stop chasing, start choosing.

Made this on Tuesday, inspired by Paul Dalton's quote from the article below.

 
On Tuesday night I read a Tiny Buddha article exploring the idea of being authentically happy. Part of the article really resonated with me and I wanted to share.

I really like the word authentic. While genuine is usually used in reference to an image or expression we show to others, authentic seems to imply more of a connection with oneself. It's a bit more reflective. And as a classic neurotic over-thinker, I'm comfortable with reflection. I can understand it.

#2 in Paul Dalton's list of how to be more authentically happy starts off with a bit of a Freudian ego/id complex and then goes into something I've been struggling with lately - wanting things. I've spent a large chunk of time mindlessly and compulsively clicking through F21 and Victoria's Secret, making summer wardrobe wish lists and quietly coveting bloggers' new purses or dresses. And yet when my eyes are pulled from the glowing screen to the growing pile of clothes on the floor I can't help but imagine how much lighter I would feel if I just gave it all away.  

Okay, definitely not all of it - but a lot of it. At this point, I think my thought processes, values and beliefs lean a bit toward minimalism, but my actions and behaviours for the most part do not. In other words, I'm not exactly living with congruity.

I'm hoping to make a few gradual changes over the next little while and will keep you posted on the progress. I hesitate to follow any specific challenges or rules, like "give away 100 things" or "wear only 30 items of clothing for 30 days". Instead, I'm going to take inventory of what I have, what I need and what I would like. More importantly, instead of being stressed by mess and clutter, I want my apartment to be cozy, welcoming, relaxing and to encourage creativity.
This may seem a little vague, but the truth is I am just beginning to explore this idea. While I don't see myself becoming a true minimalist anytime soon - I want to want less.

And this time, instead of wishing, hoping and waiting. I'm going to try changing. Step one is to pare down.

Would you ever try minimalist living or living with less? If anyone has any useful resources for moderate minimalism, I would love to see them - blogs, books, websites... I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks so much for reading,
xx Janelle

details : the last 48 hrs

Forever a Metro transit rider.

The picture above was taken on Sunday when D & I were waiting for the bus home from the mall. I've been wanting to capture little moments of Spring, so I've been trying to start bringing my camera with me on a more regular basis.

This weekend I noticed how the rain changes things around me. I got caught walking on a drizzly morning and instead of being frustrated with how wet I was I distracted myself by focusing on the details. The whitewashed wood siding on one of the rowhouses darkened as the rain poured over the side of the roof. A car was painted with long, lines on it's surface that came together and then split apart as they gathered more weight. How each raindrop made waves of ripples in the puddles. I tried to listen closely to the sound of the cars driving on the wet pavement as they got closer and then faded to see how far I could hear them go.

This all may sound a bit weird, but it was so peaceful. Do you ever quiet your thoughts and listen to your surroundings? I'm always surprised by the things I see that I would have missed had I just been sauntering along with my iPod.

And then there was yesterday - the sunniest day we've seen in a week! I took Abby up to the park for an off-leash romp but a few minutes and then she decided to forget her name so our playtime was cut a bit short. By the time we got home I was as hungry as she was, so I whipped up this kale, egg thing that tasted a whole lot better than it looks.

While I was eating I got a surprise phonecall from D asking me if I wanted some soy gelato from HumaniT - my favorite cafe in Halifax. Ummmm, yes. I asked him to pick any flavour he thought I would like and so I got oreo! It was the perfect size for a little treat.

Later on last night when D was watching Game of Thrones, I snuck away to paint for a bit. I started this piece knowing I wanted to use little bits of orange. First I layered in purpley pinks, then yellows and finally some oranges and peach tones. It's not finished yet though, I'm planning to do some hand lettering in the circle at the bottom. I'll keep you posted!

How was your Monday night?
xx Janelle

The details series: Life is all about the details - the moments. Over the next few months I'm going to test out a series called details. Since I don't have instagram or a smartphone to capture my daily life, I'm going to rely on my trust Sony P&S and will share the photos here. I hope you like it!

see other details posts here.

just try : first attempts at collage art

When I was in grade six I made collages on old wine bottles. Did any of you guys do that too? I thought I was so sophisticated. 

I gave one of my "art bottles" to my Nanny as a gift with a burgundy ribbon tied around it's neck and she still has it! I couldn't believe it when I spotted it on top of her kitchen cupboards. The pictures give quite an insight into 90s trends with an NYSYNC CD and some glitter nailpolish. Oh, and alongside words like style, love and pretty shoes is a carefully cut out photo of a tub of Cool Whip. Yep, I was a pretty typical eleven year old.

Anyway, that was the last thing I remember collaging... until this:

Sometime in May 2011, I hatched the idea that I was going to make a world map out of recycled magazine pages punched into little circles. Two years later and I am still working away at it. I shouldn't say working - as if it were actually in progress. I do it for an hour one day and then don't touch it again for 3 months. If I sit down to work on it, I have to commit to at least an hour, otherwise I spend more time setting up the circles than pasting them.

Last fall, I wanted to branch out a bit and explore collage outside of my map project. This was around the same time I discovered the incredibly talented, Patrick Bremer. And so, without too much thought I churned out this piece:

© Janelle @ Two Cups of Happy, 2012

Yep, cereal. I tried to make all of the colours "normal" inside the bowl and a bit technicolour on the outside, including blue milk! I ripped pieces by hand from old magazines and pasted them down with Mod Podge. I kept it pretty one dimensional with an aerial view and didn't get into shading very much. Keeping it simple on the first second try was a great idea. It was finished in two sessions and was fairly easy to put together.

Soon to follow was this next one, inspired by an old travel photo my parents took. You already had a sneak peek of it here.

© Janelle @ Two Cups of Happy, 2013

I took more time to plan this second one. I chose a scene I loved, sketched out a basic outline and decided to keep the colors muted like in the photo. The triangles around the edge were an impulsive choice, but I actually like how they extend the borders of the scene and give it some continuation.

There are some mistakes in these that seem to glare at me (esp. in the last one), but I am learning to appreciate each piece for what it is. They're the result of a challenge. And I have to say, I'm a little proud of that last one. It's not terrible! Sometimes I surprise myself when I just try.
 
What's one creative thing you've always wanted to try but were a little intimidated? Crafty/artsy/DIY or whatever... Let me know in the comments!

xx Janelle

wall art for cheap : photo shelves

Art doesn't have to be fancy or expensive to have an impact. It took me 6 months to realize this.

I had been waiting months to hang up an art print I bought shortly after moving into this apartment last August. We don't have a Target up here in Halifax and Wal-Mart has the worst selection of modern frames. I wanted a thin, white wood frame with a mat. I couldn't find one, so I tacked it to the wall, still in it's plastic sleeve. It looked a bit sad.

Sometime last fall I was browsing the dollar store and spotted these shallow white ledges. I think they're called postcard ledges or photo shelves or something like that. Anyway, a few years ago I lusted over similar DIY shelves on YoungHouseLove and thought the art print might look nice perched on one. As I stood in the aisle, trying to think of a reason to buy a few more, I remembered some treasured travel photos I had fished out of my parents' old photo boxes. The shelves were only $2 each so I got three and practically skipped home to show D my finds.

After months of stalling contemplating the perfect spot, I finally decided on the space above my craft table - which you finally get to see! I was originally going to hang all three of them in evenly spaced parallel lines, but then I saw Rachel Howe's home tour on DesignSponge.

Photo by Chris Fantauzzi for DesignSponge

And just like that, I was sold on an asymmetrical arrangement. I leveled the shelves and hung them using the provided tacks. No nails needed! I lined these two shelves with a few photos, one tiny art print and a postcard that says Be, which was a sweet gift from a close friend (hi, Lo!).

Here is a closeup of the hand-lettered piece you see tacked up with washi tape. I made it a little while ago. Sometimes I can spend all day planning or dreaming up creative projects. This reminds me to actually make stuff, to create something. The photo on the right was taken by my parents. My wanderlust always comes bubbling to the surface when I look at it. Here's hoping I will be able to travel soon.

The stuff you see hanging on the left a few photos above is a mish mash of family photos, an ink & acrylic piece that says "create freely", a dotted wave greeting card and a sketch I did of D one night. Here's a better look.

The last shelf found a home on my side of the bed with two coastal inspired pieces. The print is by Sarah Burwash and was found at the ever-inspiring local boutique, Inkwell. The photo is of Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia with it's iconic lighthouse playing "Where's Waldo" in the background.

That pic shows how shallow the shelves actually are. A really thin frame might fit.

These are usually the first things I see in the morning, which makes me so happy. I dream of waking up in a lakehouse someday, but until then I'll enjoy my makeshift water view, however small it is.

So there's my little weekend apartment beautification project. $6 shelves + homemade art, photos & prints = wall art for people with student loans. Can I get an amen? If you're in Canada and want to find the shelves, hit up the Dollorama. I'm sure you can find them in other stores too or you can make your own if you have a few basic tools like YHL did in the link above.

Okay, so I'm sure I can't be the only one who takes forever to slap some art on my walls. When you move to a new place, do you hang everything right away or stall until you can find the perfect art, frame or arrangement?

xx Janelle 

he[art]ed : Clare Elsaesser of Tastes Orangey

Asleep, original artwork by Clare Elsaesser

If I had to describe Clare Elsaesser's paintings in one word, I would say enchanting. When I saw Joanna's pin of Clare's work, I was pulled in by the way she captures intimate moments. It's almost like she's giving us a peek at something we wouldn't normally see - a shared kiss, a quick change of clothes or a sleepy, late-night spooning session. Her work exudes a voyeuristic quality without the feeling of violation, but more longing or admiration.

Sweet Dreams, original artwork by Clare Elsaesser

Undertow, original artwork by Clare Elsaesser

Isn't her use of colour beautiful? The blue-green tones in the last one seem to capture the light and reflections of the water so well. Meanwhile, the airy white background of Sweet Dreams mimics a deep, carefree sleep.

If you want to see more of Clare's artwork, please go visit her website, etsy shop Tastes Orangey or blog. It's only a matter of time before I snatch up one of her prints! I'd probably go with the last one thanks to my love of all things sea related.

What do you think of these pieces? Which one is your favorite?

xx Janelle

ABOUT THE SERIES
he[art]ed: every so often I'll share an artist or designer I admire FYI - I'm not an art critic and probably will repeat the same adjectives in every post, but I love art, find it inspiring & want to share it with you. Simple enough, right? If you like their work, please go show them some FB/link/comment love.

he[art]ed : collage artist, Patrick Bremer

Two new series in one week. I'm on a roll, guys! This one is called he[art]ed, named for my love of hearts & art. Can we agree to laugh about ignore the fact that it rhymes with farted? Every so often I'll share an artist or designer I admire and then you'll show them some comment/FB/link love if you like their work. I'll try to include a good mix of local and international artists who use a range of media.

FYI - I'm not an art critic and probably will repeat the same adjectives in every post, but I really just love art, find it inspiring & want to share it with you. Simple enough, right?

First up is Patrick Bremer, a collage artist. When I first noticed collage art via Pinterest I was surprised to find that there are many artists who do a wide variety of paper collage/mosaics. Some backstory: about a year and a half ago I started an art project that consisted of me pasting tiny pieces of recycled magazine paper to a large board of masonite in a pattern. Now, I'm wasn't/am not delusional enough to believe that I was the only person to ever think of doing such a thing, but I had no idea that a community of paper collage artists existed. I thought people just decoupaged boxes and bottles and stuff....

But, I was wrong. Oh so wrong. Patrick Bremer is a British artist who draws, paints and creates collages - mostly portraits. My favorite thing about his pieces are that they have such varied textures and colours. I love to scan his collages to find little moments hidden within - words, faces, signs. Here are my 3 favorite works of his:

Artwork Copyright of Patrick Bremer

Artwork Copyright of Patrick Bremer

Artwork Copyright of Patrick Bremer

The Castle is my favorite of the three. I'm amazed that he can capture the emotion on her face using only the paper. His eye is highly trained for detail.


What do you think of Patrick's work? Which piece pulls you in? If you want to see more of his work please pop over to his website or his facebook page. If you want to spread the art love, share this post, like his page or pin your favorite work (remember to credit the artist & link to his website).

As always, thank you for checking out my blog. I appreciate your visits!

Halifax Art @ Night: Nocturne 2012 & A Fall Fun List

I'm back with that fall fun list I mentioned in my last post. I tried to branch out a bit from the typical apple picking-scarf-wearing-pumpkin-spiced-latte fall list.

As it turns out, last night I managed to check off one thing. Surprise! It was Nocturne - Art @ Night. Nocturne is an annual one-night art festival held in Halifax. For more info on how it works, check out last year's post. D & I planned our route ahead of time and decided to check out Turnstile Pottery on our way downtown.

My favorite piece was this anchor mug with a slightly speckled finish and a shiny glaze. I wish it could have come home with me.

After browsing all of their cups, dishes and sculptures, we noticed the artists had made a few trees & haunted houses for people to paint. I thought the white-striped snake could use a little something extra, so when the lady next to me suggested polka dots I got busy.

After entering a draw to win one of these masterpieces we flagged down Metro Transit's free bus (shout out to our jolly driver!) and rode it to NSCAD, the local art university. Here we found windows tagged with messages and names. Of course I couldn't resist adding my own touch.

We then went around the corner to Club 1869. D & I were split up and sent to two different rooms. In my room there was an assortment of traditionally female things on podiums: shoes, a large wooden spoon, a baby doll etc. and a bunch of color TVs showing the men's room. Webcams served as the only connection between the two rooms. When we talked about the exhibit afterwards we uncovered the things that were unique to each room, like in the men's "club" the TVs were black & white but ours were in colour. It was a cool concept and was probably our favourite exhibit of the night!

Having worked up an appetite already, we headed to Grand Parade to take in a dance performance and to try to find some food. When we spotted the Nomad Gourmet food truck, we quietly slipped through the crowd to feed our rumbling bellies. 

 

Twitter had informed me that they made some chili, so I was quick to order. At the Nomad's helpful suggestion, D went with the pulled pork sandwich with bacon jam. Yes, that's right. Jam made of bacon. I only had one heavenly bite but it was enough to decide that next time, it will be mine. This is not to take away from the hot & comforting bowl of chili I hungrily devoured. It had sausage and some type of pulled meat in it. I just kept saying 'so good' between big mouthfuls. My one complaint? Mine could have been warmer, but the chilly chili was probably a result of the cool winds. As you can tell though, I was very impressed and will definitely visit again.

Hint: If you want to check out Nomad Gourmet, they are parked on Argyle near Grand Parade most days. You can also follow them on Twitter for menu updates and location changes.

On our way to see the Halifax Circus performances, we spotted four women in the windows of Serpentine Studios on Barrington. We stood with a group of onlookers and watched them shimmy and shake in the pink-lit windows above. It had a red-light district feel to it but the dancers kept it fun and (thankfully) PG.

We ended our Nocturne experience, the same way we have for 2 out of 3 years, by taking in the sights of the Halifax Circus. The performances were stunning, as usual, with a fire show ablaze outside and three aerial acrobats climbing and stretching inside. All of my photos are blurry, but it was awe-inspiring to see the aerials set up inside the church and the acrobats were talented, as always.

I would count Nocturne 2012 as another success! D & I both had a great time, even if we had to dress in layers upon layers upon layers. Thank you to the amazing group of volunteers, participants and hosting businesses and locations. I'm already looking forward to next year...

 

What are your plans for Fall? Have you ever been to Nocturne? Does your community host any accessible art events? I'd love to hear in the comments! Thanks for reading. Enjoy your Sunday!

Steppin Out Saturday: Dog Days + Art Nights

Yesterday was an absolutely perfect Fall day here. It was nice & sunny and there were lots of people walking around downtown. I lazed around in the morning and then decided to drag my butt off the couch and take Abby outside. We ended up walking up and around Citadel hill. If you've never been to Halifax, atop of Citadel hill, looking out over the city & harbour, sits a large star-shaped fort built in 1856. Here's an areal view:

via

So up we went. We stopped on the waterfront lookout so Abby could enjoy the view.

We even got to hear the firing of the noon cannon.

right view

left view

clock view

After we got home, I headed back out  for a tea-date with a friend and then D and I headed out for one of Halifax's most anticipated yearly events, Nocturne! Nocturne is an event that is all about art + fun. It showcases art galleries, installations, performance art, craftsmanship, video and any other type of art you can imagine. Dozens of permanent & temporary art "stops" are positioned all around the city. The idea is to explore the city by foot, bike, ferry or bus to see your favorite exhibits/installations from 6pm to midnight, hence the name Nocturne. 

Last year I worked until midnight at NovaScotian Crystal (a Nocturne stop), so I was very excited to have the full Nocturne experience this year. We started the night down on the waterfront with an exciting performance by Atlantic Cirque and then headed over to Maples Gallery to view Holly Carr's interetingly beautiful silk painting & to say hi to the owner. (Hi, Arline!)

Our next stop was NovaScotian Crystal to say hi to my former co-workers and to see what was new in the showroom. (Hi, Katie!) To refuel, we headed to Baton Rouge to grab a slice of their amazing-melt-in-your-mouth-creamy-delicious Red Velvet cake. Seriously, this is the cake that dreams are made of. So much so, that we devoured the whole thing before I could think to take a photo. Oops!

We continued on, hoping to try out the Happy Wash. It was a set-up like a car wash that you walked through that would simulate each step: rinse, suds, rinse, wax, dry and you would come out clean & refreshed. Doesn't that sound fun? Well, the line looked about 200 people long (!!!) so instead we hit up Letter Press Gang to do our own hand-pressed Nocturne print. The shop was really lovely & they had a couple of guys playing some Spanish music to keep us entertained while we waited.

By then it was getting pretty late so we started the walk home stopping at Argyle Fine Art along the way. They had a fun owl-themed exhibit downstairs complete with crunchy leaves all over the floor, branches in the ceiling and a hooting soundtrack. We were hoping to see a dance art piece & do a photo in the photobooth on the way home, but the photobooth was nowhere to be found and we had already passed the dance site... We stopped to paint something on the Glow Home, a project set up by an architecture student at Dal. It was a shed frame covered in plastic with glow in the dark paint messages and drawings all over it. It looked pretty cool, but I forgot to snap a pic.

All in all, it was a great night. It's fun to do something a little different in the city and for FREE! Nocturne is such a great event that brings people out and about. The streets were packed. It was awesome! It's also so well organized with all the different guided tours and booklets and clearly-marked sites. Definitely a must-do event in Halifax, for art-lovers and non-art lovers alike.

-------------

Linking up with Harper's Happenings today. Here's what I wore on our Nocturne adventure!

Abby either 1. wanted her picture taken too or 2. wanted to bite on my leopard-print scarf because she thought it was an animal.

robo-dog

Shoes: Le Chateau
Pants & Scarf: Dynamite
Tee & Bomber Jacket: Bluenotes
Hoodie: Joe Fresh

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog. I hope you enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Casa Fridays: colorful art for a rainy day.

Photo from Baby Blackbird

I was so inspired when I saw this tutorial image on Pinterest, but when I clicked to the final product I was blown away by the possibilities.

Brandy from Baby Blackbird and her kiddos made this as a Father's Day gift for her husband/their dad. See the actual tutorial here. Isn't it sweet? All they did was take vinyl reusable sticker letters, stuck them on a blank canvas, painted over the whole canvas and then took them off. It's so simple, not to mention inexpensive, but the part that tickles my fancy is that you can make such a range of pieces of art using the same idea. Can you tell how excited I am?

I'm definitely going to make one of these, it's just a matter of narrowing down my options for color, words, shapes, brush strokes etc. I might try using song lyrics or a quote that I like.

 For a different variation, you could use round brush strokes for a hypnotizing effect or you could do various shades of all one color for a softer, soothing look. I would like to see what covering the whole canvas with words would look like. Too. Many. Options.

What do you think? Am I a little over-enthused? I think it's because our apartment is really crying for a fun piece of art and a lot more color. I'm looking to bring color into the bedroom by doing a hanging project where the clothesline is. Stay tuned for that little update in a couple weeks!

This weekend my parents are paying me a visit and we're going to hit up the Farmer's market tomorrow morning, shop around in the day and have the rest of the family over for pulled pork. And you know I go a little nutzo for pulled pork, so it should be a fun time. See you on Monday for a little weekend re-cap. I hope you have a great weekend full of sunshine!

xo Janelle