to act in high quality amazing indie films whilst saving the world! I am still working on a cape that enables me to fly. For my part-time gig I would be well paid for painting, prop-styling, and dancing in my family room.

What is stopping you? That dang cape design!

Favorite Quote: "Chance favors the prepared mind." Ansel Adams

The rules :1. Respond and rework; answer the question on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention, add one more question of your own.
2. Tag eight other people.
I'm tagging: jessjamesjakes, our little love nest, inchmark, makingitlovely, howaboutorange, lovelydesign

Thanks for stopping by

Family of Friends

2009-06-02T08:12:00.012-04:00

This is what is left of a most scrumptious coconut cake that 'Aunty Cathy' sent home with us Sunday evening. Mr. K participated in the art tour this weekend in which he hauls most of his paintings and prints from his studio to our home and hosts an open house Fri, Sat, and Sun. The house becomes a gallery unfit for the children, so I packed up the child folk and went for a weekend sleep-over to Aunty Cathy's.

'Losing family helps us to find our family. Not necessarily the family that is our blood, but the family that may become our blood.'

This is a quote from one of my favourite films, Finding Forrester, in part because it describes my experience so succinctly. I have one sister who lives in the U.S. and to whom I am very close and miss deeply. I have two more 'sisters' who have become my blood. 'Aunty Cathy' is one of them. I met her when I was ten and we have been related ever since. We had a wonderful weekend with her and her family and I am grateful to have her in my life.

Thank you for stopping by.

Aside: Due to the open house art tour I have had no time for the play area. Hope to post something soon, however.

Outdoor Play Area - Part Three

2009-05-20T08:51:00.008-04:00

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Here is the play area as it appears right now.

I sanded the kitchen area to remove the finish on the rustic bookshelf it once was. To keep costs down I used a can of stain that I had from a previous furniture refinishing job. The colour turned out quite nice. Next came the varathane. I used a clear outdoor deck and furniture varathane - the label said 'odourless' and it was surprisingly odour free (from my experience a lot of scent- free claims are just that).

I applied the four coat recommendation of varathane as this structure will be left outside. It was then screwed down to the garden wall for safety reasons.

Mr. K jumped in and built two little benches.

The first fits over the window well and pretty much covers the window entirely. The window is in our tiny furnace room so the loss of natural light was never a problem.

The second little seat is a box that fits over the root base of our virginia creeper.

I sanded, stained, and varathaned both of the little seats. You'll notice that they turned out much darker than the kitchen. This is due to the fact that the seats are made from pressure treated wood that we had lying around from our porch and fence build a few years ago. Normally this inconsistency would drive me bonkers, but it surprisingly doesn't bother me.

Once everything was put in its right place, I packed pebble stones into the remaining spaces. I am certain these will need replacing throughout the spring and summer as the child folk use them for soups and magic potions!!!!

The only thing left to do is decorate - my favorite part!

Stay tuned for the final chapter.

Thank you for stopping by.

Outdoor Play Area - Part Two

2009-05-18T09:30:00.005-04:00

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In my search for inspiration for the child folk's outdoor play area, you may recall that I stumbled across this. All of these adorable little kitchens were hand made and I knew that they were well within my tool-handling capabilities.

Unlike the inspirational kitchens, however, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on the supplies. I found a rustic, solid wood, sturdy, handmade bookshelf on Craigslist for $15. When I went to see it, the seller dropped the price down to $10. Sold! Since this kitchen will be left outside, it was important that the bookshelf be solid wood.

The shelf was measured and cut down to desired size.

A stainless steal mixing bowl (from my kitchen) was then traced in position for a sink. To cut our the circle a drill was first used to make a hole big enough to insert the skill saw in order to cut out the entire piece.

You will notice that the corners of the bookshelf have notches cut out of them. I purchased 2"x2" pieces of wood that will be drilled into the notches to fasten some type of curtain and/or awning. I am still undecided about what I want to put here - the bunting for sure, but what else?

Still to be done:
Sanding
Staining
Sealing
Decorating

Stay tuned for more.

Thank you for stopping by.

Sew Cute!

2009-05-14T09:25:00.007-04:00

I made my first bunting about five months ago for my friend's mother's retirement party. I had so much fun doing so that I knew it wouldn't be my last.

Regarding the child folk's outdoor play area, I really wanted a covered section - the logistics of which I am still struggling with. I will however be adding the bunting that I just can't seem to stop sewing.

As I wanted to keep the cost way, way down I used (a lot) of restraint and didn't purchase any new fabric for the bunting - I just gathered up my scraps, made a template out of bristol board (in two sizes) and went to town. That is the wonderful thing about bunting - you need remarkably little fabric to make an impact.

The bunting needs pressing and the photos are a tad dark as they were taken in the basement - I will reshoot the bunting when it is hung outside.

Thank you for stopping by.

Child Folk Outdoor Play Area - Part One

2009-05-13T10:50:00.008-04:00

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When we moved into our house our yard was nothing but flagstones and a few plants in oddly placed areas in an otherwise empty garden beside out house. Over the last five years we have done a lot of work in the yard but left most of the odd plants where they were because, well - we had two kids in the meantime and very little money to spend on outdoor beautification.

Recently, little K has taken to climbing behind one of the odd plants into a weird little area of vine roots, dirt and a dangerous window well. Despite several scraped legs, she persists. It got me thinking that I never really liked the plant in the first place - which got me thinking that I should dig up the small 4'x4' area and make it kid friendly. That led me on an inspirational search for what to put in that area.

We already have a heavy duty plastic climber found on craigslist several years ago so I knew I didn't want anything else big and plastic, especially an outdoor house. I'm of the mindset that if you give children everything they think they want two things occur - the first is that they don't want it anymore, and the second is the destruction of the creative process that got them to wanting it in the first place.

So what to do? I wanted to build an area that is open to interpretation and imagination and let the child folk be themselves in all their wonderful silliness. I also wanted a space that could be left outside to be weathered and worn and could get dirty too. I envisioned a little outdoor kitchen/ice cream stand/ shop/laboratory -essentially a space that offers the bones of play so that the young ones could fill in the rest. Oh and of course it has to be cheap, cheap, cheap too!
Too much to ask?

Here is the space in its original state - note the gas meter, virginia creeper roots that we want to keep, the window well and the pipes!

It took me forever to dig up the plant as I wanted to save the roots so that my neighbours could replant it.

Leveling the soil.

We purchased outdoor wood tiles from Ikea to use as a makeshift floor that would allow for water drainage. They can be cut into smaller tiles for little spaces and screwed together for stability.

Stay tuned for Part Two - kitchen design.

Thanks for stopping by.

My Vintage Addiction

2009-05-11T16:42:00.005-04:00

I can't really pin point when my love affair for things vintage took a dangerous tumble down the gutter of addiction, but it did a while back. I am a recovering vintage addict now and my 12 step program includes earning no income as a stay-at-home mom, the economy, and no storage space in my petite home - not necessarily in that order.

My particular poison is vintage toys. I love that they were once loved. I love the evidence of adoration tattooed on them like a badge of honour. The smell - ah well I could do without the smell, but I generally don't buy anything that can't be disinfected and/or washed in the washing machine. Etsy is my main source for fab finds - outside of estate sales, yard sales and a few Salvation Army locations. Here is a peak at a few of my favourite finds.

I have collected a lot of cute pieces over the years, sadly some of which has been kept in boxes as I just don't have the space for it all. I am in the process of setting up an Etsy shop to share some of my finds. I will post when it is open for business.

Thank you for stopping by.

A Mother's Day

2009-05-10T09:13:00.002-04:00

Today is Mother's Day.
Today is a day of mixed emotions for me.
I am blessed to be Mommy to two incredible little people. We are one another's universe.
When I was eight, my Mother was a passenger in a car that was hit by a train.
I grew up without her.
And so on this day, when my kids are lavishing me in their love, I feel more like that eight-year-old girl missing her mom than I do a Mother myself.
I am so lonesome and so loved.
Today is a hard day.
Today is a beautiful day.

Thank you for stopping by.

Image by Mary Cassat "Mother and Child XI"

My Fab!

2009-05-09T11:21:00.004-04:00

I love fabric, and I am an huge fan of the incredible designs by Anna Maria Horner. I am always drawn to her patterns and palettes. She is mother to five with one more on the way! Wow, she is really an inspiration. Check out her blog here to get a wee glimpse.

Last year I made a shower curtain from sketchbook in ivory and pillows from branching out - both from her Drawing Room line.

Yesterday I received this stack of fabric from an amazing etsy shop afabricoutlet. It is from Horner's latest line Good Folks. The fabric is intended to spruce up our drab patio.

Here is a glimpse of our patio as it looks now. We have a cheapy Ikea table and chairs that was really beaten up last summer. I sanded it and applied what I thought was a semi-transparent stain. The employee that mixed the colour at Home Depot made a big mistake with the colour and it turned out terribly. I loathe the colour and to add insult to injury, it is peeling off! So my plan is to make a table cloth and bench cushion from the oilcloth I purchased. The rest of the fabric will be used for outdoor cushions.

I'll show you when it's done.

Thanks for stopping by.

Note: first image from afabricoutlet

Rock on!

2009-04-29T18:30:00.001-04:00

When I was a child, there was no better way to spend my day than to go searching for rocks. River rocks and any type of rock on the shore were my favourite. I loved rocks so much that when other girls were getting barbies and other girly presents - I got a rock polishing kit. It is by far the most memorable present of my youth (that and my record player that I shared with my sister and much later my stuffed ET, may it rest in peace).

My passion for rocks has not remotely faded over the years. When Mr. K and I were just married (and without children) I would easily spend half of our week's cottage vacation trolling the water's edge and filling two backpacks worth of back-breaking and beautiful rocks that now have a permanent home in my - you guessed it - rock garden!

Both of my children share my love of rock collecting - particularly Little K , who last week was taken to the hospital after she casually announced "Mommy, I put a little rock in my ear and it not come out." She is fine now, however, to keep her ever growing collection of rocks from venturing where they shouldn't, I came up with a temporary solution.

The child folk gussied up raisin tins with a little decoupage and ribbon. We cut holes in the lids to drop smaller rocks in. We made check lists of items to find and off we went on our adventure.

Thank you for stopping by.

Petit

2009-04-28T07:50:00.000-04:00

In my search for adorable red and white mushrooms, I stumbled upon the work of Anne-Claire Petit. A former designer for Esprit, she began her own label which includes several lines - toys and decor for children and the young-at-heart.

The mushroom is not cheap, but can be purchased here , from kidslovedesign.

"Each piece in the Anne-Claire Petit collection is crocheted by hand and is therefore completely unique. Designed with a smile in mind, the collection is crocheted from the finest materials, mostly organic cotton. This is, without doubt, a cheerful design brand. A great deal of the crochet work is done in Asia. Thanks to the work they do for Anne-Claire petit accessories, the women are able to generate an income, from which the entire village benefits."

I love this pouffe!

Thanks for stopping by.

Weekend Forecast

2009-04-24T18:53:00.004-04:00

Sunny Day by bebojo featuring Miu Miu sunglasses

Finally ... the warm weather has reached us up here in the Great White North (aka Canada). Little K and I picked up big K at school for lunch and headed down to the park for our first picnic of the year - soccer, sand, swings and sunshine, who could want for more? I mean really!

This weekend we hope to do more of the same and I plan to get to work on the DIY play area in the backyard for the child folk. It involves sanding, sewing, staining, digging and ice cream eating - not necessarily in that order.

I always have big hopes for what I should be able to accomplish on the weekend, but considering Japanese school takes up most of Saturday and Mr. K generally works at least part of every weekend I inevitably accomplish much less that I set out to. Oh well you've gotta dream big, right!

Have a great weekend.
Thank you for stopping by

Find and Seek

2009-04-21T07:50:00.000-04:00

I love it when this happens - you start poking around the internet to find something and you end up seeking something else entirely.

On the weekend I was searching around for some diy outdoor play structures for the child folk when I stumbled on to Lottakind's fabulous flicker postings. I am really drawn to the crisp colours and warm details in her home and crafts. Definitely check it out.

This is what drew me to look further - an amazing little kitchen she and her clever husband created for their daughter.

Here are Lottakind's kitchen inspiration photo's. Please see the details here.

She has so many lovely inspirational mosaics for the colour and craft minded - pay her a visit!

Thank you for stopping by.

Have you met TED?

2009-04-20T09:25:00.001-04:00

Let me begin by saying that this is not a promotion for youtube.com despite the fact that it was here that I learned the Japanese technique of shirt folding and now can fold a shirt with the speed of light. It was on youtube.com that I stumbled across TED.

TED is a conference that began in 1984 in the U.S. that brought together internationally acclaimed speakers from the areas of Technology, Entertainment, and Design (hence the name) for a lecture series which has grown substantially over the years. Each lecture is approximately 20 minutes in length, and are well worth every minute.

I will be posting some of my favourites over time - here is my first.

Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity? Mr. Robinson gives a compelling lecture on why he believes this to be true and explains why "creativity is as important as literacy."

As a mother of two young children, and as an artist who is also married to an artist - this particular lecture struck a chord. I will save you my opinions and let you draw your own conclusions - yes pun intended.

Watch it here and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by.

How do you like them apples?

2009-04-17T05:50:00.005-04:00

These are the vintage apples that I own. The large one is a plastic storage container and the small green and red ones are tin and hold sewing notions that I always forget about but stumble upon them while looking for something else, feel surprised for a few moments and then forget them again. Ha! They are cute though.

The bicycle is plastic and purchased at a cake decorating shop on etsy LayerCakeShop.etsy.com and the wood doll is vintage and well I just couldn't resist a close up. I purchased it from Alyssa -a fabulous vintage seller and artist on etsy as well. Check out her shop BrooklynRehab here and her blog here.

Thank you for stopping by.

An Apple A Day

2009-04-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

I love apples.
I love to pick them, to eat them, to draw them, and to look at them.
There is something so wholesome about images of shiny red apples that inspire memories of school days and childhood and innocence for me.

It goes without saying that I am smitten with Shinzi Katoh's charming apple series:

To purchase and view more of Shinzi Katoh's adorable designs visit here.

Thanks for stopping by.

Easter

2009-04-14T07:50:00.000-04:00

Eggs + Colour + Imagination + Bunnies + Chocolate + Family = Easter Fun.

The child folk woke up to find one egg each and a note from the Easter bunny which lead them on a treasure hunt to find all the other eggs. This was our way of keeping it fair for little K who was concerned that big K would find all the eggs. The Easter baskets had a few sweets, but were filled with beads, jewels, crafts, and a new tooth brush, tooth paste and flossers - what a clever bunny!

We emptied all the treats that the kids found in the hidden eggs into one bowl and then packaged some up for our friends with whom we shared a lovely Easter dinner.

I hope yours was as 'hoppy' as ours was.

Thanks for stopping by.

Birdie Says

2009-04-09T13:27:00.000-04:00

Tweet Tweet by bebojo on Polyvore.com

Really? Snow in April, are you kidding me? I wish it was nothing but an April fool's joke gone wrong, but alas it wasn't. The return of winter gave a blast so harsh our poor crocuses called it quits - that paired with a week of sick child folk has made for a rather gloomy start to the spring.

On the bright side, being stuck indoors with the young people has made for the perfect Easter crafting atmosphere. I hope to be back blogging more soon and post some pictures of all the messy glory.

Thank you for stopping by, and a good day to you.

Le Celerie - My studio in the Cellar (Part Two)

2009-04-03T09:50:00.000-04:00

Here is the cellar to home-studio renovation. It comprised of an enormous amount of paint and the following:

Primer
White on White Paint (Behrs)
Subfloor
Laminate flooring
More Paint
CraigsList scores:
Antique Card Cabinet - $100
Hutch and Buffet -$100
Ikea desk - $50
Two wooden chairs -$10
Ikea Termosfar lighting system-$79.99
Ikea cork boards painted ... white on white $5 each
Portable heater/ dehumidifier depending on the season
10 000 hours of sanding and three layers of skin from each hand
More White on White paint

(prices all in CAD)

Et voila - Le Celerie

I adore this little space. When it was first done I would just go and sit in my little white room. I think Mr. K worried that I would soon request one of those fancy white jackets that do up in the back and pads for the white walls, but no. This was what I really needed - my space. Truth be told, I would have been happy with a small quaint desk in our bedroom - but this was so much better. It even has a door that miraculously keeps anyone under the age of six out and repels felines too.

I will confess that because the space has been designated as 'non-essential for the sustainability of the human race' it has the propensity to become cluttered over and over and over again with displaced household stuff; it also had the misfortune of being completely disassembled (furniture, flooring and all )when the main water valve to the house took its own life - but I am all settled in again and ready to work.

Thank you for stopping by.

Le Celerie - My Studio in the Cellar (Part One)

2009-03-31T14:00:00.000-04:00

Some people ( I like to call them androids) have an amazing ability to focus whilst surrounded by chaos - Mr. K is an android, and I am pretty certain my sister is part android too. Sadly for me and the unfortunate people I live with, I was born without this ability. So in order for me to do any type of work that involves sitting down and concentrating for more than a millisecond - I need to have a clean and uninterrupted space.

Keeping in mind that there are about four hours a week when my child folk are not with me, I also need a space that I can leave what I am working on and come back to later. For the past four years, I used the dining table - the only table in the house used for meals. This meant having to set up, work, pick up, put away and store my work and supplies every time I wanted to accomplish anything- drawing, painting, sewing and more. The result was that I didn't accomplish much. So I took a quick walk through our smallish 3 bedroom semi-detached house with no closets (the house is just over a hundred years old) and found the only space not being utilized - the cellar.

The cellar is a tiny space with a "built-in" storage area (one of two in the house), leaving the workable area only 9' x6'. Besides the small space, it has no heat, uneven cement floors, and brick walls. We had stuffed it to the gills with junk when we moved in five years ago, closed the door and never really went in again. There was an awful musty smell and cold dampness that had repelled us before - but on this day I saw only potential.

Here are a few of the before pictures of le celerie.

The first image is the view looking in through the door way.

The second image shows the length of the main wall. The space is long and narrow.

The last image shows the pre-existing very poorly, roughly built storage area that I didn't have the energy or will to even think about. I tidied and sorted and placed a curtain in front in order to conceal. Those images will come soon in Part Two - stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by.

Signs of Spring

2009-03-30T13:03:00.000-04:00

Our crokuses have bloomed and the tulips are growing. Saturday was a wonderful day to be out and puttering in the garden. Little K and I spent the morning raking leaves and playing fairy godmothers with our wands of last year's wild grasses that had dried and given us something to look at over the winter.

We spotted two wasps and one huge, gorgeous butterfly. Can't wait for more!

Find me on Polyvore

Thanks for stopping by.

Studio Redesign

2009-03-29T15:00:00.001-04:00

May will mark the one year anniversary of Mr. K moving his studio out of the dungeon (our basement) and into the small bright studio on the second floor of a building that is still being renovated and leased to artists and designers.

The importance of natural light to a painter is akin to the importance of words to a writer. Our basement ceiling, though newly renovated, still bares the scars of the mess Mr. K made when he installed three different lighting systems in order to mimic natural light. Now he has sufficient.

As I have mentioned, his is a small studio (350 sq ft) and if it were only for the purpose of painting I would have left him to his own devices - but Mr. K's studio also needs to be used for meeting with potential buyers, commission clients and for studio sales. It needed to be, well ...presentable and organised. On a very limited budget, he gave me permission to pull it together.

This is the empty studio.

Here is a move-in image of the studio (Mr. K probably would have been content to work in this.)

This is the studio after my wee design.

The prints on the wall can all be purchased at Mr. K's etsy shop http://www.beanandbird.etsy.com/ or at his website http://www.skartist.com/

With the exception of the expedit, carpets, magazine holders and yellow paint and pots (all from Ikea) the other elements were scavenged from the almighty craigslist or already owned by us.

The expedit holds every type of art publication imaginable, plus essential office supplies etc. The Ikea ps cabinet behind the chair hides even more.

I haven't photographed the painting supplies and storage areas - but will do so soon.

Aside: Please forgive my unsightly links - blogging is new to me and I am stumbling through as I go - I will figure it out eventually!

Thank you for stopping by.

Scandinavian Design

2009-03-29T15:00:00.000-04:00

I am very attracted to the bright cleanliness and sparsity of Scandinavian design. It always appears so inviting and pure and yet this aesthetic baffles me also. How can anyone live 'in' it - I mean really live in it - throw your coat down and kick off your shoes kind of live?

And what of child folk? Can they exist and thrive in this type of environment in all their messy splendour?

It seems that my perception of the stark white minimalist rooms that are presented as the hallmark of Scandinavian interiors as seen in many shelter publications - is just a tad off the mark.

The real life interiors of Swedes living in Stockholm couldn't be any further than what I imagined. The Jeu de Paume "Children's Rooms Stockholm" edition offers, in my mind, everything a child's room should offer: a safe place of comfort, inspiration, whimsy and exploration. I love the simplicity of it all - it is a true collector of vintage toys dream (read me). Each and every room is remarkably sweet, personal and welcoming.

I would love to share my favourites with you - but that would entail posting the entire book! So instead I will pick but a few.

Rut (2) & Erling (6)

Lily (3)

Rita (2)

For more information on "Children's rooms Stockholm" please visit Jeu de Paume
http://www.2dimanche.com/goods/book-e/book-e.html

Photos Copyright of Hisashi Tokuyoshi and Jeu de Paume

Thanks for stopping by.

Playing with Polyvore

2009-03-25T14:21:00.000-04:00

Spring Fling - by bebojo on Polyvore.com

It ranks just above watching TV, but is such a fun distraction from real life. Depending on how serious you are and whether or not you are a perfectionist - you can put together a quick portrait of fashion, interior design, or 'art' that you are desiring in about 5 minutes on Polyvore.com. You need to register to set up your own account if you want to save your images.

This is what I came up with for my spring wardrobe.

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Somewhere to be - by bebojo on Polyvore.com

Pearl Spring - by bebojo on Polyvore.com

Spring Casual - by bebojo on Polyvore.com

Side note: I am presently transitioning from my Columbia winter boots to last year's Walmart (shame on me) sneakers - but hey a gal can dream right!

Thanks for stopping by.

Oooo La La!

2009-03-25T13:41:00.000-04:00

When it comes to fashion - I am not very well versed, but I know what I like when I see it. After the never-ending winter we have experienced here I am yearning for colour, and John Galliano's couture collection for Christian Dior served it up exquisitely in the 2009 spring-summer collection. The fabric, construction, and utter indulgence of it all is superb.

This red piece was designed, sewn and then flipped wrong side out so that the construction and seams could be seen. It is rumoured that Galliano took inspiration from and based his designs loosely on the historic Flemish paintings. Wonderful!

Love the colours - this one is my favourite!

Thanks for stopping by.

Delivery

2009-03-23T20:41:00.000-04:00

Mr. K saw me drooling over images from a Japanese publication last week and mentioned that he was taking his friend (who was going back to Japan for a visit) to the airport the next day. A phone call was made, an order placed (through Amazon.co.jp) and voila!

I am so thrilled to linger in the pages of these books. Jeu de Paume have an incredible selection of books to choose from and narrowing down which ones I 'had' to have was a task. Stay tuned for a few peeks inside these lovely interior design books. I am off to have a warm cup of tea and a sweet read.

For more information and to get a look at the great selection of Jeu de Paume interior books go to http://www.2dimanche.com/goods/book-e/book-e.html

Thanks for stopping by.

Chihiro Iwasaki

2009-03-21T14:18:00.000-04:00

Hello again. Today I would like to introduce to you one of my favourite watercolour painters. Born in the winter of 1918 in Fukui Prefecture of Japan, Chihiro Iwasaki was a talented artist who began to study her art at the young age of 14. She became an accomplished artist as well as a book and magazine illustrator. I believe there are two museums dedicated to her art - one in the location where her house once stood in Tokyo (Tokyo Chihiro Bijutsukan) and the other in Azumino, Nagano Prefecture (Azumino Chihiro Bijutsukan) where I try to visit each time my family and I journey back to Japan to visit my in-laws.

Chihiro had an amazing ability to capture the beauty and innocence of childhood through sweet simplicity. Here are a few of my favourites:

Images from top to bottom:

"A girl staring at a moving truck" 1970

"Girl in green wind" 1972

"Baby and tulip"

Sorry, I can't seem to find this title

"Mermaid Princess" 1967

"The girl drawing" 1970

"Bird on the seashore" 1972

"Muddy boy" 1970

For more information on Chihiro Iwasaki: http://www.chihiro.jp/english/chihiro/index.htm

Images Copyright of Chihiro Art Museum

Thank you for stopping by.

Welcome!

2009-03-20T19:52:00.000-04:00

Testing 1, 2, 3 ... testing ...

Ah, the first post - like a first date really. Exciting and yet nerve wracking too - did I put on enough deodorant, does my breath smell, I hope you don't stare at the size of my nose in profile - I am so self conscious about that. And what about you? Are you a person of substance, or just another pretty face. Will this a made-in-heaven marriage be? Perhaps I am getting a bit ahead of myself, we've not yet been properly introduced.

I am a busy stay-at-home mother to big K (5) and little K (3) and wife to Mr. K . I am an artist and lover of all forms of art, except for a really strange performance thing I saw Yoko Ono do while I was pregnant with big K.

At bebojoblog, you can expect to find a lot of what inspires me, of frivolous things I momentarily desire, all mixed together with snippets of what I am working on and life's lovely interruptions.

Thank you for stopping by.