Mod Mischief

Oh Michael, you will be missed.

Chris spent at least an hour last night showing me his favourite posts on cute overload . I like a man who is secure enough in his masculinity to enjoy looking at pictures of fluffy kittens. In honour of all that is cute, here are some pics of Nim and Noi enjoying their new cage . Last weekend, Chris and I took some steel wool and a lot of elbow grease to the GGGS find and the girls moved in on Sunday. Their old cage is now making some other rats happy through the wonders of freecycle . By the way, that adorable little house was only $3 at Giant Tiger!

Yes ’ album art is awesome in that oh-so-seventies kind of way. It was a lot of fun (and a bit of a challenge) coming up with a way to turn some of it into a painted record clock . Now imagine if you could live inside those trippy, spacey scenes... Roger Dean , the artist behind those album covers, is trying to make it possible . Pretty wild. Photos from http://www.rogerdean.com/

I, like most people, had heard about Burning Man . Whenever the event was referenced in pop culture or brought up in conversation, I thought it sounded cool, but that was about it. So how did I get to the point where I have, in the last few days, spent countless hours combing over every article and image on burningman.com ? ( Caroline Miller, 2008 ) I’m going to blame naked bike riders. Last weekend, Chris and I watched part of the World Naked Bike Ride ’s ride through Ottawa . Neither of us have bikes, nor do we typically feel comfortable removing our clothes in public, so we weren’t participating, but we did cheer them on. I support their attempt to draw attention to cyclists and how vulnerable they are on the roads. That being said, their body painting was rather pathetic. Chris and I started talking about how we could do much better and then it evolved into a discussion on where we might be able to actually do said body painting… So now we’re going to Burning Man. I can hardly wa...

Another commissioned piece done just in time for Father's Day. I'm currently working on a set of Rolling Stones records, so you can expect lots more coming soon.

One of the best parts of this weekend was volunteering with Apathy is Boring at the Caledonia Show. Not only is their new album awesome (don’t believe me? read the reviews here & here ) but the guys in the band are all really cool. As if teaming up with A is B wasn’t enough, they also make their own merch by silk screening on Value Village finds. Political activism and upcycled shirts in vintage suitcases… swoon… I also got a chance to chat with Francois from Apartment 613 , a blog “on a mission to find the greatest events, thinkers, tips and commentary on life and happenings in Ottawa.” Definitely one worth following.

When we weren’t busy snooping through some of the city’s more interesting buildings, Chris and I went walking through the New Art Festival (formerly known as Art in the Park). So much incredible art to look at! I only wish I could afford to bring some of it home. Hands down, my favourite stall belonged to Tick Tock Tom. Tick Tock Tom’s incredible metal sculptures look so alive. I can’t wait to see the piece that is currently in the works for this year’s Lumière festival .

This weekend was filled with so much awesomeness, I can’t possibly blog about it all. As previously posted , I had plans to hit up Doors Open Ottawa and I ended up seeing some really interesting stuff. The first place we went to see was the Aga Khan ’s new building, the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat (I totally had to look that name up). So cool. I could gush about architect Fumihiko Maki ’s “ architectural jewel ” but I think the photos speak for themselves. We also toured the Supreme Court . I love art deco. I finally saw Laurier House , we went into the Laurentian Leadership Centre , and stopped by the Croatian Embassy . The view from the C.D. Howe Building ’s green roof was beautiful!

This week my living room turned into a silk screening studio. I made all the team t-shirts for Off Constantly, my rec. ultimate team. While I can’t take any credit for the clever name or the eggbeater concept, Chris and I made the design and I printed all 14 shirts on the living room floor. My teammates wasted no time getting their new uniforms dirty.

“Revel in the architecture! Soak up the heritage!” With catchy slogans like that, how could I not participate? I’m currently trying to plan my route for Doors Open Ottawa . I love this event for so many reasons. I’m really a big snoop and Doors Open lets me sneak a peek into some of the most interesting buildings in the city. It also provides me with new trivia for when I default to Ottawa tour guide mode, and, best of all, it’s free! This year’s lineup looks pretty good, although I am quite disappointed that some of the sites I didn’t get into last year are no longer on the list. On the to do list for this year: C.D. Howe Building – they’ve got a new ‘green roof’ that sounds pretty cool Laurier House – home to some of Canada’s most colourful prime ministers, I’ve been meaning to check this one out for a while Laurentian Leadership Centre – I used to walk by this 100 year old house everyday when I lived in Centretown and I’m curious to see if it is as pretty on the inside as I alway...

This is so true. Motoretta Series Scooter Print by John W. Golden I want a vespa. Of course it really makes no sense with Ottawa’s weather. So I might just have to settle for this tote bag. Scooter Tote by vital Or maybe this adorable cup cozy. Blue Scooter Eco-friendly Cup Cozy Sleeve by Bird Trouble

I wish I was friends with Katie Soloker . The beautiful and bubbly photographer/artist/performer always makes me smile with her work . If you need a little pick me up, I recommend reading her blog, Colour Me Katie . I’d be amazed if you don’t immediately fall in love with her too. Check out a documentary on her street art here .