the dreaming Press.

Good things three: Toronto :: Paris :: Morocco {around the world in one post}

 
Are you a fan of good photography?

May 1-31 2010 if you are in Toronto, you may want to check out the Scotia-bank Contact Photo Festival. This year's theme is "Pervasive Influence", "Exploring the social and political consequences of the medium of photography, in a world devoted to the image."

 
Magnum Photos is holding a workshop at Ryerson University May 3 - May 7, 2010 for those of you who feel your skills could rise to a new level; application deadlines are April 25, 2010.

 
If you don't take photos yourself, perhaps you appreciate them as a consumer.  If so-please visit my friend's new website, Tara Bradford Photography.  She is available for assignment!  Drop in and pay her a visit.  You'll be whisked away to exotic locales without leaving your computer chair.  Within the last three years Tara's photography has been featured in FRAME Magazine, Romantic Homes, The English Home and numerous other publications of distinction.  Congratulations Tara on the launch of your beautiful new site!

Now at last but certainly not least.  No, not by a long shot least...guess who is ready to accept reservations at her new boutique hotel in Marrakech?  {You guessed it!}  Congratulations to Maryam and her husband Chris, for opening their dream of Peacock Pavilions at long last.  You may want to read a few older journal entries, the last few years have been an exciting time for their family.  My heartfelt congratulations go out to you two for all your hard work paying off!  I hope to book a Moroccan vacation soon! {Hint hint, Julian....}

xo

(click on these images to enlarge and view details-all photos taken by me in Jordan, March 2010)

Poetry in hand as the winged messengers prepare to take off on a journey....

 
Blimey! Look what Tara's posting about.  That's a bloomin' shame really.  Not in a hurry to visit now if my camera isn't welcome...after all, what is the most enjoyable thing about being a tourist?

Check out this movie {who cares if you've seen it a hundred times...) if you want to jazz up your weekend and infuse it with exotic rhythm.  A virtual trip via Spanish guitars.  Sigh. 

Susanna the dahlin'! is shipping off some of her Winged Messengers to me so I may shoot them in Petra, and other various Jordanian locales.  Won't they look beautiful in such an ancient setting?  I think so too!  Thanks Susanna!

Today is all pirate telescopes, frilly blooming flowers & hot chocolat with a hint of cayenne pepper.  Aztec style, why not? Oh, ever think of hosting one of these? Our next spa party is going to combine it with a real live psychic (I guess that is the only kind there are...but just plain "psychic" sounded less dramatic).  How much fun is that???

Enjoy your weekend loves.  Life is short.  Yell less.

xoxo

{p.s. after this morning, I'm going to take my own advice for a change....}

le cinema girl

Just checking in.

I am in the midst of a busy time.

Next time I'm sharing poetic postcards and my little writing space.  Until then....xo

What are your skies like today?

~Bottle of coke~photograph by gillian da silva

Things go better, when Coke and I, get together.  :)

I'm drinking an icy chilled Coke right now...albeit in the form of a slushie from the corner store.  It's hot, I'm bothered... so I thought, why not?

Some random randoms;

I'm loving the sound of birds chirping in the morning outside my window, something I didn't hear in the city due to high traffic.  They singsong me awake, and then in the evening, the happy buzz of insects chirping goes well with my evening tea.  Nature, it seems, has sought me out and found me.  :)

I am grocery listing for the upcoming week, we are vacationing by the lake and I mustn't forget marshmallows, or the children will completely freak out.  Cheese strings, check.  Cheesy popcorn, check.  Big fat hot dogs with mustard, check. :)

Remember the movie "Vanilla Skies"?  Well I was one of a few people who actually liked that film (I found it interesting, as far as psychological thrillers go), but the name was taken from a painting by Claude Monet. My skies look like that right now.  I'm wondering what your skies look like today?

I just love jelly beans.  Especially the Jelly Belly kind, and I like to eat them with my eyes closed and try to guess the flavour.  Any idea what my fave one is?  I adore this one.

Have a super beautiful day followed by a cosy happy sleep with vivid gorgeous vast and sweeping epic dreams. xo

Added random bonus;

14 years ago I was in the delivery room for a most beautiful moment, the birth of my nephew.  Well he now TOWERS over me, and is such a cute thing you could pinch his cheeks all week long.  HERE is the cake my brother and sister in law got him for his birthday...super cool, don't you think? Yes, that is his actual cake featured on the blog, "Cake it from me". Is she a genius, or what??

Have a most enjoyable weekend~!

Cherry Colas in the window at Suckers , on the Danforth 

Here's looking at you, kids.

I'm off to enjoy what's left of my weekend.  I'll putz about the house, make some new recipes, play with my kids.  I'll stop to smell the roses.  I'll clean up the yard.  I'll do laundry, sleep & watch movies.  Some yummy hot tea will factor in there somewhere. I'll also celebrate my nephew's birthday with family on Sunday! :)

Whatever you do, have the best weekend. Evah!

xo

Enjambement.

 

It's Sunday and I'm happy to be home putzing about doing what I do best. (My new bedroom windows allow the sun to tap me on the shoulder, waking me up.  It's a sweet view, with the golden light coming up over the houses on the street. I'm surprised to be up so early, as last night we saw Paul Potts in concert.  Not Pol Pot.  LOL!!! The Nessun Dorma's were weep worthy. But truly my fave of the evening was Caruso...love that song!)

So...today I'll eat toast, drink tea, flip through my book, fret about my hair (Thursday's appointment seems so very far away!), attempt more unpacking. 

I'll weed the yard, fuss over the kids, call my mum.

I'll make a dinner.  (After I go to the grocery store and spend so much more money than is necessary because when I shop I'm a chef!  I can go on T.V. and prepare culinary delights for the nation to envy and emulate! Taste buds will stop in their tracks! Faces will gaze upwards in praise singing...)  It'll likely be a simple meal.  Who am I kidding?  It will likely have an avocado in there somewhere! Oh I've also been told there is far too much food being thrown away.  We compost now, and well, let's just say our bin was overflowing this week!  Egg shells and tea bags baby.

I'll nip out with some excuse or other with my foot to the floor (pedal to the metal baby) and gun it to some pretty location, camera in hand, hoping, wishing and praying for the right light! The right subjects! The right mood! And right when I'm about to snap the perfect photo my cell phone will ring and it will be my sweet husband asking me to pick up milk, and "How much longer do you think you'll be?"

Whatever Sunday brings you, whether you are washing your car (windex those inside windows, it makes for better night driving), making spaghetti bolognaise, watching Amelie, painting your toenails, chatting with your friend on the phone about closet organizers & the benefits of aioli sauce on a salmon burger...or just napping on the couch with the dog curled up behind your knees....do it with L O V E.

Have a  lovely Sunday mon cheries!!!

p.s. Did you have to look up the post title? Perhaps you are a smarty pants and don't need to. (If so, good fa you!)

Do you know why

It is relevant

Here, now, for you to grow!

Wiser, stronger you will be

for using this in your _____ :) 

? {Lousy example, true!)

edit:

I'm sorry for the comment trouble guys.  It should be fixed now. :)

Flower picking.

A field of wild daisies near my home.

Thursday is upon us and that means a few things to me; It means I'll rise with the sun and pop off to work with a song, because the world keeps turning and people need us.  (Who needs you today? Cause that includes YOU.) It means I'll start a new book today.  I'll listen to this song a few times.  Cause I love it.

Does Thursday have a scent?  I think Thursday smells like naturally aged Indian sandalwood, with a hint of Moroccan rose. (It's got to smell good! . It's the day before Friday after all.)

Now some sharings (internet flower pickin's);

Want to watch a stylish old French film?  (Love her hair! She does too, combing it as much as she does.)

This is one expensive restaurant bill!

A place to exhibit your photography. Free.

Go have yourselves a joyous one, embrace those who embrace you, kiss those who kiss you, and praise those who need it.

xo

EDIT; I know the *new* Typepad has its niggles.  (Don't you love that word?) Anyway, I've become addicted to following.  Now I'm finding all these glorious writers and blogs...who knew?  What a pot-of-gold at the end of the rainbow! Go get your free profile...then you too can follow along.  Such fun! :)

Adventures in thrifting, music, cooking & love~.

 

Thrifting+Me=Happiness & Joy!!!  Check out the sweet new Kodak Brownie Starflash {the superheroe of old cameras~!} I also picked up an old German SLR, in the original brown leather case.  For peanuts.  :)

I'm wiggling and skipping and jumping for JOY because two of my favourite acts have new albums (can I still say album or does that make me old?  don't answer that)  Bat for Lashes and Coconut Records.  If you ever hitch a ride and I pick you up you will be forced to listen to this, okay?  Natasha Khan is my style hero and I just LOVE her voice.  Listen and watch. Isn't that AWESOME?

My beloved sister in law (the perfect health nut) inspired me to eat clean.  So now I am eating flavourful spicy food that is as close to it's natural state as possible.  I'm addicted to this.  I'm a kitchen whiz!  And now my kids are off the frozen pizzas so I'm happy.  It requires organization in the kitchen, and planning, but it is all worth it.  Go see.

Love? Well love is...allowing your husband to joke about the breakout you are suffering due to the self-inflicted detoxing...

Julian: "Hey, uh, what's up with your face?" (sporting a grin)

Me: "Oh, I'm breaking out because of the eating clean thing." (slightly embarassed, looking away sheepishly)

Julian: "Did you watch the You Tube video of the lady from Britain? She sings really well.  Susan..."

Me: (tossing a towel at him) "Shut up you *ss.  You know it's Boyle."

So there you have it.  If he wasn't so funny, he'd be dead.

Enjoy your weekend kids~! xo

***

Bonus material; For a follow up while I was applying my makeup. Julian: "Gimme a G." (goiner)

Then, just before the giant hook came out and yanked him off stage....Julian: "NASA called babe.  They are short a planet."

You talkin ta me?

 

This swan was originally slated to appear only in my flickr set, {solitary sister~}

But here is the swan, now part of the latest sea to sky collaborative sunday photo.

I went down to the lake, to snap photos of gulls with a rather large and fun lens I have, and the swan walked right up to me, the top of it's head at my navel.  I was a bit unnerved, but I figured I could outrun it if necessary.  :)  He was hungry as it turns out, he went for an abandoned mitten left lying on the beach.  Alas, I had no swan food on me.

Here's what is happening around here;

Currently I await some yummy chai applebutter I ordered from Marilyn. I shall put it on my favourite melba toast, and have it with hot Earl Grey.

Last night I dreamt I was cuddled up on Joe's couch watching a movie.  It was kind of like I lived there {except the t.v. is in the bedroom, so in my dream he had moved it out to the living room! I know this, because I've actually been there...remember?} Sadly, Joe has given up blogging for Lent.  We'll see him after Easter.  

Ever have lucid, realistic dreams that you could swear were real?  I do all the time.  I awoke at 3am in my own bed, not Joe's place.  It took me a minute to realize where I was.

Tonight I'm watching this movie I rented.  I shall let you know how it pans out, it looks promising.  Tomorrow, I'm watching this beautifully photographed one.

Splendid evening to you all.....xoxo Kisses and hugs! {keep those poems coming xo}

Love wears a thousand masks.

The photographer.

The photograph-ee.

The most photographed.

Apparent distinctions exist only in our minds.  For example, in the sky there is no distinction of east and west.  People create such distinctions and then believe them to be true.  We do the same in everyday life-making distinctions, such as "us" and "them", where none exist and then believing them to be real.  -Taro Gold, from Open your Mind, Open your Life

***

I dreamt once that I met Jesus.  He was wearing a black and white striped prisoners uniform.  He fell from a scaffolding and landed at my feet, whereby he pulled off his "face" to reveal a brilliant and glorious blinding light.  I realized he was telling me in the dream that we all have brilliant light within, and our "masks" are not to be believed.  I knew in my heart in an instant he was Jesus.  He told me to stop searching.  My light was within, just like everyone else's. 

There are no distinctions.  Make no distinctions.  Open your heart, and turn your face to the sun.  A bright new future awaits.

xo