"Pretty Bird!"

My love of birds grows with each passing year. I suppose I've partially inherited this interest through my mother's own enthusiastic appreciation. In fact, my husband need only (in falsetto ;) say "Pretty Bird," and we all know who he is referring to!

I was quite enchanted by this smart little bird in the news this morning. After an illustrious 60 year career, Sir David Attenborough (of BBC's Life Series) has chosen watching the Vogelkop Bowerbird woo a mate as his most enduring memory. That's quite the endorsement, I'd say.

The bird, known as the Barry White of the bird world, resides in the mountains of Western New Guinea, and the male of the species is famed for creating intricate flower displays to attract females.

I Vant To Bite Your Finger

Spooktacular Greetings!

I happened to stumble across this hilarious toy commercial (is 1981 considered 'vintage' :) and thought it fit in quite nicely with today's theme. Have any of you ever owned or played with this one?

Halloween is my favourite holiday and the past two weeks I've been very happily overdosing on horror movies: The Exorcist, Christine, Cujo, An American Werewolf in London, Friday the 13th, Aliens (including Aliens vs. Predators), The Shining, Chucky and Dead Silence (evil ventriloquist dummies - yikes!) to name a few. I seem to find the eerie, the spooky, and the downright terrifying almost cozy this time of the year.

Isn't this used 1890s Vampire Hunting Kit frightfully interesting? Included is a crucifix, stake, mallet, hatchet, German stamped letter to the mother of deceased victim, signed new testament bible by hunter Andrew Kauffman along with picture of victim, pliers, Remington derringer pistol, rosary, syringe, garlic extract, sulphur, hair from destroyed vampire, pulled fangs of destroyed vampire & holy oil. One can never be too prepared...

Happy Haunting!

A Belated Canada Day & A Happy 4th of July

A very happy 4th of July to all my American neighbors! I took the above pics two years ago on a luncheon cruise through the Thousand Islands in our shared waterway, the St. Lawrence.

Did you know it's also 'Country Music Day'? While I am not a big fan of country music per se, I do have a few favourites within the genre. Here's one I fondly remember from the era of vinyl and dusty needles. 

Just Do It!

"You are the force to be reckoned with"

"Think power and perfection"

"You are worth it"

After a six-week 'break', I finally started working out again. My litany of excuses was wearing thin (and my butt was getting soft) so on Wednesday I gave myself a good talking to and a swift kick! It felt great - and I'm once again left wondering why I avoid doing what I know from experience is good for me. When I'm exercising I'm a much happier, motivated person. The weird thing is that I can be very disciplined for months on end and then mysteriously fall off the wagon for a while. During those periods that I am motivated, I prefer to work out in the privacy of my own home and do a circuit of weight training (very important for women as they age), light cardio and pilates. I also try to go for a long walk every other day - but this doesn't always happen. The above quotes are Jari Love's (Get Ripped!) words of encouragement that I desperately cling to in my darkest moments :)  I have four of her dvd's and she's a huge inspiration. She's a Calgarian btw.

Do you exercise? What type? No, gardening doesn't count! How do you stay motivated?

Here's a very energetic episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway? with exercise guru Richard Simmons. 
I love this show - thank goodness for re-runs.

Enjoy your weekend!

A Warm Welcome

We had serious meltage over the weekend and I saw a number of robins and even a big 'ol housefly, so I got on my rubber boots and went outside to look for signs of life in my garden! I can already see that our first order of business will be to re-stain the deck...

I hadn't opened my garden shed (aka: my "office") since I'd shut it tight one very bitter afternoon in early November. This was the delightful greeting I received when I threw open the doors :) I'll admit that I actually got a bit choked up, lol! It was a long winter. 

The familiar smells were so welcoming (Eau de Summer?) and I sat down with my coffee for a spell. Does your shed look like mine first thing in the spring? Be thankful for what you can't see! We shove all our lawn furniture in at the very last and anything else that's lying about just before the snow flies and come spring have to do a big clean-up. 

A little camera shy :) You can barely see it, but that green step-ladder has been kicking around over fifty years - we've had it for close to thirty. Needless to say it's getting rickety! 

Speaking of clean-up - my yard is a disaster. As the leaves descend in the fall, I bag up the majority, but a good portion are piled on top of the beds to blanket them through the winter. What a mess come spring! I spent three hours outside yesterday and plan to work at it a little bit each day this week.

Poppies are one of the first plants to wake up. I love their bright green furry leaves.

A peony bud - this plant has white blooms.

Did you know that April is poetry month? I didn't either - thanks Em :) I'd love you to share your favourite piece of prose - perhaps it's one that you remember from childhood or something you've only recently discovered. When you open my comments section, you'll see a silly one I committed to memory many moons ago - for some unknown reason it comes back to me quite regularly!

Here's one of the great modern poets - Joni Mitchell

I am always impressed with her verbal gymnastics in this one!

Have a great week :)

Extreme Downsizing

The Small (aka Tiny) House Movement is getting huge!

A word of warning: this is going to be a big post... thankfully now that I'm down to posting only once a week, you have the luxury of returning again throughout the week if you don't have the time to look at everything the first time.

I have been fascinated by people who live in smaller spaces, either by necessity or choice, for quite some time now. Last April (almost to the day) I profiled a woman who lived in a very tiny Manhattan apartment. I was totally transfixed by the cuteness - and challenges - of her lifestyle. Last Thursday I happened to stumble across this interesting article in the Huffington Post, and then when a good friend forwarded me a very cool page she'd found in Bing Images, I figured it must be time for another look!

The past number of years have seen houses get progressively larger and larger, with the average new home somewhere in the mid-2,000 square foot range. Tiny homes are generally anywhere from 90 to 400 square feet! There are a multitude of reasons why people are choosing smaller homes; some are attracted to the mobile lifestyle, since many are built on trailer beds, while others like the idea of owning a home, but without the mortgage payments and upkeep of a traditional house. Some are drawn to the physical and philosophical freedom fewer possessions afford; these are the people who most intrigue me. Below are three videos that I hope you can find the time to watch over the next week. I think the tiny house movement has the makings for a great reality tv-series (even though I generally despise this genre).

When you have the time, this ten-minute profile is worth watching.
Fascinating to say the least.

The Japanese are renowned for maximizing space, while still retaining beauty.

Given it's size constraints, this house is astounding.

You will be amazed by what is packed into the wall to his left!

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Also, it's time to announce our latest contest winners! Along my side-bar is this month's recipient of the Whoo Loves Ya Baby! award. Congratulations to Diane from Always Crave Cute "A Blog About Crafting, Cute Things and More..."!! Cute doesn't begin the describe Diane's blog - adorable, darling and precious are a few of the words I'd use to describe the things Diane shares with us. If you haven't already, I encourage you to stop by and perhaps become a new follower - you'll probably need to visit the dentist after a few visits, she's so darn sweet, but it'll have been worth it :)

As well, the winner of the March caption contest is Martha from Plowing Through Life! She has earned the coveted (lol!) spot along my sidebar for April and a little surprise winging her way via Canada Post. Thanks for your rocking line Martha and thanks to everyone who participated - all your submissions were great, but alas there can only be one winner. Check out the April Caption Contest page (under my header) for this month's quip-provoking pic :)

Have a great day and try to find some time to visit your local thrift store this week.
Who knows, you might find an original Picasso print for $14, like this guy! 

This 'n That

Well, Spring has sprung! Yesterday we reached a high of +13C and it marked the third time I've donned an official spring jacket :) When I was running errands, I noticed that we've essentially lost 95% of our snow; a couple of buckets worth are all that remain in my front and back yard. I was feeling so good (I get positively giddy on beautiful spring days) that I purchased this bonsai plant! The trunk reminds me of sweet potatoes.

As you may have guessed by my new header pic, I recently discovered Photobucket! Why hasn't anyone told me about this amazing site before? I'm pretty excited about the collage feature and plan to change things up on a fairly regular basis now. Prepare yourself for a virtual onslaught of collages of every possible description. Above are some pics from a few of my personal all-time favourite posts. Do you remember any of these? I suspect there's a couple of long-time followers who might!  

In American Idol news, one of my idols, Stevie Nicks, mentored the contestants this week. Her advice was spot on and you sure can tell she is a big promoter of up and coming talent. So talented herself, mysterious and beautiful - I think she is amazing! What's even more incredible, is that she turns 64 in May... Wow - looking good :)

Emma's quite interested in my new plant... maybe a little too interested,

I plan to keep my eye on her!

Now that warmer weather has (finally!) arrived, I will be posting only once a week (on Tuesdays) for the next number of months - probably until fall. This is not a hard and fast rule, and if something comes up that I simply must share with you, I'll pop it up, but for the most part I hope to stick to my self-imposed schedule. I'll still be visiting my favourite blogs, maybe not every day, but I'll catch up on any posts I've missed when I do :)

Have a great weekend and see you all on Tuesday!

The Sweet Smell of Memory

Another day, another reason to celebrate; it's Fragrance Day!

Hahaha - We've all met this guy :)

What's your favourite scent? 

Oddly enough, one of mine is almond extract. Growing up, there was a corner store two blocks away from my home that I would visit just to drink in the overpowering smell of almonds that permeated it. I don't know what the reason was behind their signature scent, but it's indelibly inked on my memory. 

Speaking of corner stores, do you remember when there was one on just about every corner? Within a four block radius of my home there were six. I don't know about you, but I really miss them, especially in the spring/summer/fall months. Some of my fondest memories include walking to the corner store on a blistering hot afternoon for a freezie or an early evening stroll for a chocolate bar. Every establishment was unique; the proprietors lived at the back of the building (you could often sneak a quick glance into their home if the door was ajar...) and they carried everything: fishing tackle, pickled eggs, nylons, tacky gifts, penny candy, army knives, comic books - you name it. Some of it was dusty and dated (even by '70's standards), but somehow this just added to the overall ambience and appeal!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

"May the luck of the Irish 

Lead to happiest heights 

And the highway you travel 

Be lined with green lights. 

Wherever you go and whatever you do, 

May the luck of the Irish be there with you."

All Roads Lead Home

With the internet and social networking completely infiltrating our lives, it's truly become a small world after all. Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away from any other person on Earth; a chain of "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer.

Kevin Bacon once claimed that he had worked with everyone in Hollywood, 

and the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game was born; much to his chagrin.

This post came as a result of a little game I play all the time when surfing the net. Quite often, when I end up on a new blog either through following a link sent to me or one I follow while on a website, I try to get myself home - ie: back to Jane's Jewels (staying only within the trail of the 'followers'). Way more often than not,  I do - and in a surprisingly few number of moves! The blogging community is very inter-connected and I end up on your blogs (& then back to mine) through the most (seemingly) unlikeliest of routes. 

Have you ever played this game? Have you also been surprised by how small the internet actually is?

It's Still Daryl Hall Day!

Daryl is still very active in the music scene - this is an excerpt from his monthly free live performance webcast, 'Live from Daryl's House' shot in his home, where he jams with everyone from older artists 

to new upcoming talent.

A Delicious Decision!

You know what's nice about having your own blog? You call the shots! I had a post all ready for today - some boring recipe for a Red Lentil and Cauliflower soup that I made on Thursday evening, but then I got on YouTube... and one thing led to another... and now I've decided to declare it Daryl Hall Day - all day!! At 65, he's still way more delicious than my soup could ever hope to be. I even tagged a new label in his honor - moving forward, you'll find him under 'yummy,' lol!!

The Future Technology

Your Friday funny!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Birthday Caroline :)

My daughter is 25 today!

Where have the years gone?

This was taken at her high school grad in 2005.

xxoo

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Isn't he gorgeous!

Happy Monday :) I hope your weekend was an enjoyable one.

Did you know it's Multiple Personality Day?

In honour of today, here's a Props segment from the very funny 'Whose Line Is It Anyways?'

Have a great day - whoever you are!

The Astounding World of the Future!

Here's your Sunday chuckle!!

1957 Vision of the Year 2000

Continuing yesterday's theme, we move even further into the future.

Season 11

"Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things." 

Well, another season of American Idol is underway (can you believe this is the 11th year?) and Steven Tyler is once again in fine form; I love his hilarious, though often cringe-worthy outbursts. He's certainly a breath of fresh air compared to that sour-puss Simon Cowell. He may be crazy, unpredictable and wear ladies blouses, but he's also funny, endearing and seems to genuinely care about the contestants. As I watch the series, I plan to scribble down some of his funniest quips and share them with you when it's all over.

Watching the tryouts is not for the faint of heart. 

This one from a few seasons ago cracks me up every time!!

Being Otherworldly

I stumbled across this fantastic list lately, printed it off and now keep it where I see it on a daily basis.

Today, I'm practicing #5.

The gardeners from yesterday are of course... the fairies :) And what could be more adorable 

than a fairy house! Did you know there are entire websites devoted to this passion?

Thanks goodness, you might just need a door for your fairy house.

This is the one I'd choose!

or some enchanted stepping-stones...

Tee hee!

Create your own, utilizing the natural materials that surround you.

Or go all the way and build the next best thing to a fairy house: a treehouse for adults :)

This is so cool.

A Second Opinion

LOVE this advice!

I Do, That's Whoo!

I've been getting so spoiled lately with all the awards that are being passed around, that I thought it would be fun to come up with an award of my own. Martha also has the same idea which she expressed in her comments to Friday's post - I guess it is true: great minds do think alike :) 

The Whoo Loves Ya Baby! award:

~ recognizes one fantastic blogger each month 

~ comes with no 'rules' 

~ does not need to be posted on the recipient's blog (unless they so choose)  

~ but, will be posted along my sidebar with a link back to the honouree's blog for that month.

This month's recipient is Francie, who's blog, A North End Journal, is an entertaining and often 

thought-provoking read. I love discovering new blogs and only recently stumbled across Francie;

now I find myself eagerly anticipating her next post. 

She also has a hilarious Valentine's Day contest running right now,

the 2nd Annual Magic Pig Wand Contest, that there's still time to get in on.

Did you know that Magic Pig Wands take all the calories out of chocolate?!! 

Mr. Cool