Saturday, April 28, 2012

Girls' Empowerment

The Drama and Dance teacher at my school runs a Girl's Empowerment group. She emailed the link to this video with hopes that it would be shared. Show it to your daughters and sons. Talk about the message. Link it on your blog!

Cheers,
Erin

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Shattered Memories

Alright, my blogging has been so inconsistent, that I just want to thank whomever you are for still giving me the time of day. I guarantee that I have not been sitting around in my silk bathrobe eating bonbons on the divan. No, I've been teaching, tutoring after school, and trying to be a good mother and wife in between. Next, I have to say that I'm not used to the new Blogger templates. I think that I'll get used to it and learn to love it, but the screen I'm looking at right now, as I try to create a little magic, just looks like some minimalist art gallery - all white and drab. 
So much more than just a mug: a lifestyle. 
Anyway, since I haven't found any yard sales in my neighbourhood and there's been nothing of note at my local thrift store, I thought I'd look back at my Sanka mug. Sadly, It went to the great trash heap a few months back. The rattan-style handle snapped off unexpectedly and I have too many chipped mugs holding pencils and pens, so I tossed it. At least I have the picture. Everything about this mug and Sanka remind me of my seventies/eighties childhood. Good times.
My secret beach a year ago. We were there today. Duncan looks a year bigger and there wasn't any snow. 



We discovered a whole whack of pottery last year, which we dragged back home. Today, we found the beach. We had to get by some people living in tents by the river. They seemed nice enough, but they had some evil, yappy little dog that looked like it would be better suited sitting on a rich woman's lap enjoying high tea. We finally made it to the beach, ankles unscathed and we found even more amazing pieces. I'm going to have to open up a museum of broken crockery from the early 20th century. I'll try to take some pictures tomorrow.

With any luck, I will finally get my thrifting groove back.
Thanks for sticking around.
All the best,
Erin

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Calling Local Yard Sale Queens

Hello there,


Do you live in the Greater Toronto Area? Are you a crazy, funny yard sale queen?
If you answered yes to these questions, please email me at monkeyintherocket@yahoo.ca
I am helping someone with a project. I don't mean to be circumspect, but that's all I can say for now.

Here's something very cute to get your toes a-tappin'.


Sunday, March 25, 2012

Funny

I'm still hunting for thriftacular vintage goodies, to no avail. The Value Village near my school usually has a few bits and pieces, but yesterday all I saw were three dishwasher worn red refrigerator dishes minus lids. They were priced at $1.49 each. It was enough to make a Pyrex lover cry. Spring is here and now that Duncan's a heartier bike rider, I hope to get out to some good sales this year.

Here's something funny I found on the Yahoo page.
I quote from Yahoo
"(Maria) Dmitrienko won the 75 target event at the 10th Arab Shooting Championship in Kuwait on Thursday. She stood on the podium with the event's other medal winners and expected to hear "My Kazakhstan." Instead, she was greeted with Sacha Baron Cohen's mock anthem from his 2006 film."

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Love for the Pyrex Collective

Check out the Etsy Vintage Team write up for the Pyrex Collective. I hope to be blogging about beautiful vintage treasures that I'm destined to stumble upon during March Break next week.

Bye for now,
Erin

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Ikea Goodness and Rob Ford Rant

Here are two beautiful things I recently bought from Ikea...
A retro speckled pale pink pot cover for $2.99...
And this Swedish horse cake pan that comes with a mini cake pan. Cost: $9.99. We already went ahead and made a horse strawberry shortcake with it. I've also traced the tin onto paper so my class can write horse poems onto the shape.

On a heavier note, I just had to say that I'm depressed with living in Mayor Rob Ford's Toronto. It's not my Toronto. I was born here and I've lived here all my life. I'm a citizen, not a customer in need of service. I pay taxes, but I think of myself as a mother, wife, teacher, friend, sister and daughter - not a tax payer. I was raised to be polite and friendly to people - not giving strangers the finger or being rowdy and obnoxious at sports games - two things Ford has been caught doing. The Toronto I love values the democratic process and accepts defeat graciously: two things Ford seems to be incapable of doing. The federal government of Canada is equally shifty and big brother-like. I've started looking at property in New Zealand with a little dreamy voice that says, "Maybe one day." I'll always love Toronto, but it's not the Toronto that Ford is trying to create.

Image Detail
Rob Ford


Here's a song for those ready for a new mayor.

About Me

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I'm a slightly off-beat Toronto-area teacher who enjoys writing and photography. I come from a family of collectors and now I'm dragging my own family around to yard sales. It's just a bit of fun. Enjoy the scenes.