Edible structure at 'Au pied du courant'

BLOG REVAMP IN THE WORKS

There has been little activity here since I was very busy and frankly just not very inspired to share anything for quite sometime. I think for the most part I was just feeling burnt out. I had been in school studying for so long and the stress of making all that happen took a toll on me. Thankfully I got it done. Now the challenge of finding work is the pressing issue.

 Lately since I have some spare time and have been very interested in taking some computer coding courses and looking around at the various resources found on the web has got me inspired again. I guess I just love to learn new things. As a start I am going to revamp this sad looking blog so I've been revisiting some HTML basics. There really is a LOT out there for anyone who wants to learn in the DIY way. One of the resources I came across is meant to help you view some font combinations in the design stage.

The Font Combinator is awesome and you should definitely check it out if you are in search of some good combos.

The combination I came up with just for fun can be seen here. What do you think?

Sustainable Eating

This is a post about sustainable eating and the importance of eating locally sourced foods. 

I have to confess I have fallen off the "Green wagon" as it were lately. Since being in school and having a very limited budget (read 'student loan') I have in the past few years had to compromise a little on the eco-choices due to lack of funds. 

Montreal is a very green city in many ways  but there still seems to be a slightly higher premium for sustainable choices. 

Luckily there is still a fairly strong agriculture industry in the rural areas, within 30-60 minutes driving distance of the city. I love that there are so many farmers markets that thrive in town. Summer and harvest season is their busiest time but there is a good selection of locally produced foods all year round despite the frozen deep of winter here. 

Happy Independence Day!

To all those proud Americans out there! 

Enjoy the parade!

The Number One Reason why Montreal is the Best Place to be in Summer

Let me assure you, should you ever contemplate a visit to Montreal here in 'La Belle Province' during festival season, A.K.A. Summertime ~ DO IT!

 

We really do have so much to offer in the way of festivals, shows and events but the opportunity to see so much for little or no cost is just amazing. 

This past week I have seen no less than seven great live performances in as many days and I have never been disappointed. Even with the scorching heat and punishing humidity levels, the vibe in the downtown area is unbelievably positive. Everyone is so happy to be there just taking it all in.  Definitely worth the visit. 

It's a bad photo but this band above was spectacular to see live. The Melbourne Ska Orchestra had engaged the audience fully and completely the entire time they were onstage. And did I mention it was a FREE show?

In addition to all the greatness that is the Festival International de Jazz a Montreal, the iOS app is an excellent tool that I tried for the first time this year. It made my choice of shows very easy to follow with the schedule  and the reminders that kept me well-informed. 

147 Years Young

Doesn't look a day over 145! Enjoy your Canada Day everyone. (Although here in francophone quartier of Montreal where I live it is just known as 'La journee du déménagement' because everybody moves on July 1st.)

I Saw Henry Rollins last Weekend and it was Awesome.

So it's been so long since I posted anything on this blog that I'm not sure where to start getting back into it so here we go with something fairly random. 

Last weekend I went to something called Amnesia Rockfest not far from Montreal in a place called Montebello, Quebec and it was a great time. One of the highlights for me of course was seeing Henry Rollins do his spoken word show. It was as I said, AMAZING. I love listening to Henry and his words of wisdom with some comedy sprinkled in. He always inspires. (Disclaimer-I am slightly obsessed with him, in case I haven't mentioned it before. )

I just had my iPhone for picture taking so this is what I got but there are better pics by others in Instagram if you care to check it out. 

I am such a fan, you don't even know! 

Who' s The Biggest Loser Now? !!!

So I have begun to meet my 'resolutions' for the year, with the help of a little app called 'Lose It'. It's totally WORKING!!!

I lost about 5 lbs. in the first week. I was aiming for losing the recommended maximum of 2 lbs per week but I guess my body was just so used to having more calories I ended up losing a lot more. 

I think there is probably a lot of 'water weight' in there to but it's been great and so far SO easy ! Keeping on target is actually a fun little challenge and I feel like its so accurate it gives me the motivation I need to keep it up. 

There are also fun little badges you get in your email inbox so that's a nice little bonus.  

My 'New Year,New You!' Campaign is starting to pay off and I couldn't be more excited about it. YAY ME!!!

Puncha yo buns!

What have I been up to???

So it has been quite a while since I did anything "bloggerly" but I am feeling the urge to post something.

This is a renedering I did of a pre-set scene we were given by our instructor. I am finally starting to get it. It really is not perfect, I already see there is lots of room for improvement aesthetically but the fact that I am getting it is a big deal for me.

3DS Max is such a very complicated program! But this also makes it a very powerful tool. The work I have seen done is so inspiring, I really want to keep at it and improve. Like most things the key is 'Practise, practise practise!'

One For The Dogs

This pooch is truly amazing! A "dog on the go" for sure.

Wondering What Ever Happened to Michael Bolton?

Happy Inside - Oh Those Crazy Ikea Cats

Gotta love those cats!

Another Museum Day

Today we visited the Redpath Museum of Natural History at McGill campus here in Montreal. It is quite a place to explore. Anyone with an appreciation for the wonders of nature would be right at home in this gem of a building.

This is just one of the great pieces to be seen. It is a Buddha from around the 12th century Japan and is of the Pure Land Buddhist tradition. Seated in the lotus position this fellow has reached enlightenment many centuries ago.

This piece here is actually a great example of origami or paper folding sculpture on a larger scale. He is a Pterodactyl hung from the cieling and this shot shows just a small sampling of the great architectural detail to be seen in the museum building itself.

Awesome! Amazing! Astounding!

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts!

YES, I really <3 this place. Double <3 in fact.

This is the view from above on the fourth floor. The architecture is this building is the perfect frame for all the fabulous works in the collections.

Here is a fabulous bust of Napolean on the 3rd floor with circular windows. Makes for an interesting composition with the window and buildings beyond. The setting sun shining in from the window on the left lights up the piece enough to give him a golden glow even Bonapart himself would be proud of!