How great is that??

I found the quote in a recent post by blogger co-founder, Meg Hourihan.  It’s by Banksy from his Cut it Out book.  But back to Meg in a bit.

This year in order to help reel in my desire for ‘stuff’ I have made a pact not to buy a single piece of clothing for all of 2012.

Yeah.

source.

I’ll be honest.  It super extra really sort of sucks.  Especially with summer around the corner, all the new shtuff is coming out and it’s colourful and wonderful and new.  (Pinterest is not helping.)  If you remember last year I decided that I was only going to buy clothing made in Canada or the US; it was way easier said than done, but I did find a few places (mainly online) that have what I was looking for, but it was not cheap.

This year I took it one step further.  I realized that I have enough clothes… more than enough, actually.  And, if I’m being honest, I only wear about a third of what I have, anyway.  So why on earth would I need to buy new clothes? The sad answer is, I don’t.  I first need to figure out what I actually wear out of what I have and then go from there.

My rules:

I can be gifted something used – my sister was getting rid of a few things and I took a couple that fit me.  I think this is okay.

I can be gifted something new – clearly Hubs isn’t allowed to ‘gift’ me with clothing.  That would just be too easy.  And most of my family knows of this decision, so family and close friends are out (no manipulation allowed).

If I really do need something specific – the order of approach is:
- see if I can borrow it from someone
- see if I can find it in a thrift store
- buy it new.

I haven’t had to buy anything so far and I am having a hard time finding a reason I would need to, honestly.

Shoes count to a point.  I’m not buying new heels, but I may need new work shoes – I’m not messing up my feet any more for the sake of a challenge.  I probably would have had to buy better winter boots but our winter was so miserable and not snowy at all that I was able to deal with what I have.  (And what I have are two pairs of boots that aren’t all that weatherproof anymore… I have a new appreciation for wool socks.)

Back to Meg Hourihan.  I came up with copied this idea after I read about her latest blog.  She decided something much more crazy than my little scheme.  She is going to “wear it out, make it do or do without” for everything for all of 2012!  There are certain things that don’t apply to this, but you can go read her rules if you’d like.  And she’s had a few slip ups or unexpected items, already.  But that’s the point of trying something new, right?  You just keep going despite failing over and over again.

I thought it was a fantastic idea, but I figured I’d start small. I don’t usually – I usually jump in with both feet, especially when it comes to grand ideas that are all about changing my life ‘for the better’ or these drastic transformations I think will be the answer to all of my problems. (In the end these usually cause more problems than they solve).  This time – baby steps.

And back on the Banksy, advertising rant boat – have you ever seen the movie They Live? Hubs made me watch it one time and it’s fantastic.  You should see it.  Get this: It’s a horror (so to speak) about aliens having taken over earth and subliminally making people buy and consume.  It’s fantastic 1980′s fashions, technology and cinematography and yet still so applicable.

That’s all from me.  Hope you guys are having a good week!

- agata.

I am in no way delusional that I have completely abandoned my blog in the last few months.  When I went to log on this morning, I hesitated because I couldn’t quite remember the password  (red light).  So what happened that I stayed away for so long??  In the last few months, I…

• studied for exams
• wrote exams
• became an aunt
• became a Godmother
• have been spending a ridiculous amount of time around babies
• enjoyed Christmas with family
• spent weeks with a knot in my stomach waiting for exam results
• got a letter saying I PASSED my exams (what!?)
• finally got a few things done around the house so that I feel I can start posting again.

You know how sometimes you look around your house and you realize everything is partially done and you’ve done a significant amount of work (compared to what it was before) but it all still just looks like a disaster?? Yeah.  That’s where we were for about four months.  Things have gotten much better in just the last few weeks.

It’s amazing how much work you can get done when you’re not a) completely distracted by an adorable brand spanking new baby b) so completely nervous about exam results that you want to just huddle in the corner and c) SO over a long dark winter that had barely any snow and therefore, barely any fun.
So, no I’m back and it’s fun and I can’t wait to share all the awesomeness that is going to be spring-time in Hamilton!  Today, we are having a celebratory dinner with my exam study partners and their families and then I am meeting up with my girlfriends for some St. Patty’s Day celebrations!  (Though, I gave up alcohol for Lent, so it’s going to be a particularly dry St. Patty’s Day).

Right now, I am off for a walk with Danny to the park and then I am going to one of my favourite places in Hamilton – Tregunno Seeds.  Yesss! It’s late March and my tulips, hostas, ferns and rhubarb are all starting to poke out of the ground!  Time to garden!!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!  And I promise I will not go MIA again any time soon. – agata.

Oh, wait.

He is.

The washer and dryer came last week and the amazing men from Sears carried the dryer and the 250lb washer up our crazy-steep stairs. And not only that, they carried our old gross washer and dryer out of the basement, too!!

I don’t have any follow-up pictures but there are two possibilites of the layout. The first being the ideal, and the second being the alternative since I only actually have 1.5″ of extra space to work with (let’s hope the washer and dryer are as wide as they said they would be and that my walls are straight somewhat not crooked).  Note: I made the two walls in front transparent so it’s easier to see in.  I don’t actually have transparent walls in my house… yet.
The flooring shown is Nora rubber flooring from the noraplan environcare line.  We decided to go with rubber flooring for it’s durability and sound absorption.  As well, we got left over tiles from contractor’s stock, which allowed us to get exactly how much we need and use flooring that has already been made and ordered, instead of ordering a brand new batch.  I also like that it’s GREENGUARD certified – I like my indoor air quality as chemical-free as possible.

Things still left to do:

- Contractor | finish plumbing
- Contractor | build the subfloor
- Contractor| drill dryer vent through double brick exterior wall
- Flooring Guy | install Nora rubber flooring
- Hubs | patch drywall and paint room
- Hubs | install washer & dryer

Can I tell you how good it feels to not even once see my name on that list?? Amazing.

I have been studying for my architecture exams for the last month or so, trying desperately not to get too distracted with stuff going on at home.  It’s not going well.  The exams are a month and a half away and I have a massive sway-in-the-corner-in-the-fetal-position sort of freak out each time I think about how much I still have to study.  But, we’ll see how it goes.  There is still time for me to study super hard…. or for a miracle. Whichever.

- agata.

Hubs and his brother, let’s call him Brohemian Rapsibling, ripped up the floor last night so that the electrician and contractor can start their work in the next few days. Let’s see what they found, shall we??

……

I’m just going to sit here a while and stare at these pictures to try and figure out what sort of person would think ANY of what is going on here is justifiable.  And also how I’m going to fix this to support a washer and a dryer….  Any ideas, short of a hovering washing machine, are welcome.

-agata

This method worked for me for 20 years of  four levels of education, so I figure why question it now.  Panic is good for me – keeps me focused (which may not be my greastest strength… shocking, I know, says the person updating her blog about studying instead of actually already studying).  I need pressure, panic, chaos.  I know… totally messed up in the head.  Who does this to themselves??

Aaannnyway, enough procrastinating sharing my exciting weekend plans with you…. time to study.  Please go an enjoy the outdoors for me!

Random link: If you’re outdoorsy, apparently here are the top ten places you should live.  Do you?

jenna rose; viola fibres; fieldguided

scout & catalogue; fidoodle

Unfortunately, we spent so much time inside the craft fair, we completely missed out on Sweet Ice Snow Cones.  They make their snowcone syrup from scratch with natural ingredients!  I was sad, I have to admit, but the great prints I bought at the fair from Fieldguided and Katie Muth made me feel a bit better!

Have a great weekend!

-agata.

Last wednesday I got the priviledge of being invited to Kindfood in Burlington, Ontario with a few other local bloggers, media and entrepreneurs.  I got there a bit early so I wandered down to the water to snap some photos.  I thought it appropriate that before I went to eat a vegan breakfast, I got to take some great photos of beautiful Canadian Geese.

Kindfood, run by a mother-daughter team of Kelly Childs and Erinn Weatherbie, is not what you would expect out of a vegan cafe and bakery.  First, would you expect those cupcakes to be vegan, gluten-free, soy/egg/dairy/casein free with no refined sugars and kosher? Oh, and freaking delicious.  Yeah… that too.

When you really want to, it’s amazing what you can make that is both good for the environment and does not exploit animals.

Our breakfast that morning consisted of a tofu scramble (which I’ve never had before) with some salsa, the most amazing sourdough bread ever, a mini banana chocolate chip muffin, fruit and the “Gene Smoothie.”  I’m not sure what was in the smoothie, but it was just slightly sweet and perfectly refreshing.  And this meal kept me full the entire day (except for one of the cupcakes I clearly had to buy on my way out to share with my co-workers).

People are becoming very aware about the food they are eating, where it comes from, how it is made, what it is made of, and how it directly reflects who we are. We are all learning that, “you are what you eat!”! Our food choices are also a very important part of our environmental challenges. Eating whole organic plant-based foods is not only the healthiest choice you can make for you and your family, it is also good for the planet, and it tastes better! - from the Kindfood website.

Now, on to Gene.  Who’s Gene?  Gene Baur runs Farm Sanctuary which rescues abused animals whose abuse is often directly caused because of the factory farming industry, but also because apparently some people are more cruel than I could ever have imagined.

But, I try to be a positive person.  I rather not talk about how awful some people can be and the disgusting conditions and pure torture that some of these animals go through… instead, I rather point out the following:

- how amazing vegetarian food can taste

- how it has been consistently shown to be a healthier lifestyle than one that includes meat an

- that you can eat an entire meal, knowing no animals were harmed or abused

- it is also so, so much better for our planet.

I realise that for some people, they want to run away screaming just at the idea of cannot fathom cutting out animal products out of their diets (I, myself, still struggle with cheese & butter).  But, even if you could change your diet to a vegetarian one for only two days a week, that would immensely help the environment, your health and the well-being of the animals you chose not to eat that day.  Other changes you can make are buying from local organic farms where you know the living conditions of the animals are good, and they are not using anti-biotics.

A little mor eabout Farm Sanctuary.  This month the organization celebrated their twenty-five year anniversary!  They have a location in Watkins Glen, NY and one in California, 175 acres and 300 acres respectively (wow).  If you are close to either of those places, you should definitely go visit and hang out with the animals.  Read about some of the rescues here.  Honestly, how adorable is Riley??

I spoke to Hubs and we’re going to try and make it out to Farm Sanctuary in the next few months.  Yay!!

If you would like to help, there are many ways you can on the site including donating and sponsoring an animal for a year.

- agata.

We should all read this every day to start the day off right.  And for an even better kick start to my day, I’m going to Kindfood for some amazing vegan breakfasting this morning.  There is more to it, but I’ll wait until I get back to let you know all the awesome details.

Have a great day!!

-agata.

Unfortunately, most of the time I seem to sleep right through them!

But, tell me, how can someone like myself, who TWO BLOCKS away has a lake and incredibly serene and wonderful views such as those sleep through mornings?  Or ever really?  I love going down to the lake… early mornings, early evenings, late nights.  And it always baffles me that I am still a 15 minute walk from the downtown.

How did I get here?

Sheer luck, I imagine.  Or incredibly good decisions I didn’t even realize I was making!

(Note to self: sleep less.)

- agata.