Iggly, Piggly, Oops!

For the past couple weeks, we have been in and out of Toys"R"Us looking for toy ideas for the 1 of many birthdays coming up this summer. We walked up and down many isles starting from small puzzles all the way up to Nintendo land. We spotted quite a few new additions to kiddy land. Some of which are very unusual to say the least. I just don't get how people think these things up… What ever happened to ol' Teddy Ruxpin or the Carebears?

The strangest of the many toys are these funny looking creatures. Created by the same "geniuses" who brought us Teletubbies, in The Night Garden is a BBC children's show geared towards young toddlers and babies which explores the differences between being asleep and being awake from a child's perspective. (did you get all of that?) After seeing a few of the characters in stuffed form, I really don't think I'd want my kid to watch this.. Here are a few pics I snapped up last weekend.. Kind of creepy.. Don't ya think?

Looks like a Bald ewok.. don't ya think?

I think I'm going to stick to the familiar Elmo and friends, thank you!

I (heart) Avenue Q ...

I was very surprised to learn that after 6 very successful years on Broadway, Avenue Q is set to close it's doors September 13 2009. During our 10 day stint in the city, we were fortunate enough to have been able to see this show. The talent was amazing.. If you are planning to see a show on the Great White Way, please take my advise and see this show. The reviews speak for themselves.

The wikipedia summary of the show doesn't do any justice in regards to the amazing cast. Honest to god, this show brings Dame Edna to shame. Charming and Absolutely vulgar in every possible way, you will not have a dull moment and won't be disappointed with this spectacle.

A little about the theater..

The John Golden isn't a brand new state of the art facility. The seats are old and the place is really run down. That being said, there isn't a bad seat in the house (viewing wise). It's a smaller theater and the intimate setting really worked in the shows favor. You want to be able to see the actors facial expressions and watch as their characters come to life. We sat in the balcony (second tier) and saw EVERYTHING. (Also, if you have a chance, take a moment and look up at the ceiling and stage's ornate decor. It's a sight to see)

If I were to recommend one thing, skip the booze at intermission. The bartender was a little too liberal when she made our drinks.. (I'll take it easy on her.. she probably had an off night) $20 for 2 very small/boozy drinks.. I only wanted a refresher!! If you're really thirsty go for the pop and grab a drink after the show. There are tons of restaurants and cafés in the area, you'll have a good mix of choices available to you.

Alrighty, back to the show..

{shot of the set for Avenue Q at the John Golden}

The set, a row of run down townhouses, is very minimalist. The characters are really the driving force which brings this show to life. Saying that the cast is amazing is an understatement. They really know how to make their puppets feel emotions and keep us captivated in their story. Carey Anderson, an ABSOLUTE Stand out, charmed the pants right off of us as Kate Monster & Lucy the Slut. I'd say that she alone is worth seeing this show, but it wouldn't be fair as the rest of the ensemble cast also performed beyond our expectations. That said, the petite blond is all we could think about after the show. She made quite the impression on us. You also can't forget Treckie (a cookie monster/ Oscar the grouch cross), he will leave you in stitches.

My top 3 numbers from the show:

-What do you do with a BA in English (great show opener!!)

-The Internet is for porn

-My girlfriend who lives in Canada
-There is life outside your apartment (I know I said top 3, but there is a moment in this song that cracks me up all the time)

I tried getting familiar with the music before seeing the show but I just couldn't get into it. I'm a very visual person and I had a hard time associating with the different characters and didn't really know where the story was going. I suggest you wait to listen to the soundtrack before you see the show. Now every time I listen to this soundtrack, I LOVE it.

I would totally recommend this for adults & teens around the age of 16-17. You can bring your entire family, but be WARNED. Be prepared to explain curse words, sexual references and explicit puppet fornication (sex) to your 13 year old. I'll leave it at that.

After the show, head on outside to have a photo op with Treckie (in billboard form). We couldn't help but hog the poster for about 15 minutes. You want to remember the good times right??

{a friend and I getting cozy with Treckie}

On a last note, DO NOT BUY TICKETS AT FULL PRICE. Not right now anyways. Look online for LEGITIMATE ticketing companies who offer discount codes for the show. They are trying to get tourists back in the city, due to the crappy economy, so take advantage of these special codes. You can also head down to Time Square the day of the show at the TICKTS booth for great discounts; anticipate for a huge line-up. I signed up to get e-mails from Playbill.com for discount codes.

VERY WELL WORTH IT!!

Ratings: A++++++

The morning of crafts..

Every couple months, our organisation gets together for Town Hall meetings to update us on what is new and going on in the unit these days. During the meetings there are presentations, guest speakers and on occasion team building exercises.

Usually, I don't stick around for the team building exercises, but this time around I was intrigued. About half way through the meeting, a group of individuals passed gift bags around the room. Each table got a bag stuffed with sharpies, poster boards, foam paper, pipe cleaners, 4 pints of play -doh, glue and lots of little crafty things.


I think I was the only one who was really excited about the project.. While everyone else rolled their eyes at the bag, I rummaged through it and got really excited about all the goodies we had to play with. I just love to do crafts in my spare time. I'm not very good at it, but I have lots of fun doing it! Also, I LOVE play-d'oh.. BONUS!!

I'm not gonna go into much detail of what the project is supposed to represent (just in case people I work with figure out I have this blog) but here are a few shots of the project. It may look like a first grade craft project.. but we had tons of fun putting this together..

From now on, I think I'll attend all team building exercises.. the play d'oh is worth the trouble.

Goodbye MJ...

via unseen 360

what a day..

Adventures in New York City..

Back in February, the better half and I spent 10 fantastic days in New York City. We had been to the city together before with family, but we never really got a chance to walk around and do things on our own. This time around, we got a glimpse of what living in New York would be like. a test run if you will. Let me tell you.. This city can be overwhelming and very exciting all at the same time.

So how was the trip you ask? To sum it up in one word… NYC was amazing. We did almost everything we wanted to get done and saw so many sites we’d never really seen or heard of before. This being my 5th trip to the big apple (I know over kill) I was pleased to see old favorites and enjoyed getting lost amongst the skyscrapers and small shops.

Before we left Ottawa for our adventure, I started a blog dedicated to our stay in the city. That lasted about a week after we got back. There was so much going on, I didn't know where to start. M.B.F(massive brain fart) got in the way. That said, instead of updating that blog daily, I've decided on dedicating weekly posts of stories, pictures and reviews on what we loved and didn't like about our trip here.

To start things off on the right foot, here is a quick summary of what we've learned during our stay in the city..

1. Chinatown, Canal st, is always open no matter the holiday so please, don’t freak out. There will always be bags in the backrooms waiting for you to take them home.
   
2. The express line on the subway is nothing like the local line. Be careful, you might end up in Harlem if you aren’t paying attention!
   
3. When you see a dog in Central Park, don’t rush to pet it. If they don’t see you coming, you might get a very unexpected surprise coming your way!
   
4. It is very cold and windy on the Brooklyn bridge.
   
5. Broadway and West Broadway are 2 very different streets. Please make sure you don’t confuse the pair.
   
6. Never EVER buy electronics in Time Square. (consider yourself warned)
   
7. Use the Subway, it’s much cheaper to get from one end of the city to the other rather than taking a cab.
   
8. Movie Mike has the best bootleg DVD collection in town, at $5 a pop, you won’t be disappointed.
   
9. Always cross at an intersection in Time Square. Cabbies may see you, but they will never stop if the light is green. Be very careful or a trip to the hospital might be required.
   
10. Wear sensible shoes people... unlike Nancy Sinatra, my boots were made for walking shorter distances.. Keep your daisy boots at home and wear sneakers...

Stay tuned for more…

bench, bokeh and fuzz.. oh my!!

When I get home after a long day at work I have a quick dinner with the better half and crash on the couch watching Family Guy and reruns of Friends.. what an interesting life we lead right? This happens more times than not.. we really need to get into a better routine. Having something to do everyday afterwork, might motivate us to do more before the end of the day..

in comes Le Plan.

After browsing flickr for a few inspiring ideas (thanks guys), I decided to participate in a few of the groups.. starting this week, every Monday/Wednesday/Friday I'll have new shots ready to go involving benches, bokeh and lots of furry pets.

whoo!

From A - Z

via living etc

Mmmmmm.. really loving this! Maybe a little too much for the kitchen.. but the office could use a little excitement.. creative juices are starting to flow friends!!

Project Powder room

More to come... 

Here are a few before pictures.. 

Garden shmarden..

After posting about my Irises last week, I really wanted to have the gardens cleaned up over the weekend..

I have a feeling we are going to see the best garden we've had to date..

p.s. I think the cat is really going to like it's new digs under the Peonies..

I {heart} Soup

Nothing like a good old bowl of french onion soup to satisfy your hunger.. my mouth is watering just looking at this photo from last night's dinner...

ahhh I wish I could go home early and serve up one of these babies... hmmmmm

Goodness gracious.. what a day..

Since early May, things on Sunnybrooke have kicked into high gear. We had our first Annual Sunnybrooke Drive Street party on Saturday. What a great way to meet your neighbours and share a couple laughs.. Our front door neighbours performed for the street, had stick on tattoo station for the kids, chalk drawing contests on the road, a fishing booth, a play-d'oh station down the road.. just fun!!

Have I mentioned I love our street? everyone is so friendly!!

Unfortunately for us, we weren't able to stick around more than a few hours.. But we did make our rounds to make sure we said Hello to everybody we met along the way.

Hopefully next year will be just as successful..

We're thinking of getting a bouncy bounce for the driveway... can't wait!!!

Friday girls night recap..

4 girls

had chinese food

played an awesome game of Scene it

and danced until the wee hours of the morning

outcome?

awesome fun..

This weekend..

I will:

Clean the garden
Paint the garden bench
Organise the office
Make waffles
Call granny (long over due)
Get rid of at least 3 garbage bags of clothes (tip of the iceberg)
Take one minute for myself and breath
Practice taking pictures
Walk the dog at least 9 times (3 times a day *F*s*S*)
Purchase a cheesy lawn ornament
Have beers with the neighbours
Visit at least 3 yard sales
Enjoy a homemade dinner outside on the patio

And most of all, remember to smile.

Enjoy the weekend folks.. The sun is finally here to stay..

the blooms are out...

Finally... my beautiful Irises come out to play.

Home Renos: kitchen floors

I'm not gonna lie to you, we were conned big when we bought the house. The first time we saw the house we were awe stricken. The hardwood and ceramic floors were just done and everything was shiny and brand new. (I get distracted by shiny things.. ) The red flag should have gone up when the guy selling the place told us his friend finished the ceramic himself. We should have looked really hard at the baseboards.. it would have been a dead give away. Grout eeeeeeeeeverywhere.

When the guy told us his friend installed the ceramic, he didn't tell us the tiles were installed over Linoleum flooring. Big nono. (we didn't bother to ask either.. so that was partly our fault). Fast forward 2 years.. the cracks are starting to show. Not only is it problematic in the kitchen there is tile located in the main entrance, powder room and landing leading to the basement; all on the main floor. Everything tiled over Linoleum and both tiles and grout are cracking. wonderful.

Instead of buying a new house, we decided to stick with this one for another 6-7 years. We'd like to invest in durable materials to get this problem nipped in the butt as soon as can be. It would also be nice if it were done as cheap as possible, but after 2 years of picking up bits of grout It needs to last and it needs to be done properly. This is why we've decided to pull all of the stops and go granite. It's crazy expensive and we would need to hire a professional to install it (add on more $$$) but looking at it from a long term perspective, It'll be worth the cost. It is very durable and resilient to anything you throw at it.

After that, all we'd have to do is paint the walls, change the hardware on the cupboards, and it'll look as good as new!! (easier said than done right?)

How did you re-finish your kitchen floors?

Bed Head.. for pets?

While on a walk this past weekend, the better half and I spotted a brand new pet shop in the neighbourhood. We were pretty pumped about having one close by, since could finally stop in with Rufus for a quick treat during our afternoon walks.

We snooped around the store for a bit and saw the assortments of dog foods and toys they offered.. then something caught my eye.


I couldn't believe it..

It's bad enough I can't afford Bed Head hair products for myself... do you actually expect me to purchase a small bottle of de-tangler for $21.99 for a dog no less? Super insane.

Bedroom envy..

via Anthropologie

I renewed my subscription to Real Simple last night.. a part of me missed the photographs of freakishly organised closets and bathroom linen closets. It's been about a year since I received my last issue, but I think I'm well overdue. 6 weeks from now, I'll be receiving my brand new issue in the mail.. ahhhhh yes.. let the inspiration juices start to flow..

p.s. how dreamy is this Anthropologie bedroom set up? {hearts}

Rufus and his mohawk

Now repeat after me..
I (I)
Will (Will)
Never let the better half near the dog with scissors ever again (...)

The one with all the waffles

So the better half got me the greatest gift for my birthday. (yes, the man got away with buying me an appliance, but I've been wanting one of these bad boys for a very long time..) He knows what his lady likes!!

We wanted to make waffles for breakfast yesterday (my birthday) but we didn't really get up on time to execute the master plan. we like our sleep. We then decided to have a "breakfast-dinner" tonight instead. So after a long day at work and a quick trip to the supermarket for garnishes, we finally got home and started working on the waffle project. We weren't too successful on the first couple tries..

{Our first try...}

{not so good..}

But after a few tries, it was smooth sailing all the way..

{Leaning tower of waffles.. so yummy}

{all finished}

 over all, turned out to be a perfect night in.. ahhh yes...

Making waffles is a great idea for a fun dinner activity, but I have a feeling this could potentially be the cause of some major weight gain in the next few weeks..

vintage birthdays

taken 12 years ago... happy birthday to me!

a random skip day..

I find Tuesday to be a pretty random day to take off, I find it keeps things balanced at work and i don't feel so exausted all the time! I need a day off after a busy weekend.. silly, I know. My day started off with a little shoe shopping, coffee with a friend and a nice walk in the park with Rufus.

He usually doesn't like to be walked... he walks us. I think it's a terrier thing.. he'll grow out of it.

The plan for the evening was to see UP at the local cineplex.. only to be turned around at the theater due to a film malfunction.. who wants to see a Pixar movie with a "considerably damaged film" with annoying lines throughout the whole movie?! Not me!! So we ended up at the pub instead. (something we hardly do anymore) We ate nachos and sipped on Strongbow all night..

ahhh yes... How I love thee Tuesdays..

{nachos with chicken, extra guac before the carnage}

{after.. mmm they were yummy}