Celebrating

Canada Day was a fairly rainy event this year. Fortunately, however, the skies did clear long enough for the annual fireworks display to go on as planned.

Here are some shots of the night sky over Moncton this Canada Day.

Happy Canada Day

Happy Birthday, to my home and native land.

Allow me to share with you some of the wonderful things that make Canada the place that I am so proud to call home.

I love that three distinct cultures came together and despite some bumps and bruises, they agreed (nearly harmoniously) to work together to create one big, beautiful nation. I love that we have, since then embraced numerous other cultures. I love to see the waves of smiling faces which have come eagerly from across the globe to call Canada home.

I love the fact that Canada continues to have growing pains, and questions about its cultural identity. This uncertainty means that we are committed to the idea of evolving. This means that we know that, good as we are now, there is room for improvement, and this means that there are still greater things to come.

Canada is not a stagnant nation. Canada forges ahead, rolling with the punches. We are a young country, and we have yet much growing to do. Compared to the European nations, we are the acne-ridden teenagers of the world stage. We have perhaps not yet developed the full confidence and swagger of early adult-hood, but we do have the ambition and idealistic ambitions of youth. We are also far from the placid ennui, and shrug-it off mentality of middle-age.

Despite our tender age, we are a country that is much admired and lauded around the world. I'm going to quote a Briton today, in honour of Canada Day. Sir Winston Churchill stated:
"There are no limits to the majestic future which lies before the mighty expanse of Canada with its virile, aspiring, cultured, and generous-hearted people."

Ka-BOOM!

Its the eve of Canada Day. Across this great land hot dogs and hamburgers lie waiting for the grill; towels and swimsuits are packed into the car for a day at the beach; the lines at the beer stores grow long and excited.

Is there anything more glorious than celebrating the birth of your nation? And with a day off mid-week no less!

Just a reminder though that the clock is ticking on the TransCanada Etsy team's fantastic Canada Day giveaway. With two incredible prizes to be won, you don't want to miss your chance.

Up for grabs is an incredible goodie bag with wonderful surprises donated by each of the participating shops:



Also, available to be won, is this amazing rug woven by team member, fiveforty.



Make a purchase from any of the participating shops below, and you will be entered into the draw to take place on July 2nd.

Enthral.etsy.com
fiveforty.etsy.com
willowcatvintage.etsy.com
MyHandboundBooks.etsy.com
iheartthatdance.etsy.com
laurabucci.etsy.com
designedbyrj.etsy.com
rjcharms.etsy.com
rikrak.etsy.com
offthehooks.etsy.com
tooaquarius.etsy.com
pixel8ed.etsy.com
tangente.etsy.com
inkyspider.etsy.com
kootsac.etsy.com
prairiepeasant.etsy.com
carvelcountrysoaps.etsy.com
paisleybaby.etsy.com
bovinebubbles.etsy.com
seaglassdesigns.etsy.com
piggytailsstationary.etsy.com
stringmealong.etsy.com


Remember, this contest ends tomorrow night as the last of the fireworks fade. Enter while you can.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Welcome Summer.

Summer arrived in a sombre mood. Grey and overcast. Damp and blustery. And, I, well I went to the beach. Where else would one go on a wet, windy, dark day to welcome the new season?

Truth be told, I long for days like that for beach trips. The beach, I believe is at its best when its moody. It come alives. Gentle lapping waves are no match for a pounding surf. Blue is lovely, but brooding pewter grey of sea and sky is far more dramatic.


The heavy, damp air brought the briny smell of the water, and the heady scent of the wild roses to an intoxicating level. Dressed, perhaps a little too confidently, in flip flops and a long flowing skirt, the flapping and sharp snapping of the fabric in the wind against my cold legs, was exhilarating. My cheeks stung from the gusts and the grains of sand that they picked up on their rushing journey. Shore birds strained as they tried to fly into the prevailing winds, their progress slowed considerably.



It was a perfect way to welcome summer. Bookending the beach trip, a couple of surprising little events, added additional excitement to the day. I stopped at a little community market prior to my beach excursion and was delighted to see some of the first local strawberries of the season. Driving back from the beach, I had to swiftly and suddenly brake to avoid a deer that made its way to the road. Once we each recovered from out initial fright and composed ourselves, the deer was kind enough to linger for just long enough for me to grab my camera and get a shot.



I hope you enjoyed your first day of summer. Feel free to share here how you welcomed the new season.

Trans Canada Road Trip Event

There are twenty Canadian etsy shops participating in this huge event, and there are two amazing prizes up for grabs.
One is an amazing goodie bag with lots of fun, fabulous items donated by all the participating shops.
The second is a gorgeous T-shirt rug - made with T-shirts donated by each participant, and woven by team member, fiveforty.

To win either of these prizes, all you need to do is simply buy from a participating shop. For every $10 spent in a shop, you will have one ballot entered into the contest.

To receive one ballot without purchase, simply go to piggytails shop and send her a convo sharing a description of your favorite Canadian thing. Tell us why you love it and what it means to you.

Now, go visit these participating shops for your chance to win:

Enthral.etsy.com
fiveforty.etsy.com
willowcatvintage.etsy.com
MyHandboundBooks.etsy.com
iheartthatdance.etsy.com
laurabucci.etsy.com
designedbyrj.etsy.com
rjcharms.etsy.com
rikrak.etsy.com
offthehooks.etsy.com
tooaquarius.etsy.com
pixel8ed.etsy.com
tangente.etsy.com
inkyspider.etsy.com
kootsac.etsy.com
prairiepeasant.etsy.com
carvelcountrysoaps.etsy.com
paisleybaby.etsy.com
bovinebubbles.etsy.com
seaglassdesigns.etsy.com
piggytailsstationary.etsy.com
stringmealong.etsy.com

The event runs from June 20th, to July 1st. The draw will be held on July 2nd.

Full details and photos of the prizes are on our team blog here:
http://transcanadaetsyteam.blogspot.com/

Happy Canada Day from the TransCanada Etsy Team!!!

Yart Sale

Extended until June 17.
For no reason other than I am feeeling generous.
Welcome to the YART SALE at stringmealong, EXTENDED UNTIL JUNE 19.

Please feel free to browse the YART SALE section in the right hand search bar. All items in the section have already been reduced, and there are some amazing deals.

Like something that isn't in the yart section? There's still fun bonuses to be had.

*ALL orders will receive a free fabric floral hair pin.

*AND.. all orders over $50.00 (before shipping fees are added), receive free shipping. I will refund the shipping fees through paypal.
_______________________________

Favorite Things - June 15

My goodness, hasn't it been a long time since I have had a favorite thing. Seems that as soon as the weather turned nice, my poor old blog got kicked to the curb. Funny how a good run of sunny days can do that. Sorry, Blog, I will pay you some attention this morning.

So, to the point.... my favorite thing today is - Wildflowers.

I love that wildflowers don't conform to order. They grow wherever the wind takes their teeny seeds. There are no strictly planted rows. They care not whether their colours complement one another (but, oh, don't they just always seem to look wonderful together). They age gracefully, not caring that they have grown wilted, straggly, bushy, or lopsided.

I have a deep admiration for the wildflowers will to grow, survive and thrive. The tiniest crack in a sidewalk can be a future backdrop for a pretty bloom. They can creep out of sheer rockfaces, or maintain a shallow and tenuous hold in sifting sands. Such tenacity. Cultivated flowers, by contrast, crave kid-glove kindness.

My earliest memories, involve images of sunny daisies, cheery black-eyed Susans, frizzy Queen Anne's Lace, sweet scented clover flowers, and the ubiquitous dandelion. We would collect armloads of these and bring them home to Mom, invariably sticky and stained with dandelion milk.



As I have been spending loads of time outdoors lately, I have been revelling in all the summery goodness of New Brunswick, and admiring all the beautiful blooms that have erupted throughout the forests, beachscapes and roadsides.



My latest favorite is the lupin. These don't grow in Ontario, where I grew up, and I have quickly become infatuated with the heavy blooms. They grow in waves of purple and blue, pink and white. What a treat to be zooming along the highway and see this great splash of colour in your periphereal vision. Yesterday I stopped and snatched up a bunch to bring home. They now add a cherry brightness to my bland little bathroom.




I know that as the summer rolls along, I will be treated to new delights. I await with bated breath the arrival of the eruption of the profusion of wild roses that grow along the shore.

5 Years

It was five years ago today that I married my sweetie.

As a little, on-line surprise for him, I created this treasury on etsy, called "Love is Sweet", last night. I emailed the link to him to open today. Admittedly, it is a little girly, but it sums things up pretty nicely.



Happy Anniversary, Darcy. I look forward to many more years together.
xo

YART SALE

The Etsy Supplies Street Team is sponsoring the 2nd annual etsy "YART SALE".



String Me Along is taking part and there are 3 ways that you can benefit:

1) Search my shop using the search term "yart" OR simply go to the "yart sale" section in the right hand category bar. There are some incredible deals there.

2) Anyone purchasing from my shop will receive a free fabric flower hair pin much like the one shown here (colours will vary):



3) Anyone who purchases $50 or more from my shop, (before the shipping fees) will receive free shipping.

This promotion runs from June 10 - June 14.

Remember to browse the rest of etsy too. Use the search term "yart" to discover many more wonderful shop promotions.

JUST BECAUSE

Just because the sun is shining.
Just because the trees are leafy and green.
Just because I am happy.

Just because I want to spread some of that joy.... I am having a 20% off sale in my shop.

Flower Season

Summer has seemingly arrived well ahead of schedule here in New Brunswick. The days have grown long and warm. The trees have put forth their best and new life springs from the ground on a daily basis now. Tulips and daffodils are long past, and poppies and lilacs are in full swing.

I have been fully captured by the joy of the season and it is pouring forth in my recent bout of creativity. And again I have found myself enamoured with my recently received supply of vintage, enamelled metal flowers and new lucite cabochons.

Below is a selection of pins made using the metal flowers:



A new addition to my shop is this collection of cocktail rings:



Notice in the ring to the left, that I have this time, married the vintage enamel with the lucite cabochons. I am very pleased with the results.

The new designs have also found their way onto bobby pins.



And one last whimsical piece, a 3D collage of metallic loveliness.



I love being inspired by nature and her seasons. This time of year is of course, just brimming with creative possibility!

all designs are available in my stringmealong etsy shop.

Colour

On an early season of Trading Spaces, the ever wise Genevieve stated, "If the colours occur together in nature, they are fine to use together in decorating too." Or something to that effect.

Many people approach the colour wheel with trepidation, shy to give it a good old Price is Right type spin. With all the hues and shades in the world, embrace colour. Its options are limitless. And true, it can go very, very wrong, although many pf the old rules have been thrown out. More importantly, when it goes right, you can find yourself gasping at the sheer brilliance of a scheme.

So take a good long look around you, and find inspiration in Mother Nature. How has she ever steered us wrong in the past? Here, a bit of starting inspiration, gathered from photos that I have taken myself over the years to provide encouragement in times of colour ruts.

Contrasting



Orange and Green. One of my all time favorite colour combinations.



Pink with hints of gold? Doesn't look too bad after all.

Complementary



Staying within the same colour family is fine, but add extra punch by moving a little along the wheel to find your complement. Look how lovely the deep plum of the spots look against the lilac of the blossom.

See... that wasn't too scary. A side lesson here too, is to always have a camera at hand becuase you never know where you will spot inspiration next.

History Lessons

Something you may or may not know about me: I graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Anthropology. Neither of these fields have really served me well in my adult life as I was pulled first in a rather more practical direction working office jobs that paid well enough to enable me to to pay off my student loans, and then later as I was pulled in a creative direction.

Sadly I concede that $40,000 is a lot of money to waste on an education, and it is time that I put some of my studies to good use. Therefore, today's post shall be a lesson in history. For those with little interest in history, allow me to tempt you with a vibrant melange of pretty pictures, which one must admit, does certainly help the learning process. If nothing else, click on the photos within the post to be redirected to some stunning history inspired creations found on etsy.



Now, you may have deduced from the photo montage above(click on it until May 12 to be directed to etsy treasury) that this lesson is to be about one of Europe's most reviled and revered queens. Let me mention that the "reverence" part did not necessarily apply while she was alive.

In Vienna, on November 2, 1755 was born Arch Duchess of Austria, Maria-Antonia. Maria-Antonia was a beautiful young girl, fond of and talented in music, but lacking apparently, in basic literacy due to a poor supervision over her early education. She is said to have had an awe-inspired fear of her mother, Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria. It is also acknowledged that it is her mother's maneuverings that ultimately led to Marie-Antoinette's downfall. It was her mother who sought to cement the various complex alliances in which she had entered into in the 1750's, a result of the Seven Years' War. These alliances included Austria's traditional enemy, France. The solution was the arranged marriage of Maria-Antonia and the young Dauphin, Louis-Auguste of France.



On May 16, 1770, at the Palace of Versailles, Maria-Antonia, still a young teenager wed the Dauphin and became Marie Antoinette. It was assumed by custom that consummation of the marriage would take place on the wedding night. This did not however occur, and became a topic of gossip, scorn and consternation for the next seven years.

It must be stated that initially, the citizens of France, captured by her beauty and lively personality, took a great shine to the young Dauphine. Crowds clamoured to catch a glimpse of her in person during her first official appearance at the Tuileries in Paris. In the early years, Marie-Antoinette was also highly praised for her charitable nature. This same favour did not extend to court life, where the court elders were unhappy with the match, as many courtiers had instead, been working toward a match with a Saxon princess.

With the criticism of court, increasing pressure from her mother, and a lack of affection and passion from her husband, Marie-Antoinette looked to more material ways to find personal satisfaction. In 1774 the extravagance for which she become legendary took root. Lavish balls and theatrical events, and naturally, the appropriate costumes needed, heaped additional cost upon the Palace of Versailles. The expenses grew to such an extent that by 1777 she would urge the dismissal of ministers who tried to curb her spending escapades. People saw her as not only corrupting the court, but also squandering the money of France for her fun and enjoyment.



Her tarnished reputation did recover to some degree after the consummation of her marriage to the Dauphin finally occurred seven years into the marriage and when shortly after she became pregnant. She gave birth first to a boy who would die at the age of eight, and then a daughter who died in infancy. Another son, who became dauphin was born in 1785. During this time the reigning king passed away and Louis XIV and Marie-Antoinette became King and Queen. The current monarchs had impressively regal shoes to fill.



As these personal events were unfolding, numerous political events were also unfolding throughout the country. Marie-Antoinette's staunch defense of the Franco-Austrian alliance, and her loyalty to her home-country did little to curry favour. Politicians were increasingly calling for reforms that would limit the royal power. These reforms were outrightly rejected, most vehemently by the Queen herself. The King himself has been described as apathetic toward this and many other issues of the day. By 1789, while France was on the brink of Revolution, she would advocate royal compromise with the revolutionary States-General. It was too little, too late.

In fall of 1789, a mob forced the royal family from Versailles to the Tuileries Palace in Paris where they were virtual prisoners for the next two years. During this time Marie was secretly negotiating with foreign powers, including her brother, who was now the king of the Hapsburg Empire, for the safety of Louis. In June of 1791, she arranged for the family to flee from Paris to the eastern borders and hopefully into Austria. At this time while Louis was forced to accept the new French constitution, Marie-Antoinette was favoring the French Declaration of War against Austria in 1792. Her hope was that Prussia and Austria would declare war on France, easily defeat the unorganized revolutionaries and restore the monarchy. To achieve this she supplied military secrets to Austria, an act of treason.



Her hopes were never realised and on August 10, 1792, Parisian mobs permanently destroyed and abolished the monarchy. The royal family was arrested on suspicions of treason and imprisoned. by late September, a republic was declared. On January 21, 1793, King Louis XIV was convicted of treason and executed on the guillotine.
Marie-Antoinette's trial began on October 14 and the charges brought against her included incest, unnatural sexual practices and treason to the State. The most absurd and insulting charges was that she was having sex with her ailing son while still in prison. Within an hour of hearing the final testimonies, court was reconvened, and a judgement of guilty was passed.

October 16, her hair cut and her hands tied, she was placed upon an open cart which was slowly driven around Paris for three hours during which time she had to endure the jeers and abuse of the assembled crowds. The cart ride ended at the steps of the guillotine. Marie-Antoinette ascended the stairs, head held high. With the swoosh of the blade, the reign and era of Marie-Antoinette came to a ghastly end.

Perhaps you notice that the infamous phrase of "Let them eat cake" is missing from this excerpt of her life.



There is good reason for this as contemporary historians have failed to find evidence that these words can in fact be attributed to Marie-Antoinette. In popular culture, it is this phrase couple with her opulent tastes and extravagant lifestyle that have maintained Marie-Antoinette's status as a royal legend.

Favorite Things - May 4

Ok... I am actually a day late with this, but that's good since I thought of a really great favorite thing last night. Its actually something that many people find to be a nasty habit, and I may be judged for this, but.....

Eavesdropping. Its true. I'm an eavesdropper, and I am shamelessly admitting it.


I try not to be really obvious about the fact that I am eavesdropping. So sitting on the edge of my chair and leaning over at a 90 degree angle toward the speaker, while craning my neck in the opposite direction so as to appear as if I am engrossed in something near the sky in the opposite direction is not my style. I am sadly, not quite yogic enough for that position anyway. Being obvious in your eavesdropping is not conducive to good eavesdropping. People will naturally clam up if they believe they are being overheard. Then you miss the ending to a really good story, or lose the punchline.

In my defense, I don't tune in only when there is juicy gossip to be overheard. In fact, if people are discussing other people that I know, I awkwardly try to close my ears to any negative or harsh words that might cruelly be bandied about. I also don't eavesdrop with the intent of later on being malicious with my ill-gotten information.

Of course, I have heard my share of: so-and-so was way too drunk, he and she broke up, and bitter lover's quarrels. Though this information can be mildly entertaining in a soap opera type manner, it is not the type of stuff that I would be likely to hang on every word.

The truth is, eavesdropping can be highly enlightening and informative. For instance, last night I was overhearing, um ok, eavesdropping, on a group of women who meet regularly for a "stitch-n-bitch" and they were discussing a number of "world's biggest" monuments around New Brunswick. It lightened my soul considerably, as if you read back to my very first favorite things installment, you will know that I have a huge fondness for oversized monuments. If I hadn't eavesdropped, I would not have had a kernel of summer roadtrip dreams planted in my brain.

Over the years, I have in fact hoarded tons of useful information that I have overheard: restaurant, book, movie and product reviews; unadvertised sales and discounts; favorite shops and hotspots; recipe and decorating tips; helpful tourist information, etc.

So you see, if used correctly and kindly, eavesdropping is not such a nasty habit after all. And, if you are honest with yourself, I bet you have opened your own ears a little wider on occasion as well.