Doll

I made a doll this last week, the first I've made in a long time. She was made with this pattern from Wee Wonderfuls. I love the little buns in her hair.

Lars and the Real Girl

It was sweet, sad and funny. As I read in one review, it looks weird on paper but it's strangely and sweetly affecting onscreen.

Target Women: Cleaning

Who needs sex, romance or a considerate family when you have cleaning products?



See more of Sarah Haskin's Target Women series here.

Strathcona Wilderness Centre

We went out to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre this week. I hadn't been there before and really enjoyed it. There are lots of different trails in easy, intermediate or difficult designations. We didn't see any wildlife (other than a mouse) but we found some animal tracks* and I really just enjoyed all the pretty scenery. The trails were well-marked and the kids especially enjoyed a little boardwalk into a black spruce bog. It was interesting how just a few feet off of the birch and aspen trail there was an entirely different kind of scenery and likely a very different ecosystem too. There were signs along the trails letting you know about different plants and animals. The kids were also very excited about the hands-on display in the lodge where they touched some animal bones and other things like old wasp nests. I definitely want to go back and try some other trails.








* K, I read a joke that reminded me of us trying to figure out what the tracks we saw were:

3 stupids are on a walk when they find some tracks on the ground. The first stupid says "I think these are coyote tracks!". The second stupid says "no, no, they are deer tracks." The third stupid says "they look like cow tracks to me".

Then they all got hit by the train.

Fall

the leaves, they are a'changing.

Twilight Trailer Spoof

This is funny if you've seen the Twilight Trailer

Pictures from the Transit Centennial Week

We went to the Transit Centennial last weekend and had a nice time looking around. Blackbird Jr liked going onto all the buses and he also made a paper trolley craft. We went on a guided tour on an old trolley where they told us lots of interesting historical stuff about the city. Jr keeps asking when the fair will be on again and I am tempted to say "in another hundred years!"

The Wired Cup

Today we stopped by The Wired Cup, a cafe in Strathearn near Bonnie Doon mall that was recommended to me by a friend. I loved it! The coffee was tasty and came with a complimentary chocolate covered coffee bean (yum!). I had a bite of Blackbird Jr's snickerdoodle cookie and it was also delicious. The menu and cafe area are quite small, but what makes the cafe special is that it's also a store with both handmade and mass-produced but unique items. Art, skull and bones ice cube trays, felt robots, stationary, Lug bags, SIGG bottles, jewelry, all kinds of stuff! Next time I need to buy a gift I will be back.

9418 91 Street
Hours:Tues., Wed. 10-5 • Thurs. 10-8 • Fri. 10-5:30 • Sat. 10-6 • Sun. 11-2

Ikea Hacker

I've been enjoying the site for Ikea Hacker, which I had to check out when I saw someone made this cool Lego table.

Transit Centennial Week

Some fun stuff for kids is going on downtown this week for Transit Centennial Week.

Vintage transit vehicles are the focus on the Churchill Square display, and Streetcar #1 is the star of the show. Thanks to the Edmonton Radial Railway Society for restoring Streetcar #1 and making it available for this event. Look for 1957 GM #432, 1939 Leyland #5, Fageol Twin #59, Brill Trolley #148, Brill Gas #99, Pullman Trolley #113 and Edmonton Radial Railway's 1908 streetcar #1. Our latest vehicles -- a New Flyer Hybrid, and a DATS lift van -- will also be showcased. Veteran staff and retirees will tell the stories around the vintage buses.

September 13 & 14, they’ll be joined by other vintage vehicles displayed by centennial partners including Edmonton Police Service, Yellow Cab, and Fort Edmonton Park.

Big Tent

All week, the Big Tent in front of City Hall is the focus of activity. Transit artifacts and memorabilia complement a spectacular multimedia display including film footage of Edmonton in the 1940s and LRT construction.

Enjoy some special Centennial fun:

* Art on the bus ... create your own transit poster. The best ones will be posted on the bus.
* Fold your own model of a streetcar or a trolley.
* Test your Lego skills with our special Centennial bus kit.
* Try your hand at the Bus Driver video game.

Trolley Tours

September 13 & 14
12 noon - 5pm

September 20
12 noon - 4pm

Short 20-minute downtown tours on Brill Trolley #202 leave on the hour from stop #1707 (in front of Library). Free tickets are available the same day as the tours at the Information Booth.
Centennial Route Tours

September 13, 14 & 20
11:30am - 5:30pm

Special 45-minute Centennial Historic Bus Tours leave at 11:30am, 1:30pm 3:30pm and 5:30pm Catch the bus northbound on 100 St., on the west side of Churchill Squre. Tickets are free, available the same days as the tours, at the Information Booth.
High Level Streetcar Tour

September 13 & 14
11am - 4pm

The Edmonton Radial Railway Society will run their High Level Streetcar Tour, with a shuttle provided every 40 min. between Churchill Square and the Grandin Streetcar stop. The first shuttle leaves Churchill Square at 11am; the last one leaves at 4:30pm from Grandin. Streetcar tours are $3. Get your ticket at Streetcar #1 on Churchill Square before you take the shuttle. Enjoy a visit to the new streetcar museum at the Strathcona Streetcar Barns.


September 12
7pm - 11pm, Churchill Square

Edmonton-based band Shout Out Out Out Out headlines this multi-band concert, joined by The Whitsundays and the Trevor Tchir Band.

September 13 & 20
12 noon - 5pm, Churchill Square

Face painting and street performers make the Square jump.

September 14
12 noon - 5pm, Churchill Square

It's musical fun for the whole family with entertainment by Le Fuzz, Ayla Brook, Manraygun, Ben Sures, and Robin Hunter & Six Foot Bullies, presented by the Edmonton Radial Railway Society.

September 19
8pm and 9:30pm, Churchill Square

Rapid Fire Theatre presents two performances of “Kiss My Bus”, a live play on a bus on the Square.

September 20
8:30pm

The Centennial finale ... ETS presents Movies on the Square.

No-Staple Paper Chains

Brilliant! I love doing paper chains in the windows for holidays- black ones for halloween are especially appropriate.

Click the link from World Preschool Mom for instructions.