ViViD Art Show

Hope you can come...it is going to be great! Opening night will start with a drumming presentation:)

Fairy Tale called The Shed

Once upon a time and still upon a time, in a place by the sea called Nova Scotia, there lives a beautiful young woman named Kate.

Her house is bright yellow .

Full of dreams...

One day, a special dream came true......and the Shed was born. (with a bit of hard work and some splinters)

A creative place full of light, laughter and magic. Perched on the edge of a sparkling creek. People from far and wide come to learn from Kate.

and learn from each other                                                                                               (KateInglisphoto)

Conversations flow easily, sometimes fortunes get told

 Soon cameras are everywhere

 Exploring the possibilities....

Food and wine appear, just when needed...

Nearby towns become part of the learning..

Portraits are captured

Again

and again

Then with cameras full, some intrepid students pose for one more..

Meanwhile, back at the Shed something wonderful awaits...

Another sumptuous feast and then music.....under the stars, with a dancing inch worm, crackling fire, quilts, tired happy new friends and old ones enjoy the magic that is The Shed.

All this because a woman named Kate weaves magic.                                               (AidanMorgan:photo)

The shed is still there, sitting quietly in the woods waiting for the next adventure

Prospect, Nova Scotia

Last month I had a great day in Prospect, a small village about a 30 minute drive from Halifax. I was invited to a barbecue at a friend's house. As so often happens in Nova Scotia, when we arrived it was a bit foggy.

But just a fog bank that would soon disappear.

What a gorgeous place. Prospect is still an active fishing village.

Quiet and lovely. We had a little bonfire that crackled into the evening, and happily we cooked marshmallows and made s'mores.

This is the view from her living room. Say what?

The house belong to her grandmother and is over one hundred years old. View from the bathroom upstairs!!

There was food, lots of food! BBq ribs, Asian coleslaw, Mexican salad, hummus, chips, macaroni salad, so... much... food!

Good company! 

This is a silly picture. I was fooling around and told everyone to look stern or uninterested. Haha one person did not get the message:)

Baby's Sawyer's first party:)

Hanging out on the Government wharf. Almost every small seaside village has one of these.

The sky was lovely

The air so fresh..............

And then it got even more beautiful. There were fireworks and laughs.It was a great evening.

Flights of Fancy

 I LOVE old pictures. These are daguerreotypes circa 1855. They are from the George Eastman Collection I find them fascinating and mysterious.Who were they???? I want to know their stories.This woman in the above picture looks so sad. Here she is a bit closer, such an interesting face. What was their relationship like. Did he love her? Were there children? When she smiles does she have a little gab between her two front teeth? She is gazing at  us across the centuries. What would she think if someone had told her that in 160 years, people around the world would be looking at this picture and wondering who she was.....

What were the reasons behind having their picture taken. It was expensive and needed an appointment. Was it for a special occasion or to send to someone? The woman in this picture next to the man...is she his mother? Wife? She looks like she might be blind or did she just keep her eyes closed. Perhaps it is his wife behind him. What did he do, where did he live? Did they have jolly meals around the table?

Here's one that is quite interesting. A pose you would never see today. I'm assuming they are brothers.One quite a bit larger than the other.

Seven women. All trussed up in those crazy corsets. Who are they? Why the photo. Drives me crazy sometimes wondering. Imagining.

Moody little girls. Was one of them having a tantrum just before this was taken? The lack of expressions always gets me. I realize that the long exposure is friendlier to a still face but it is eerie. I hope they both lived long lives and died as old ladies with grandchildren and great grandchildren surrounding them.

The last one. Wow, such a strong face and attitude. To me he looks like a worker or prospector that came into some money and wanted to have a picture taken for his gal. Wild hairdo. This guy had some style:)

Cat Calendar 2015

My 2015 Cat Calendar is now available for all of you who like to shop early. This is the earliest in five years I have managed to get it out.  Get some prezzies purchased:) To see the images in the calendar, click on my link, then click on "preview" which is directly under the picture of the calendar. Lulu ships worldwide. 11" x 8.5", coil binding , white interior paper (100# weight), full-colour interior ink Bookmark link to find it again:)15% off
http://www.lulu.com/shop/shelagh-duffett/cats-2015/calendar/product-21777795.html

Big Day Downtown, Part 3

Historic Properties is undergoing a bit of a renewal! We visited my friend Edie Orenstein milliner extraordinaire, who works with Turbine, designer Lisa Drader-Murphy's  fashion company on the waterfront.

The shop is full of wonderful clothing, jewellery and hats.

Two stories to explore:) Here is Edie's workspace.

Check out this hat!!!

And Edie herself with a $1000+ wooden hat block just in from Europe!  She does everything from scratch.

Then we are off again to Urban 30 on Barrington Street. Brainchild of  Alicia Melanson Hair and Makeup

This is a...

You can pop in for a quick wash and styling before that night out or book nails/makeup and do it all.

Bright and retro mod it is a fun place to hang out. Sit and enjoy a hot beverage before or after your appointment.

You can book your entire wedding party for makeup and hair-dos. I was hoping to get a manicure but alas there were no appointments available until later.

Good place to know about!

Whew, after all that traipsing around the city, time to wrap up with some cold beer at the Lower Deck.

Don't mind if I do:)
Ahhh, that's better. Sitting in the shade after a full day, enjoying a Keiths.mmmm
2015 Big Day Downtown
Part 1
Part 2