tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50361649323195060542024-03-19T15:49:22.215-07:00Bark and PurlNeedles, Noodle + Other TalesGenevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-72177765112219341102015-10-27T07:37:00.000-07:002015-10-27T07:37:46.783-07:00Oregon Coast road trip - Part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Driving down Highway 101 is a pretty spectacular sight, worth many stops. After starting <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2015/10/oregon-coast-road-trip-part-1.html" target="_blank">our adventure</a> in Cannon beach, discovering the stunning Nehalem Bay State Park and surviving Cape Perpetua, we were off further south than I'd never been on the coast, and I was amaze to discover how beautiful it was, how soft and white the sand was. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><u>South Beach State Park (Newport)</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">I don't have any pictures of South Beach, because we never really saw it. We heard sea lions as if they were over in the next camp site, but apparently they were far away. We made it to the beach but it was cold, dark and foggy. Actually, as soon as we got near South Beach, we started wondering "Where did the sun go?". I bought an extra fleece. We encountered evil burrs. I was walking Noodle around the campsite and he started limping. I looked under his paws, and there were at least a dozen burrs stuck there. I tried to pick them out and they viciously dug into my skin. I'm blaming one for my air mattress dying that night. On the plus side, the sand we were camping on was so soft I didn't sleep so bad. I don't know, South Beach. I'm sure you're beautiful, but the locals told us it's usually the way it is, cold and foggy. I may pass next time. Mostly because of the evil burrs. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I was pretty excited to see the sand dunes, and they were very cool indeed. We stayed at Jessie M Honeyman Memorial State Park, and explored the nearby dunes and beaches. It was pretty great, although the part where we decided to hike straight up one of the tallest dunes was not the most well thought of, and I almost fell backyards. Noodle thought it was the best, other than the fact that I was obviously slowing him down. There was running, playing, beautiful scenery, and we were very sad to leave. Until next time, Oregon. </span><br />
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Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-84904101055189226682015-10-20T08:30:00.002-07:002015-10-20T08:30:47.569-07:00Oregon Coast road trip - Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you were to ask me to pick a destination, I would probably first tell you that I'm dreaming of Morocco and Bulgaria. While they are strong contenders, far away, longer trips are on hold for the moment, and to be honest, it's ok. Because going back to the Oregon Coast is already pretty high on my list. It's hard to beat a getaway with a great friend, 3 dogs, and miles of sandy beaches. I always thought of the PNW beaches as pebbled, and most often grey and foggy, like <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2014/09/twisted-rib-hat-and-one-of-my-favourite.html" target="_blank">this</a>. Which I do also love, but hey, a little sun is always nice for a change. We couldn't have asked for better weather for this camping trip. It was perfect, except maybe for my air mattress dying on night 3 of 4. Turns out, sleeping on a dog bed isn't that great. Now you know. A<span class="il" style="color: #222222;"> few weeks ago, my friend Emma and I packed up the car (I mean, she did), all 3 dogs, and</span><span class="il" style="color: #222222;"> we headed south on Highway 101 for a few days of running on the beach. We left on a Wednesday, after Labor Day, and so we assumed for sure that we didn't need any reservation for camping. Right? </span></span><br />
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<u><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cannon beach</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Our first stop was Cannon Beach, and we planned to camp at Nehalem Bay State Park for a couple of nights. Well, weren't we shocked when we showed up at the end of the afternoon and the campsite (hundreds of sites), was full. After driving around past some questionable RV/camping spots, we were able to snatch the last site at Wright's for camping, just a few minutes walk from Cannon beach. It was perfect. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Ecola State Park</u></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">A few minutes from the town of Cannon Beach is the beautiful Ecola State Park. The view point from the parking lot is pretty amazing, and a rewarding hike will get you to another great beach. Or I guess you could drive to the next parking lot, but where is the fun in that? Also, tired pups are usually much cuddlier. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Nehalem Bay State Park</u></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This is where we had hoped to stay the first night, and probably my favourite spot of the trip. The camping site was great, the beach amazing. Clearly the dogs had a terrible time, but what can you do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Cape Perpetua</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: justify;">This was quite the experience. Ok, Cape Perpetua was awesome, and I would go back, earlier in the day, and hike some more. Unfortunately, the main thing that I remember at this point is that we almost killed a girl. Seriously. We were driving on the curvy highway leaving Cape Perpetua. We had stopped at the north most parking lot and hiked around the trails from there. There is a campsite, which is only accessible from the trails, not from the highway. That would be silly to have pedestrians cross a highway, right? Actually, there are signs reminding people that it's prohibited to cross the highway. You know, danger. So we were driving, on the highway, coming just around a curve, when this girl almost jumped in front of us, walking into oncoming traffic while looking the other way. If the car coming the opposite way had been a minute earlier, it would have been between hitting her or a head-on collision. It was absolutely terrifying. We may have wished her to lose control of some bodily function after this. </span></div>
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Despite this traumatic experience, the trip was going great, and we kept driving South and having a blast. There was just more wine being poured that night. To be continued.Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-50045911984571369962015-10-06T09:19:00.003-07:002015-10-06T09:19:50.751-07:00Happiness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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... is a dog running on the beach. Do I need to say more? Slow sorting through the pictures of an amazing road trip along Highway 101, exploring the Oregon coast beaches, with Mr Noodle-Is-Actually-A-Rabbit barely touching the ground. My apologies for taking so long, this ridiculous dog is quite distracting.</div>
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<br />Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-9362277633037883762015-08-26T09:48:00.002-07:002015-08-26T09:48:53.169-07:00Living room update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Things are moving turtle pace here, except for the carpenters knocking things off our list non-stop today. I'm seriously considering asking them to move in, since they are so polite, hardworking, and their job seems to be going around making everything better. It's pretty amazing, especially after messy plumbing and electrical work. Not that these contractors weren't great as well, but they left holes everywhere, so it felt kind of worse after they were done, except for the fact that we can now safely shower and flush the toilet at the same time. Noodle seems to have missed the company, which he expresses by extreme wagging and excitement when they first show up, before resuming his contest of who can spend the most time on the couch today. He always wins. In all seriousness, we are excited to add some finishing touches and functionality around. Like that built-in cabinet we never managed to open before.
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One room that has come together nicely is the living room. This is where I spend most of my time, and it's the room that I find the most comfortable and relaxing. I swear it's not just because the TV is there. We like the paint in the living room, which is the only room with a white ceiling and white millwork, a room where they also chose to pass on the beige, pink or orange. Shocking. The walls are a nice shade of grey, and we decided on blue as the accent colour. The biggest challenge was to figure out the layout as the room is very long but kind of narrow. I know they say to keep furniture away from the walls, but when I sit on the couch, I want to look out the windows, so along the wall it went.<br />
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The next challenge was finding a long enough couch that didn't break the bank. After shopping around and drooling over couches and chairs at Room and Board, we settled on a 110" long IKEA couch, and I have no regret. It is super comfy, and the chair section is perfect for lounging.<br />
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There are two sections to the living room, with part of the room being a later addition, and we wanted to have it flow together but still feel different. The extension is brighter with much bigger windows, and is my favourite reading spot. We chose two rugs that have similar colours but very different styles, one more modern and one more traditional, to separate both areas but keeping a nice flow. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I was looking for a new reading chair for a while but then decided to keep our good old IKEA chair, because seriously, that thing is so comfortable. </div>
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We kept most of the furniture from our previous place and added a new couch, a few side tables and accessories. My favourite thing in the room is actually this painting we found pinned in the basement covered by cobwebs. It was the canvas only, but I found a nice frame while out antiquing with friends, and I love how it looks above the fire place. We couldn't pass on the Anthropologie coasters, which are just too cute, and after adding a few pillows and blanket, the room came together nicely.<br />
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It's not perfect yet, missing some wall art and a few large plants but it is the most put together room we've managed in what seems like forever but I guess is actually not that long. I find it relaxing and peaceful, and Noodle seems to find it comfy enough to snuggle up with Sharkie.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7Oxn8viunvlokKNabp3hfAw3OPafmayiXJ38704CAZjKwY9ZTMY4B2g95L-rcWChFQgmFPZqVLWmim2-vu0LkxijoxNfpRxibQJp0ptB3QFWEBLMKLVZxaXeiVlERlJS4JQx2ipUggRF/s1600/Living+room.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7Oxn8viunvlokKNabp3hfAw3OPafmayiXJ38704CAZjKwY9ZTMY4B2g95L-rcWChFQgmFPZqVLWmim2-vu0LkxijoxNfpRxibQJp0ptB3QFWEBLMKLVZxaXeiVlERlJS4JQx2ipUggRF/s1600/Living+room.jpg" width="850" /></a>Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-8163182692034604022015-08-19T10:56:00.000-07:002015-08-19T10:56:07.194-07:00Round placemats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are finally done with electrical, plumbing, asbestos abatement and plaster repairs. We are moving onto carpentry and chimney, while trying to plan paint colours and fix cracks around the house, so we can keep spiders and other bugs out. Most of our home improvements so far have been geared towards preventing problems and improving safety, and cosmetic fixes have been relegated to the bottom of the list. It makes a lot of sense, and some rooms, particularly the fully pink tiled bathroom (I mean floors, walls, ceiling) are growing on me, but a lot of the time it drives me a little crazy. So I'm trying to go around and make things a little better. I'm also trying to keep up with crochet, since I'm at the stage where if I don't do it every day or so, I feel like I completely forget how it's done.<br />
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It's not the first time, and definitely not the last that I'm turning to <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/" target="_blank">Purl Bee</a> for inspiration, and I'm so trilled with <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/2011/06/19/whits-knits-granny-circle-placemats/" target="_blank">these placemats</a>. We have a cute little breakfast nook in the kitchen, which gets the morning light, and we bought the Ikea white tulip table for it. I wanted to protect the surface when we eat and was looking for round placemats but couldn't find any that I liked. The Granny circle placemats look great on our table, perfect for breakfast or for a late afternoon snack, my go-to these days being rosé and pretzels. I made two so far and I'm hoping to add two more, solidifying my crochet technique while doing so. The contrasting border really gives the placemats a nice finish, and I chose to keep mine in soft cool tones, which is what we are moving towards as a palette for the house. </div>
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Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-83202571117695996402015-08-11T08:46:00.003-07:002015-08-11T08:46:58.339-07:00Crochet coasters<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I have to tell you, I'm not a big fan of bugs. If they are outside, ideally in a foreign country, and they look exotic, I might be interested. I might even go <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2015/03/two-weeks-in-borneo-sabah-malaysia-part_24.html" target="_blank">on a night walk</a> to find them, and take pictures. Until I reach the point where it all seems more creepy than exciting, and then I'll want nothing more than crawl into a bug free bed, in a bug free room. But at home, and especially in my house, I really dislike them. I don't care that spiders eat other bugs. They can go eat somewhere else (and please, bring their feast along with them). A giant house spider in my kitchen sink, not cool. A green cricket jumping out of my underwear drawer at 6 in the morning as I'm getting ready for work, not ok. These are just a few things we are dealing with right now, and they should probably be the least of my worries. We now have spider traps set up everywhere in the house, and this morning, I found one stuck in the trap, RIGHT NEXT TO THE HEAD OF THE BED. ON MY SIDE OF THE BED. I'm not sure if I should be grossed out or thankful. It was a big one. You know, I really wish that Noodle would chase them. I'm told he killed a giant house spider at my friend's house last year. Why didn't he kill the one we got? Graham warned me that I'm not allowed to put Noodle in the sink if that happens again and he's not home. I don't know, seems like a good strategy to me. The other night, he ate a giant mosquito, frog-style, just following him with his head along the wall, and then snap, getting it with his tongue. It was kind of amazing, and he totally got a cookie for it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fFgFP1CyLlZ26v31GL3KFBlJgHpgkWhT_py4uho0hLfEetpjrSve3mMRcyZK2bgMBZy5eB9ChyphenhypheneA4iAKoEngQ-lx4gOXk4cPzF9RHpiO4Va1JCoMRt75-0CIcF2HmJU4FM-pjccfIbbM/s1600/crochet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fFgFP1CyLlZ26v31GL3KFBlJgHpgkWhT_py4uho0hLfEetpjrSve3mMRcyZK2bgMBZy5eB9ChyphenhypheneA4iAKoEngQ-lx4gOXk4cPzF9RHpiO4Va1JCoMRt75-0CIcF2HmJU4FM-pjccfIbbM/s1600/crochet1.jpg" width="850" /></a>To try and distract myself, I decided to venture a bit more into crochet, and made some coasters. The living room is starting to come together, thanks to the addition of this great rug. We were in need of some more coasters, and I had some cotton yarn lying around. I initially wanted to make these <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/2011/06/19/whits-knits-granny-circle-placemats/" target="_blank">awesome placemats</a>, but I'm still pretty new at crochet, and turns out I don't read patterns that well (yet. hopefully). So I decided to get a little more crochet experience, under the skilled guidance of Sarah-Jayne from <a href="http://www.bellacoco.co.uk/" target="_blank">Bella Coco</a>, and followed this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ium6UBEEpm0" target="_blank">great tutorial</a>. I'm starting to realize that crochet goes a lot faster than knitting. I think I might have been missing out.<br />
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Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-83213227051935712972015-08-05T09:40:00.000-07:002015-08-05T09:40:52.916-07:00Chevron baby blanket<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAhoWnLbbIqLHIQOow8sz89EUSEBz4Jra9Daps7sPmK3O9c9kEt73uXYezc06_79RI-sazr-BcdpSv78008r1tY_GmZcTmD8VQR-5XXHWtIzCEp6Z2j7cSNDM5bxhHQfKn383ico4LCxB/s1600/babyblanketx2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaLJDdwElBKVxi7ZY6uQauZVaNBlzNs8ntyP0LgswcViM27IoNQ9s7t8yVjniQwiiUFtriIoBbxdH8ehgVvEP8Nvqaw6Uus6R0B3o3xUQ5zS0ypMw1SySpWLok2fAUKmKEqGBx1Lr29Ra/s1600/babyblanketx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaLJDdwElBKVxi7ZY6uQauZVaNBlzNs8ntyP0LgswcViM27IoNQ9s7t8yVjniQwiiUFtriIoBbxdH8ehgVvEP8Nvqaw6Uus6R0B3o3xUQ5zS0ypMw1SySpWLok2fAUKmKEqGBx1Lr29Ra/s1600/babyblanketx.jpg" width="850" /></a>
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I'm usually a pretty organized person. When I started this blog, I set a goal of posting once a week, and kept an organized list of ideas and projects, making sure to have some banked up if we were going on vacations, as to never miss a week. My system didn't fail until this spring, in the middle of this housing business. It does kind of feel like a business. I suddenly inherited the job of Head of Human Resources. A lot of my time is now spent researching various contractors, conducting interviews and hiring people. Resumes come in the form of bids, and the price range at times is shockingly wide (and perhaps sometimes wild).<br />
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In the midst of learning more about various trades, I kind of lost track of time, despite looking at the calendar most of the day. We came back from <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2015/03/two-weeks-in-borneo-sabah-malaysia-part.html" target="_blank">this amazing place</a> at the end of February, and if it wasn't for this unprecedented hot summer, I would tell you that it feels like early April. I just have no idea where the last few months have been. My best friend is having a baby pretty soon, and I barely managed to knit a blanket in time for her shower. That's just ridiculous. I know that I'll have plenty of time to make up for it once he's here, and that the end of summer probably isn't the best time for hand knits anyway, but still. I cannot wait to meet this little guy. So, last week, frantically, as we were breaking an all-time heat record, I was knitting a blanket. I couldn't bring myself to buy wool in this 90+ degree weather, and cotton seemed too heavy, so despite my prejudice against acrylic, I chose a synthetic yarn. I opted for <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/cascade-yarns-cherub-aran" target="_blank">Cascade Cherub Aran</a>, a mix of nylon and acrylic. Let me tell you, despite the heat, the blanket was so soft on my lap as I was knitting, I almost considered telling my friend I ran out of time and would make it up to her, and keeping the blanket for myself. Not that I would ever do that. But that yarn is so incredibly soft. It came out of the wash looking great, and I will definitely use it again. </div>
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I love a chevron but had never knitted it, and was pretty excited, maybe a little intimidated, to try out this lovely <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chevron-baby-blanket-2" target="_blank">Chevron Baby Blanket</a> pattern by <a href="https://espacetricot.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Espace tricot</a>. Instead of using 5 colours, I decided on 3, and as I was knitting, had the impulse to change things up a little. Instead of even stripes, I opted for varying the width. I knitted 20 rows for the thickest stripes, 10 for the smaller ones, and only 6 for the narrow yellow stripe in the middle. So many possible variations, I may just have to make more blankets. Turns out the pattern is easy to follow and looks great. Blocking allows the ends to take the nice zigzag shape, and opens up the pattern. I hope that this little guy loves this blanket as much as I do!<br />
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Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-23452403000186770092015-07-15T07:00:00.000-07:002015-08-05T14:24:33.272-07:00Pot holder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's interesting to see how our lives have recently evolved. We went from going out on Saturday nights to sanding and stripping off wallpaper. Sure, the glass of wine stayed, but the nice clothes have been traded for a t-shirt and old pants. I'm coming to realize that I tend to underestimate projects, or at least their length. Maybe it's for the best, removing the apprehensions, the questions. I would absolutely choose to do it again, but this remodelling sure is taking a toll. Saturday night, I suddenly had the impulse to rip out wallpaper from the powder room. It was not a rational decision, not a planned one, and I hadn't looked up any tips. I just started pulling. The first layer, blue with stars, came off like a breeze. And then I discovered the many, many layers underneath. There is the New Orleans scene, which I kind of like, and a few layers of flowers. Mostly, there is glue, and a huge mess. I obviously didn't make it very far, and then decided to go to bed. Shortly after falling asleep, I was woken up in panic by the smoke detectors. The fancy ones we got hardwired to be up to code, all connected together, that not only trigger a siren, but also talk: "fire, fire". I scrambled for my glasses, grabbed Noodle, and headed downstairs. When the electricians were installing the smoke detectors, the alarm went off a few times, and I had taken that opportunity to do practice drills with Noodle, taking him outside for a short walk each time. When the alarm went off in the middle of the night, while I was terrified, his tail was wagging, he had jumped off from the bed and was ready to go out. Luckily, there turned out to be no fire, and we suspect that the smell of old glue may have set it off. The moral of the story is, we probably should have gone out on Saturday.</div>
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I've been feeling very unproductive, sitting waiting all day for the city inspector, encountering more and more delays and my least favourite, scheduling bid after bid for all the renovations that, due to lack of skill or time, fell under the delegate list. This may be why last week I jumped into the <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2015/07/granny-squares.html" target="_blank">granny squares</a>, because they seemed like such manageable little achievements. Now I'm thinking that maybe I could start off with a pillow instead of a blanket, especially as I'm worrying about joining all these squares together. I figured I should probably get a little more crochet experience under my belt, and master some basic stitch, like the single crochet. I followed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWFI-S2WLW4" target="_blank">this video</a> and made a simple pot holder yesterday with some cotton yarn I had around. I love how quick this was to complete: I started after breakfast and was done before lunch. Since we are not quite ready to repaint our kitchen cabinets, currently an interesting shade of brown-orange, at least now I can try and distract my gaze with something else, something more pleasant. I love the look of the single crochet stitch for this. I'm not ready to convert from knitting over to crochet, but I'm definitely interested. and looking forward to trying out more simple projects.</div>
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Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-21668821522046425292015-07-09T09:12:00.004-07:002015-07-09T09:12:50.393-07:00Granny squares<div>
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Last weekend was a long one here in the US, and instead of going camping like we usually do, we stayed home, and despite the crazy heat wave, tried to work our way through the unrealistic to-do list I wrote. There just seems to be too much to do, and too little time. All these new projects take much, much longer than anticipated, and we find ourselves spending most of our time working on one house thing or another, in between a few runs to the hardware store. As I was cleaning to guest bedroom in preparation for house guests this week, I found an empty spider sack, and made the mistake to look up how many spiders eggs are in a sack. In case you ever find one in your house, and you don't know the answer already, I'm just going to tell you now, sometimes knowledge is over rated. I panicked, started vacuuming everywhere frantically, and felt a little better after catching a few small ones.<br />
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After researching online how to get rid of spiders, I decided to attack the basement, which we hadn't dealt with much since moving in. It's mostly unfinished, and we had just been storing a bunch of stuff that didn't make the initial unpacking round. I started vacuuming and quickly realized that the walls weren't dirty as I thought but instead covered in cobweb. After about 10 spiders, I asked for Graham's help, and I think that we caught at least 45. I'm not entirely sure if it makes me feel better or not. I do need to train Noodle to chase them though. Last spring, he was over at our friends house and killed a giant house spider in their basement (again, if you don't know how big they actually are, maybe don't look it up). I'm not sure why he won't go after the little ones, but hopefully he'll learn. In the mean time, I'm keeping the vacuum handy, and making Graham empty it. Oh ya, did I mention that I'm afraid of spiders?</div>
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While in the basement, we found an old oil painting, which actually looks pretty good, and it might end up over our fireplace if we can find the right frame. We have slowly been accumulating cool little things, an accounting book from the 1930s, old handwritten checks, and a handy profit calculator for grocery items. Not sure about profit, but sale prices sure have gone up. Maybe it's moving into this old house, finding all these things, or maybe seeing all these <a href="http://knityorkcity.com/2015/02/03/learned-make-granny-squares/" target="_blank">awesome granny squares</a> popping up in my social media, but I've been wanting to make a granny square blanket for some time. I've never really took up crochet, and feel pretty novice at it. I tried a few You Tube videos without much success, until I found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_5nIpXg8OM" target="_blank">this one</a>. Initially I was a bit reluctant to watch it, mostly because the video is almost an hour long. But turns out, it was the way to learn for me. It took me a few tries, and definitely feels like it took longer to get it than it should have. But now that I've finished my 4th square, I feel like there will be a blanket in my future. I'm probably... only 56 more squares away?<br />
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Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-27259788238825729242015-07-01T06:46:00.001-07:002015-07-01T06:46:57.434-07:00House drama and fresh fruits delivery<div style="text-align: justify;">
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When we first decided to buy this old house, I listened carefully to the home inspector, nearly had a panic attack (or 5) after receiving his written report, and Graham and I sat down to talk it through. It's a crazy market, and houses go by fast, so there wasn't much luxury to take our time. You're in or you're out. We decided that we were in, after talking about the immediate repairs we wanted to do. We easily agreed that plumbing and asbestos were at the top of the list, and I insisted on rewiring, while Graham thought it wasn't that important. We eventually agreed to get rid of the knob and tube, and Graham made fun of me to no end for not trusting the electrical system, for unplugging everything and freaking out about the washer/dryer, impatiently waiting for the electricians to start working. See, the washer was plugged into a loose plug adapter, held by a small piece of rope, with a bare copper wire hung to the pipes in case the galvanized and knob and tube were to get in contact. How much sketchier can this get? Eventually, necessity won, and I had to use the appliances. Then our friends had a dryer fire. So yes, these things happen. Clean your filters, everyone.<br />
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Moving into this new house, nestled in a thick garden, has been great, but Noodle and I have both been a little more on edge, him during the day, suspicious of any activity on the street or people close by, and me at night, worrying about going to bed when I'm by myself in the house. And don't even get me started on the spiders. I was just getting over this, starting to feel more comfortable and at home, when the electricians started working. Earlier in the week, we looked at the rooms upstairs, notably at the long strip of movable outlets, and they agreed with me that they wouldn't use it either. I felt reassured, glad that my fears were not unrealistic, and confident that everything was under control. I had come to peace with the fact that as we thought we were done with plumbing, we found ourselves with a failed inspection, and that we now have to change a recent upgrade from the previous owners. I guess just because that bathroom looked like the nicest room in the house didn't mean it's work free. But you know, these things happen, it's gonna come together, even though it's taking a little longer than I'd hoped, reasoned the new peaceful me (a really calm and relaxed new me).<br />
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So I was sitting quietly in the living room, Noodle sleeping next to me, working on the computer and keeping an eye on the bird's nest out the window. Those silly looking chicks sure eat a lot. From the window I could see our first lily blossom; life felt good and peaceful. And then I heard from upstairs "OMG. This house is seriously about to burn down". Well that's not very comforting. Then a few minutes later, the electrician comes down and says that the ceiling light in the bedroom (you know, the fixture right above our bed) is pretty much about to combust. So I'm back to being stressed, a little apprehensive of this place, and so, so glad they are here. Also, is it too early for a stiff drink?</div>
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In order to relax, after these stressful past few months, I'm trying out a new approach. Less chips, pizza, and wine, and more grains, hearty foods <a href="http://www.flourishingfoodie.com/2015/06/the-sprouted-kitchens-popeye-protein.html" target="_blank">like this</a>. This summer we signed up for our first CSA box, from <a href="http://collinsfamilyorchards.com/" target="_blank">Collins Family Orchards</a>, and we just received our first delicious assortment of stone fruits. Obviously, this change is coming at some cost, since, as a great friend put it, that box is nature's laxatives at its best. One need not say more.<br />
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Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-43851263815473532032015-06-23T08:24:00.002-07:002015-06-23T08:27:22.086-07:00Victoria, BC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago, we went to Victoria to celebrate the wedding of two great friends. In addition to the cheers and festivities, we enjoyed a few meals in some of our favourite restaurants, in between which we wandered around downtown, building up our appetite again. It's hard for me to find the words to express how much I love this place. I feel a peaceful joy being back, which happens only too rarely. I lived in Victoria for over 6 years, and loved life there. I met amazing friends, loved my job and all the opportunities that it brought me, and truly discovered a love for the outdoors. Sure the first few months were hard, when my poor brain was struggling to keep up in my second language, which was far from mastered, and trying to keep up with a demanding job, right after graduation. But slowly, over time, I became more comfortable, more confident, and started to feel like myself again, instead of this slow, idiot person unable to express herself. Coming from the east coast and straight out of grad school, I really learned to relax and enjoy life in the PNW. I found balance, became more active, and created amazing memories. Here is a glimpse of this city I cherish, a few ideas for a weekend or week long getaway.<br />
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<u>How to get there</u><br />
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You have plenty of options to get to Victoria. From Vancouver, you can take the <a href="http://www.bcferries.com/schedules/mainland/tssw-current.php" target="_blank">Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay ferry</a> or <a href="https://www.harbourair.com/" target="_blank">Harbour Air</a>'s seaplane. From Washington, you have the <a href="http://www.kenmoreair.com/" target="_blank">Kenmore Air</a> seaplanes from South Lake Union in Seattle, the Seattle <a href="http://www.clippervacations.com/" target="_blank">Clipper</a> for foot passengers, the <a href="https://www.cohoferry.com/" target="_blank">Black Ball Ferry </a>(a.k.a. the Coho) from Port Angeles, or the <a href="http://www.wsdot.com/ferries/schedule/ScheduleDetail.aspx?departingterm=1&arrivingterm=19&roundtrip=true" target="_blank">Anacortes-Sidney</a> ferry, the latter two accommodating foot and car passengers. If I could, I'd hop on the seaplane every time, because it is so fast, and the views over the strait are stunning. A more affordable option though, which allows us to bring Noodle to visit his Canadian cousins, is to drive to Port Angeles, and hop on the Coho. If you're lucky, you might spot a whale or two during the crossing. The added advantage of the Coho, Clipper or seaplanes is that you arrive right in the downtown harbour, saving you the 30min drive from Sydney/Swartz Bay. Finally, if you are coming from further away, the Victoria International Airport is another option. </div>
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<u>Where to stay</u><br />
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There are a lot of hotels downtown Victoria, and you'll easily be able to get around by foot from pretty much any of them. We typically stay with friends, wanting as much time to catch up as possible, but this last trip, we decided to splurge. We stayed at the <a href="http://www.laurelpoint.com/?gclid=CjwKEAjwp_uqBRClvrrXmsbPog4SJACK4gIPandRV6gsHxHXD0_IwPLKwlJPQ2zv3oa36TFkDdcFcRoCkAjw_wcB" target="_blank">Inn at Laurel Point</a>, a hard to beat location, although their more basic rooms definitely are due for an upgrade. <a href="http://oswegovictoria.com/" target="_blank">The Oswego Hotel </a>is another great option nearby, which my parents quite enjoyed a few years back. Amazingly, street parking is free in that area between 5pm Friday until 8am Monday, so if you don't mind walking a little, save the hotel parking fee and spend it on some delicious food. If you like the comfort and consistency of the big chains, another option is the <a href="https://www.deltahotels.com/Hotels/Delta-Victoria-Ocean-Pointe-Hotel-Resort-Spa" target="_blank">Delta</a>, right across the water, a great excuse to hop on the adorable water taxi.</div>
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<u>Where to eat</u><br />
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There are a lot of great restaurants in Victoria, many that I haven't tried or that are slipping my mind right now, but here is a short list of a few favourites. One amazing thing for a city that size is the number of delicious brunch places. And shockingly, they are always packed. So, while you're there, embrace the local's way, and start off your day with a brunch.</div>
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Brunch<br />
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There are so many amazing brunch options in Victoria and not enough mornings in a long weekend to try them all. <a href="http://www.jamcafevictoria.com/" target="_blank">Jam Cafe</a> is a newer locals' favourite, and can be hard to get into unless you show up early and are willing to wait in line a bit. If you do, trust me, it'll be well worth your while. We tried <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1465048593"></span>The Clay Pigeon<span id="goog_1465048594"></span></a> for the first time, and would definitely go back, for the breakfast sandwich on a sesame bun and the daily fresh apple fritters. Other fav places are <a href="http://rebarmodernfood.com/" target="_blank">Rebar</a>, <a href="https://www.thebluefoxcafe.com/" target="_blank">Blue Fox Cafe</a>, <a href="http://www.shinecafe.ca/" target="_blank">Shine Cafe</a>, and I've heard great things about a new place, <a href="http://therubyvictoria.com/" target="_blank">The Ruby</a>.</div>
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Lunch<br />
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Rain or shine, a must is <a href="http://www.redfish-bluefish.com/" target="_blank">Red Fish Blue Fish</a>, for the most amazing fish and chips and chowder. Expect a line, and expect the food to surpass your expectations of this little but well-organized stand by the water. If you venture out of downtown, I have a deep love for the BBQ salmon rolls from <a href="http://www.fujiya.ca/aboutFujiya/fujiyastores/victoria.asp" target="_blank">Fujiya</a>, up towards the University. It's more of a take-out location, although there are a few tables outside and a bar with stools inside. Alternatively, drive up to Mount Tolmie or Mount Douglas, and enjoy lunch with a view. I lived just a few blocks from there when I first moved to Victoria, and would be looking forward to my weekly sushi meal.</div>
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If you want to fancy it up and splurge, try <a href="http://www.laurelpoint.com/dining/aura1.htm" target="_blank">Aura</a>, at the Inn at Laurel Point. Since our intimate wedding dinner there a few years ago, they have hired a new chef, and although the menu description wasn't as inspiring as we remembered (which could be due to the lack of champagne consumed prior to dinner), every single bite was amazing. If you feel like sushi, try <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g154945-d704012-Reviews-Ebizo_Japanese_Restaurant-Victoria_Victoria_Capital_Regional_District_Vancouver_Is.html" target="_blank">Ebizo Sushi,</a> or if you prefer Italian, head over to <a href="http://www.zambris.ca/" target="_blank">Zambri's</a>. A little further from downtown, every Saturday night, the <a href="http://www.rossbaypub.com/" target="_blank">Ross Bay Pub</a> offers delicious pub food and music bingo, which guarantees a good night, at least in my books. Make sure to get there early as it's a popular evening!</div>
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<u>What to do</u><br />
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Downtown<br />
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Downtown Victoria is a charming place to hang out, with lots of cafes, pubs, patios and restaurants. I love to start off with a great coffee at <a href="http://habitcoffee.com/" target="_blank">Habit</a>, shop for clothing and jewelry on Johnson Street, explore <a href="http://www.capitaliron.net/" target="_blank">Capital Iron</a>, and then meander the oldest Chinatown in Canada, with quaint little alleys and stores. If you are still thirsty and it's too early for the pub, stop by <a href="http://www.silkroadteastore.com/" target="_blank">Silk Road</a> and try some tea, refuelling for more shopping and walking. Take a walk through the rose garden at the Empress Hotel, and depending on the weather, bring a book and lounge in front of the parliament building, or visit the BC Royal Museum. High Tea is a lovely experience, but for a perhaps better, and definitely more affordable time, try <a href="http://www.whiteheather-tearoom.com/" target="_blank">White Heather</a> instead of the Empress, unless you want the harbour view to be part of your experience. Either way, reservation is a must.</div>
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Dallas Road<br />
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A classic on the weekend is to meet friends at the Moka House on Cook Street, grab a latte and walk down to Dallas Road. The path goes along the water, overlooking the snow capped mountains of the Olympic Peninsula, and is also an off-leash dog park, so you can bring your furry friend along. On the right day, you can see paragliders flying off the cliff. You can follow the path or go down to the beach, walk along the water or sit on the log, enjoying the peacefulness, just steps from downtown.</div>
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As you walk back towards downtown, you reach Beacon Hill park, worth a stop, stroll or picnic, and then Ogden Point, just before Fisherman's Wharf and the colourful floating houses. Some people complain that Victoria is too small, and that there isn't much to do. For me, trying out a variety of restaurants, picking a different park and beach to explore every day, shopping, reading a book, stopping for a chill glass of white wine is how I envision a perfect week. If you have a car, there are many hikes within a very short drive, which can add to your stay in Victoria. If you have more time, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands deserve exploring. On my to-do-list is to put together a post of some of my favourite days trips and weekend trips from Victoria, which really just seems like the perfect excuse to go back and play for a few weeks, and of course take pictures. Some day soon, hopefully. </div>
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Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-33211602894193580432015-06-16T07:48:00.000-07:002015-06-16T07:48:58.990-07:00Our new old house - the garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our house is located on a quiet street, right next to a large park (and in between two others), and it feels like we live right next to a forest, while still being walking distance to some of our friends' places and favourite cafes and restaurants. It's pretty incredible. Down our street there's an entrance to the park, a cooling walk/bike ride in the shade, with some lovely trails, our favourite one along a ravine. We have been introduced to Elvis, the local wood pecker, and came across many blue jays, but are still patiently waiting to spot the owl.<br />
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Our yard is more of a forest/garden than a yard, without any grass (trust me, I'm not complaining). It's wild and free, and looks different every day. It's not the well manicured garden I would have chosen, but it's pretty special, a careful balance of plants and wild flowers, a mostly self sustaining, mature ecosystem, meant to be enjoyed. As I'm embracing this acceptance of all the imperfections of the house, I'm finding myself grow fonder of this wild place, loving to walk through every morning, checking on new flowers and growths. Graham has entered a personal vendetta against the bamboo, unfortunately planted years ago without being contained, and we are trying to find a balance between preserving our beautiful plants and containing the bamboo. The side of the house is now sort of a war zone, with bamboo corpses and tranches, which hopefully will come to some sort of resolution soon. The walking paths will need to be widened and relaid, as it is now a little perilous to make your way through, in the between the dug-out holes and the roses thorns, but the sunny patio at the end is well worth the efforts.<br />
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Our house seems to have been designed for outdoor living, not only with the large windows and sunny breakfast nook, but with patios and decks on every side, ensuring a combination of sun and shade, of open and covered space. Again, pretty incredible. We do have some work to do though, in between shopping for patio furniture and attempting to control invasive plants. Thanks to a potentially charming little pond, dotted with gorgeous water lilies, and filled with stagnant water, we are on our way to becoming the main mosquito ecosystem in the city. On days that I'm feeling ambitious I also think that a vegetable garden would be nice, but most days, my priority is a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a lounge chair, hoping this sunny weather will lasts for months.<br />
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Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-57973541500744581972015-06-09T09:08:00.000-07:002015-06-09T09:08:43.558-07:00Our new old house - before<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello friends, and happy Tuesday. My apologies for the silence; life caught up with me, and in between work, packing, moving, and trying to unpack, my productive time has been pretty minimal. We recently bought our first place together, our first home, where we are planning to spend many, many years. After this 7th move in the last 10 years, some locals, some across the country or the border, it is nice to settle in. Funny enough, I've always loved unpacking and always did it quickly. This time around though, despite having more room than ever, I struggle to unpack our little loft into this big house, not sure where things should go. Turns out, we don't have that many closets. We are doing some major and well needed renovations, notably repiping the old galvanized pipes (done!), removing/encapsulating asbestos (done!) and soon, rewiring the old knob and tube.</div>
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I've been completely paranoid about the current electrical system, despite the fact that the people before us had lived apparently comfortably for 33 years. I cannot wait to have this done, figure out how to patch the lath and plaster, and update the paint. In the meantime, have you ever seen this below? At the head of our bed, we have a long electrical strip, with movable outlets. Totally sketching me out, I plug my phone in the bathroom. And yes, it's kind of annoying.</div>
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It's hard to focus on just one thing at the time, and I'm definitely struggling, wanting to fix everything and to have everything look right. I'm probably spending too much time on Pinterest, looking at perfectly staged rooms and decors, feeling the pressure to make our home look stylish, tidy and yet be comfortable, functional and well, let's be honest, comply with our budget. Reading t<a href="http://witanddelight.com/2015/05/according-to-pinterest-how-inspiration-almost-killed-my-renovation-dreams/" target="_blank">his post</a> made me feel much better, validated my feelings, and I'm trying to embrace the idea of working on one room at the time, setting priorities, and embracing the mess. It's not easy, and I'm having a hard time keeping up with the constant to-do list in my head, but I'm trying to relax and embrace this work in project, which I'm really excited to share with you. My friend Kate has been a great help, finding us some amazing deals, unique pieces, and offering valuable suggestions. For now, a few pictures of the before, the mess, the colours I hate, the light fixtures I want to smash through but mostly, the potential. It's an exciting adventure. </div>
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Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-300070388689253372015-05-12T07:14:00.000-07:002015-05-12T07:14:19.547-07:00DIY colourful hair pins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was going through the blog's <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/p/knitting.html" target="_blank">knitting section</a>, and I realized that I might have a grey problem. I am very partial to neutrals, and actually planning on knitting grey socks and a grey shawl next, once the frenzy of packing/moving has slowed down and I get some quiet time without being completely exhausted. We just got our new house, and are starting to move in, happy to trade our noisy construction-filled current neighbourhood for a much more peaceful one, close to friends and lovely parks. Graham is terrified that I'm going to paint our new hosue white and grey, and I'm terrified that he'll insist on bright colours. We'll need to meet in the middle, and I'm trying to include more colour accents in my design plans, while trying to convince him that a little white and grey has never hurt anyone. In an effort to meet him halfway, I've been taking baby steps. I've been painting my nails bright, spring-like colours, favouring mint and peach, realizing that my wardrobe is also predominantly neutral.</div>
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I decided to start adding a little colour in my hair, by painting some black hair pins. Baby steps, right? I used nail polish that I had on hand (no pun intended), and just finished with a top coat. It's discrete but fun, and a great first step to include more colour into my life. Also, in these crazy times, a project that requires very little time or thinking. Perfect. </div>
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<span id="goog_1497133308"></span><span id="goog_1497133309"></span><br />Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-62917116929701036812015-05-06T08:13:00.000-07:002015-05-06T08:13:17.459-07:00DIY rope coaster<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Lately, I've spent a lot of time scrolling down my Instagram feed, mostly when I'm trying to avoid getting up for work, or procrastinating on packing boxes for our upcoming move. I've started noticing these amazing rope baskets and trivets, and been thinking that they would look great in the new place. I had tried out <a href="http://www.avotakka.fi/keittio/puno-koydesta-pannunalunen" target="_blank">this tutorial</a> a while back, and totally failed (trust me, the fact that it's in a foreign language was the least of my problems). Although what I really wanted to make was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqlef_18bTo" target="_blank">this</a>, I decided to exercise some caution, and try out a coaster first. I also didn't have much rope, which probably lessened my excitement too, along with the fact that my sewing machine remains to me a wild and unpredictable creature, with a mind of its own.<br />
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I was looking for a quick project, to feel accomplished. Between an 8hrs shift and a few boxes, convincing myself that the clothes at the bottom of my drawers are perfectly fine and not a sad excuse for a laundry day outfit, I managed to heat up a frozen burrito and had a solid 30 minutes to spare. Getting the sewing machine out wasn't an option, so I decided to fall back on the good old hot glue gun. I used 2 pins initially to secure to beginning of the coil, and then just glued along the line where the two sides of the rope met, until I was almost out of rope. I have to say, I was pretty confident that I'd get at least two coasters out of this, but I apparently can't judge lengths. A little less than 2 meters (6.6 feet) gave me a coaster about 5" in diameter (you may or may not want to trust my estimate, since all measuring instruments are now sealed in a box somewhere). Needless to say, I will be purchasing much longer lengths of rope in the future, and possibly wait for my mom to come visit and operate the sewing machine to try out the rope basket. In the mean time, I probably deserve to trade this cup of tea for a glass of wine, just as soon as I finish one more box.<br />
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Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-52217078308257233262015-04-29T07:14:00.000-07:002015-04-29T07:14:19.154-07:00DIY washi tape sunglasses<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I spent part of last week home sick with a cold, and after sleeping 12hrs in a row, finishing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Without-You-There-No-Us/dp/0307720659/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430270502&sr=1-1&keywords=without+you+there+is+no+us" target="_blank">this book </a>and binge watching <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2183404/" target="_blank">this TV show</a>, I started to feel a lot better. I was still in my pj's, unshowered, and sitting on the couch. I thought, I have all this free time, I should probably try to learn how to knit two socks at once. Right? Doing a load of laundry also crossed my mind, but only very briefly. I started casting on, following the step by step instructions, and quickly became a little confused. I realized that maybe I wasn't totally back onto my feet, and should probably still take it easy.<br />
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While on the couch I tried to ask for the pillows back, but Noodle had claimed them as well as the corner of the couch, and my attempts to reason with him lead me nowhere. Sometimes, I really feel that he understands me. He makes such great eye contact, tilts his head to the side, looking intensely, and he knows so many words that I feel like we are communicating. I was talking to him one day while waiting for Graham in front of the grocery store and a man looking at us came up to me and exclaimed "Wow, your dog speaks English?!?". I wouldn't go this far, as he's never actually talked back, but he sure understands some. He will practically burst out of excitement when I tell him that we are going to go visit my best friend, whom he loves probably as much as I do, although we have very different ways to show it. He is more of a French kisser kind of guy, go figure. So, either I give him too much credit, or else he is just really selfish, and couldn't care less about my comfort on the couch.<br />
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After trying a few other projects without success, I came across a pair of sunglasses that I got for free, from some sort of promotional advertisement. I was about to toss them in the donation box we keep, when I thought of my optometrist, recently insisting on the importance of wearing sunglasses, and sharing his story of skin cancer, right under the eye. I thought, maybe I should keep an extra pair in the car, just in case. I decided to use some washi tape to cover the side, as I wasn't feeling like being a free walking add. I love the result, and the fact that in under 10 minutes, these sunglasses went from the donate to the keep pile. Noodle sure seems to approve of these.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKsFwGisXXP7fv0pgLpYIDRGPYb4n8MG3R-nQery6pYcm5y3NPYE2zRnAgLsj6OLM50K-y7aPa3tSNWF10bLLDa_FghVbH9462W1ViF6u8DPeIyScLSYqEBYaS0joGwHjmlhK1JuO6HVJ/s1600/sunglasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" width="850"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjdh2NO1uumUclynEO95pClcDtZRJkGnzdY__XjQ_WOfY7_JFyD_QJrv7SXW_pTucynl7NgcMVa9xfNuGQSWlHpBQEOrl-8BpS_hJaAiGWjWblS1Q9YY1-nEHg1Oc3UF008BXtXCHQvyN/s1600/sunglasses3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjdh2NO1uumUclynEO95pClcDtZRJkGnzdY__XjQ_WOfY7_JFyD_QJrv7SXW_pTucynl7NgcMVa9xfNuGQSWlHpBQEOrl-8BpS_hJaAiGWjWblS1Q9YY1-nEHg1Oc3UF008BXtXCHQvyN/s1600/sunglasses3.jpg" width="850" /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKsFwGisXXP7fv0pgLpYIDRGPYb4n8MG3R-nQery6pYcm5y3NPYE2zRnAgLsj6OLM50K-y7aPa3tSNWF10bLLDa_FghVbH9462W1ViF6u8DPeIyScLSYqEBYaS0joGwHjmlhK1JuO6HVJ/s1600/sunglasses.jpg" width="850" /></div>
Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-38694119213048706682015-04-21T07:05:00.000-07:002015-04-21T07:05:41.765-07:00Temari - Japanese thread balls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometime back in November, I took a Temari class with the lovely Marilyn Romatka, at <a href="http://weavingworks.com/" target="_blank">The Weaving Works</a> in Seattle. A friend had asked me if I wanted to take this craft class with her, and per my usual, I said yes without really knowing what it was. I couldn't have been happier with this class, and I foresee many more Temari balls in my future. As a matter of fact, many were gifted for Christmas last year, after a few weeks where I couldn't stop making more, and I'm terribly late sharing this with you. I think that I kept deferring this post because it seemed to be so special and unique, that it needed particular attention. But it hasn't been getting any attention in my drafts, so here it is. Before sharing more about what Temari actually is, a word about our teacher: amazing. You know you have found a gem when her response to someone saying "I still don't get it" is "Don't worry, that only means that I haven't yet found the right way to explain it to you." She is patient, skilled, positive, and really just lovely.<br />
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Temari, according to Wikipedia, means <i>hand ball </i>in Japanese. They are Japanese embroidered thread balls, believed to have originally been made out of kimono remnants and silk threads, as toys for the upper classes. They have evolved into intricate pieces of art, still given as gifts today. The level of complexity on some of the designs is absolutely mind blowing. The materials needed to make Temari balls are few: yarn, thread, a long, sharp needle and pins. This makes it a craft of choice in our small loft, while I'm dreaming of my future craft room/office, in this dream house that couldn't become ours soon enough.</div>
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The balls are formed with scrap yarn, then carefully covered in thread. I typically have lot of scrap yarn lying around from previous knitting project, which makes it a perfect way to use them up. I used worsted weight yarn in the middle, and then covered it with a layer of sport weight yarn in a similar colour as the thread I was planning to use for the background of my Temari ball. Forming a perfectly round ball is definitely challenging, and I wouldn't say that I've quite succeeded yet. But I'm working on it. For a while, every vase/bowl in our living room served as a ball holder, at various stages of the process, and I have to admit, I liked it. By some sort of miracle, Noodle showed no interest in my yarn balls, and they remained intact.<br />
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Once the balls are completely covered in sewing thread and the threads are secured, the fun part begins. Pins are used to secure the guidelines, which are divisions made of wrapped thread, around which the stitching will take place. So far I've stuck with the basic stitch pattern learned in class, and just enjoyed changing up colours, or doing some little experiments like with the green and red ball on white background at the bottom of this post. But I recently purchased <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Temari-Techniques-Visual-Japanese-Embroidered/dp/193330832X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429370417&sr=8-1&keywords=temari" target="_blank">this great book</a>, and I'm excited to try some more complex designs. Since I was giving mine during the Holidays, I added a loop to make them into ornaments, ready to be hung. They would also look lovely without the loop, in a bowl or on a plate, on a side table. </div>
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Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-72579502880480361322015-04-14T17:33:00.001-07:002015-04-15T07:10:05.085-07:00Fringe Association Hatalong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The last two months have been pretty crazy. While we were accross the world <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2015/03/two-weeks-in-borneo-sabah-malaysia-part.html" target="_blank">snorkelling</a> and <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2015/03/two-weeks-in-borneo-sabah-malaysia-part_24.html" target="_blank">observing wildlife</a>, our amazing <a href="http://timlenihanhomes.com/" target="_blank">broker</a> was busy prepping and showing our condo, and we came home to a few offers. We then started the stressful process of looking for a new home, and were lucky enough to find our dream house within a few weeks. We are finally closing on the condo this week, and soon on the house. Now is actually the hardest part, waiting. Waiting to move into our dream house, start some work, paint, and furniture shop. I've been obssessively reading design blogs, spending hours on Pinterest, and wishing that all the paperwork, the wait, the first few renovations were done so we could actually start decorating. I'm really excited to share with you the transformations, but in the meantime, I've mostly been distracted and unfocused, and haven't really been making much. Truth be told, I haven't even knitted much, but rather I've been looking things up and starting a few projects (socks, shawl) without really committing and without much progress. <br />
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The one project that I did complete recently though is the Audrey hat, part of the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/audrey-collection" target="_blank">Audrey Collection</a> designed by Jessie Roselyn for <a href="http://www.toltyarnandwool.com/" target="_blank">Tolt Yarn and Wool</a>. I had been wanting to join a KAL (Knit ALong) for a long time, and the first <a href="http://fringeassociation.com/2015/02/12/audrey-by-jessie-roselyn-free-hat-pattern/" target="_blank">Fringe Hatalong</a> seemed like the perfect way to start. While I really wanted to purchase this <a href="http://www.toltyarnandwool.com/products/snoqualmie-valley-yarn" target="_blank">lovely yarn</a> for the occasion, I convinced myself that the reasonable thing to do would be to choose something from my stash instead, and opted for some leftover <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/classic-elite-yarns-wool-bam-boo" target="_blank">Wool Bam Boo</a> that I still had, a lovely mix of wool and bamboo with great stitch definition, unfortunately discontinued. I love the simple design of the hat, and when I finished it, I couldn't stop thinking of my beautiful friend Sara. It seemed perfect for her, and just happened to be her birthday, so it couldn't have worked out any better.</div>
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<br />Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-77771565286704789752015-04-08T09:05:00.000-07:002015-04-08T09:05:21.916-07:00Skagit Valley Tulip Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit <a href="http://www.flourishingfoodie.com/" target="_blank">Heather Hands</a></span></div>
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Last week I went to the <a href="http://www.tulipfestival.org/" target="_blank">Skagit Valley Tulip Festival </a>for the first (and second) time. Shockingly, despite years of living in Seattle and Victoria, I had never made the trip. My wildest dreams did not quite prepare me for the vibrant layers of colours, the beautiful contrast of fields against the mountains in the background. It was stunning. I stopped for the first time on the way back from the strangest hike. We went through sunny, bright blue sky weather to rain, then hail, before reaching the summit to a complete white-out, heavy winds topping it off. If we missed out on the view then, we sure made up for it on the drive back as we stopped by the gorgeous fields. The next day, I went back with a friend. Two years ago, we drove out to see the tulips, but only founds fields of daffodils. We still enjoyed it and has a great time, but it was well worth going back for the tulips. The festival is located in Northwestern Washington, a little over an hour drive from Seattle, but expect some serious tulip traffic, even during the week.</div>
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Happy Easter everyone! Turn a simple garter stitch square into a cute bunny in no time, details and link to tutorial <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2014/04/no-fuss-bunny.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Happy Sunday.Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-83094818326218627242015-04-01T06:59:00.000-07:002015-04-05T07:14:19.410-07:00My sweatshirt sweater<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WYK2_UD5kv-EBdTHzDQjARP58Nk-zrc5fQJuhiNEqIavilmdo7RH1U6ip8cSk6CJRA10MXfRAIur6GutSxmUJyZmmy3Al3OO18v5h7JANgXR9SK_cnWYM4S9zy35qjsZr7EiZ1o7iHhL/s1600/sweatshirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WYK2_UD5kv-EBdTHzDQjARP58Nk-zrc5fQJuhiNEqIavilmdo7RH1U6ip8cSk6CJRA10MXfRAIur6GutSxmUJyZmmy3Al3OO18v5h7JANgXR9SK_cnWYM4S9zy35qjsZr7EiZ1o7iHhL/s1600/sweatshirt.jpg" width="850" /></a>My love for <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/" target="_blank">Purl Bee</a> is no secret, and I often head over to their beautiful website for inspiration. One thing that I do not love, however, is getting my picture taken. As a child, I was the one running away as soon as someone pulled out a camera. I treated family portraits as torture, on the same scale of being forced to eat my least favourite foods. Thinking back, I was pretty lucky that no one carried cellphones with fancy cameras back then. There were usually warning signs to the picture snagging attempts, and I was pretty quick on my feet. I still strongly dislike getting my picture taken, preferring to quietly stand behind the lens. Unfortunately for me, it's quite a challenge to show nice garments or accessories without wearing them. When I look for inspiration, I search for colours, styles, cuts, and I truly love to see the sweater, scarf or hat that I'm planning on making being worn before I dive into the project. So I usually figure I should return the favour. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Z9zdYXoG07VVpAE07wOYl91qgVyqJ3VHY1wccCE6VAt18zsHuwDwPdUhsRAfbqlu0dVbWuJm_pFr-MWiHKszTYhaRY9eJdvRwgn0ZgLzkkvhz_km288vi_R-pnHmlwxjACscyd_ZXFuL/s1600/sweatshirt4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Z9zdYXoG07VVpAE07wOYl91qgVyqJ3VHY1wccCE6VAt18zsHuwDwPdUhsRAfbqlu0dVbWuJm_pFr-MWiHKszTYhaRY9eJdvRwgn0ZgLzkkvhz_km288vi_R-pnHmlwxjACscyd_ZXFuL/s1600/sweatshirt4.jpg" width="850" /></a><span style="text-align: start;">Since Noodle is a terrible assistant and prefers to lay down next to my work rather than help out, I often (maybe too often) head over to my <a href="http://www.flourishingfoodie.com/" target="_blank">best friend</a>'s house, after a little warning along the lines of "Would you mind taking a few pictures for me today?", and show up with a large purse filled with my latest projects. Then, thanking her for her patience, I stand awkwardly, overly self-conscious of my attempts at a natural smile. I later sit down by myself, and go through the many pictures kindly taken for me, with some variations of these comments inevitably going through my head: "How did no one ever tell me that I make these ridiculous, embarrassing facial expressions? How can my posture be so bad? How come my brown hair looks red in this? Someone should have told me these clothes look stupid on me." I'll torture myself a little and try to crop the pictures to get my head out before choosing a few that I can live with. I'm not too sure why I have to be so critical, and hopefully I'll get over it. For now though, it remains a struggle.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">What I can't get over, on the other hand, is how much I love this <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/2013/03/17/lauras-loop-the-sweatshirt-sweater/" target="_blank">Sweatshirt sweater</a>, from Laura at Purl Bee. But first let's talk about the yarn I picked. Last year while we were in Peru (remember this <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2014/02/peru-lima-and-sacred-valley.html" target="_blank">first</a>, <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2014/02/peru-lake-titicaca-arequipa-and.html" target="_blank">second</a> and <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2014/02/peru-hiking-in-colca-canyon.html" target="_blank">third</a> travel post?) I bought a kilo of baby alpaca yarn, </span>the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/indiecita-alpaca-dk" target="_blank">Indiecita DK</a>, which I dragged around in my dirty backpack for a few weeks. I came home and couldn't really decide what to make, so it sat on a shelf for a few months. Turns out, the yarn was incredibly pleasant to knit with. It is super soft, and gave me a light, comfortable and very warm sweater. It kept its size pretty well after blocking, and sheds a little bit but has not pilled so far, and has been worn a lot. The stitch definition isn't super precise, which I think worked out well for this pattern. The best thing is, I have a few skeins left over, even after making the sweater and a <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2015/03/floras-cap.html" target="_blank">hat</a>, and I can't wait to knit with it again. I'm thinking probably a nice shawl, hopefully ready for next fall, to cozy up at home. </div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">After making <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2015/01/my-paloma-cardigan.html" target="_blank">this cardigan</a>, I was excited to make another sweater, and really wanted to try one that was knitted in the round, because honestly, seaming is my least favourite part. I went back to <a href="http://fringeassociation.com/2013/11/21/pullovers-for-first-timers-or-an-introduction-to-sweater-construction/" target="_blank">this post </a>from </span>Karen Templer over on <a href="http://fringeassociation.com/" target="_blank">Fringe Association</a>, and <span style="text-align: start;">thoroughly</span><span style="text-align: start;"> enjoyed her very informative explanations on sweater constructions, including the pros and cons of various design categories. It's where I was reminded of the <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/2013/03/17/lauras-loop-the-sweatshirt-sweater/" target="_blank">Sweatshirt sweater</a>, which I decided to knit without the kangaroo pocket, for a simpler look. I cannot recommend this pattern enough. It is well written, simple, and this sweater has been, short of my flannel pyjama pants, my most worn item this past winter. I'm in love. </span></div>
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<br />Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-10768023906203603772015-03-24T08:39:00.002-07:002015-03-24T08:40:18.422-07:00Two weeks in Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia) - Part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Recently I shared with you some stories and pictures of <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2015/03/two-weeks-in-borneo-sabah-malaysia-part.html" target="_blank">Borneo</a>, including some idyllic turquoise water and white sandy beaches. There won't be any of these dreamy, spectacular paradise-looking views this time around, but to be honest, I've saved two of my favourite places for this week. One of the main reasons we wanted to go to Borneo was for the wildlife. Sure, the beaches were a nice addition, but we wanted to hike in the jungle, and go down the river, looking for creatures in their natural habitat. We definitely got what we wished for. The beauty of these two places was harder to capture on camera though. It was more in the way that the light was shining through the trees and foliage. In the misty, mysteriously silent cruises down the river, getting so close to the animals without seeming to disturb them. It was a wonderful experience, which I'll try to share with you today, after weeks of trying to sort through too many pictures.<br />
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<u>Mount Kinabalu</u> </div>
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From Kota Kinabalu we headed to Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in the Malay Archipelago. The park is known for its peak ascension, popular amongst Malaysians as well as international travellers, and its 1,200 different species of orchids, including the world's smallest orchid. Lodging within the park is managed by <a href="http://www.suterasanctuarylodges.com.my/" target="_blank">Sutera Sanctuary Lodges</a> and is on the pricier side, but there are also many options available just outside of the park. Because we were there for Chinese New Year, we really wanted to book accommodation in advance, which proved to be a little harder than anticipated. We ended up booking within the park, and had the pleasant surprise of being upgraded upon arrival (which according to reviews, seems to happen quite a lot). We stayed in nice cabins facing the mountain, so we could enjoy the view of the peak while sipping coffee in the morning, and sunset on the horizon in the evening. Everyday that we were there, the sky was clear in the morning and the evening, but the peak hid behind the clouds for the majority of the day. We took most of our meals right across the street from the park, at Restoran Panataran, which offered decent food at much lower prices than the restaurants within the park, and with much faster service. One morning, we made the mistake of ordering breakfast in the park, and we unknowingly sat down for a 2hrs, 5-course breakfast experience, which was rather strange.<br />
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<i>Hiking trails</i><br />
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Hiking to the top is a very popular activity, with a limited number of expensive permits available. We were a little late figuring out our plans and happened to visit during Chinese New Year, a rather busy time, so we decided to hike around the base and up to the Timpohon Gate only, and skip the summit. We hiked for a solid 5hrs up to the power station and around the base, exploring most trails, and I loved it. All the different shades of green, the light filtering through the leaves, the river running its course. It was lovely. Graham developed this slightly strange obsession with "flower selfies," where he would take a picture of himself with the flowers. This evolved to including adopting a facial expression to mimic the flower, providing him with great memories, and us with great amusement.<br />
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<i>Botanical Garden</i><br />
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One thing we wish we would have done differently is to visit the botanical garden, located within the park, first. We saved it for the end of the day, and wished we had learned more about all the plants and different species of orchids before hiking, as we probably missed a lot along the way. Our guide was great, and we enjoyed his impressive demonstration of the Kerosene plant which spits out small jets of flammable liquid. We saw many different kinds of orchids, including the smallest in the world, as well as seeing the super cool pitcher plants.</div>
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<i>Night walk</i><br />
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We decided to hire our guide again to do a night walk, and met up in the pitch black jungle, where we walked slowly and quietly, carefully moving our flashlights to find cool bugs, frogs, and a tarantula. Our friend Neysa was absolutely amazing at finding little creatures, and even saw a rare spotted leopard, who unfortunately quickly ran away!</div>
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<i>Poring Hot Springs</i><br />
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On our last full day we headed out to Poring Hot Springs, near Ranau, which was alright. It was way too hot to enjoy the hot springs, which were also crowded with families, but the canopy walk over suspension bridges was fun, and we enjoyed cooling down at the waterfalls as well as visiting the butterfly garden. My favourite part though was finding a rafflesia in bloom near the park. Rafflesias are the world largest flowers, which can measure up to 1m in diameter. They are found exclusively in Southeast Asia, and bloom irregularly and for only short periods of time (2 to 7 days). They are a parasitic flowering plant, with no stem, leaves or roots. We were a little worried about the smell as they are often described as a "corpse flower", but on blooming day 1, our 85cm flower didn't really exude any scent.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rrNmTCyPOVOgwIxcgDBFe6QliA6GRR5l5J-pKZpEj6JV5qs2jK7q48BsQwkoS31vrBj8dR7rxiDZsWkf8Vbt7FXN7vp38zVDKZTndMai5joXpDrCnrFlgRKNvf7jNsVtQPRnRiym2tsh/s1600/Poring2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rrNmTCyPOVOgwIxcgDBFe6QliA6GRR5l5J-pKZpEj6JV5qs2jK7q48BsQwkoS31vrBj8dR7rxiDZsWkf8Vbt7FXN7vp38zVDKZTndMai5joXpDrCnrFlgRKNvf7jNsVtQPRnRiym2tsh/s1600/Poring2.jpg" width="850" /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxLfP0-z139YeUTrAkpd-E0oZnaxVKyC_eFA2-M6ySGMuxZ-UBKzayAlCB_T7E99n0iWHLeht1co7MDiAIIBHFdi_7DT6Bw7rNo8jkIWCzMu9ZL7op_3hsUAOPqB5Rltm-m2HEQ0nZfTo/s1600/Poring1.jpg" width="850" />
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<u>Kinabatangan River</u>
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This is the part of the trip that I was most excited about, and I wasn't disappointed. We stayed at the <a href="http://www.kinabatangan-jungle-camp.com/index.html" target="_blank">Kinabatangan Jungle Camp</a> (KJC) near the small village of Bilit. We booked a 3 nights, 5 river cruises stay, which included pick up from our hostel in Sandakan. When we decided to change our plans and continue towards Semporna from there, they made sure to reserve us spots on the bus and drive us to the bus stop in time, which made everything very easy. The rooms were simple but clean, and the food was plentiful and delicious, but the meals were quite spread out, so bringing snacks might be a wise decision. The days typically went something like this: 6:30am cruise (2hrs), breakfast, perhaps a jungle walk (1hr), lunch, 4:30pm cruise, dinner, perhaps followed by a night cruise. It's a pretty slow pace, and there isn't that much to do at the camp in between meals and cruises. I didn't really mind, since I got a little sick on the way there. I was quite pleased to sit in the open air area and read peacefully for a few hours everyday, but depending on your expectations or temperament, you might find that annoying or boring. Our guide was very sweet but still in training, so we learned some, but often heard the same few facts being repeated a few times. We were able to observe some wildlife right at the camp, including many monitor lizards (up to 6 foot long), a few families of bearded pigs, a gibbon who visited twice, and an adult orang-utan, up high in the trees. Our friend Neysa also got a visit from a gecko, who went down her back, along her leg and tried to get up her pants. She is way more calm than I am, and so she laughed, while I would have been screaming and jumping and maybe cursing.</div>
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<br />
<i>Afternoon cruises</i><br />
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Our first cruise was the afternoon we arrived, and we did two more during our stay. Unfortunately, we didn't see any pigmy elephants, which were on my bucket list, but we saw everything else I was hoping for, plus the craziest looking birds, which I had no idea existed. We saw tons of long-tail and pig tail macaques, who contrarily to those found in the rest of Southeast Asia, seem to have no desire to attack or steal from you, making them a lot more fun to look at. We saw some silver leaf and proboscis monkeys, and Graham developed some sort of fascination for the ungainly, weird looking creatures. We watched them jump in between trees, and witnessed a few near misses. We found a few snakes, reticulated python and blank-and-yellow mangrove snake, typically curled up in the trees. My favourite of all was probably the hornbills, these birds with the most ridiculous bill, and we saw a few different ones: the oriental pied and the rhinoceros. There were also many herons, hens, eagles and ospreys.</div>
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<br />
<i>Morning cruises</i><br />
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We went on two morning cruises, and they were both completely different. The first one was my favourite. It was a very grey, misty morning, extremely quiet. The light was beautiful and everything felt particularly mysterious and exciting. We found some more birds and proboscis monkeys, and watched the sun slowly burn through the clouds. The second morning was brighter and clearer, and we continued to explore different parts of the river.</div>
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<br />
<i>Night cruise</i><br />
<u><br /></u>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We decided to add a night cruise to our first full day, and it was pretty fun. When the flashlights were off, it was the darkest I've ever seen, and we saw a few fireflies. We found a lot of kingfishers, which are the cutest, most colourful birds. We were able to get a lot closer to them at night, but mostly because we found them sleeping on a branch, woke them up with the flashlight, and then blinded them with the light, so they couldn't go anywhere. I felt pretty bad for them. I learned that snakes are even scarier in the dark, with their creepy eyes lit up. Another guide found a baby crocodile, and we were looking at the tiny little thing when it stared making surprisingly cute panic squeaks, and I felt like a huge asshole.</div>
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The second night, we decided to skip the night cruise, and when we got back to camp, we were invited to join a lively group of Hungarian travellers, who shared with us some homemade, 50% traditional alcohol (I forgot the name after the second generous shooter). They brought it from home, in their checked luggage, poured into large water bottles. Apparently, everyone drinks some before dinner, and we got to sample an apricot and a plum version. It was quite good, but pretty strong, especially on an empty stomach. I slept very well that night.</div>
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<br />
<i>Afternoon jungle walk</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm not gonna lie, this was not something I would have repeated. I was pretty excited for it, and insisted on getting leech socks in KK so we would be prepared for multiple, long exciting walks. Graham is the only one who found a leech (I'm not complaining), but mostly, we saw a few spiders, some more stick insects, and more mosquitos then I ever thought possible, despite me spraying the 100% Deet like my life depended on it. Graham's take home message was "I don't want to live in the jungle." I agree.</div>
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<u>General travel information</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
<u>If we'd had more time...</u><br />
<u><br /></u>We wish we'd had a few more days to explore the deserted beaches around Kudat, which we heard are absolutely lovely, and to explore the Danum Valley and its wildlife sightings. And that's just in Sabah. We heard great things about Sarawak, Brunei, the Gunung Mulu National Park. Guess we'll have to go back someday! For the amount of time we had, (13 days), I think we did pretty well, by covering a lot without feeling too rushed.<br />
<br />
<i>Itinerary</i><br />
Day 1: Kota Kinabalu<br />
Day 2-4: Mount Kinabalu<br />
Day 5-6: Sandakan and Sepilok<br />
Day 7-9: Kinabatangan River<br />
Day 10-11: Semporna<br />
Day 12-13: Kota Kinabalu<br />
<br />
<u>Accommodations</u><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We quickly realized that there are a lot of low-end budget options, many high-end hotels, and very little in the middle. Although we would have loved to stay at Le Meridien in KK, the price tag associated wasn't quite what we had in mind. You may have noticed that we travel a fair bit, which I'm very grateful for, and to accomplish that we often opt for lower-end accommodations. They are much nicer than when I was first backpacking at the age of 18, and we typically avoid the dorm situation. But shared bathrooms do happen, and once in a while we may be inclined to check for bed bugs before sitting down on the bed. Sometimes we do. The vast majority of times, we are greeted by extremely friendly and helpful staff, clean rooms and facilities, and enjoy decent breakfast. We also benefit from the recommendations of fellow travellers, often leading to good restaurants or unexpected sightings. It's not for everyone, but it works for us. When we decide to splurge on a 4 star hotel, we're extra appreciative. Given this, I don't have a lot of recommendations for places to stay. Nowhere was bad, but nowhere was amazing either.</div>
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<u>Transportation</u><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We debated between renting a car and taking buses/taxis, and opted for the latter, which probably worked out for the best. We didn't have to worry about parking or paying for the car on days where we wouldn't have used it, and taxis were easy to hire if we wanted to go somewhere that the bus didn't cover. There really isn't much to see or do in between most major towns, since so much of the territory is covered by palm oil plantations. Buses seem to leave whenever they are full, as opposed to on schedule, which results in them often being early.</div>
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<u>Food</u><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Chinese influence is pretty strong on Malaysian cuisine, which unfortunately isn't my favourite. We had some good meals, but mostly a lot of OK ones. Vegetarian options were pretty easy to find, but definitely limiting.</div>
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<u>Safety</u><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We felt very safe almost everywhere. It was a refreshing change, from the rest of Southeast Asia, to realize that when people talked to you at the bus station, they were genuinely just trying to see where you were going to point you in the right direction. Another pleasant surprise was that taxi drivers never tried to change the price of the ride, even when you asked to stop at the store for a beer run. </div>
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The question of safety becomes a little more prevalent when it comes to southeast Sabah, with the tourist kidnappings and other attacks that have happened in the past, and even recently. There is a territory dispute between Sabah and the Philippines, or rather some more radical groups in the Philippines, and I'm by no means an expert on the subject. The islands off Semporna have military presence, given the proximity to the Philippines and the past attacks, and it can be a little unnerving to see these soldiers, carrying some serious guns, while your hangout out on the beach. Many of them look bored, and are on their smartphone though, so hopefully it's an indicator of a low threat. There are a lot of frictions with the locals and the sea gypsies, as some have been found to spy for the Philippines, while being there on the assumption that they were illegal immigrants, just trying to better their lives. Again, I'm not expert. But it seems to me that we hear of more horror stories from Mexico than I've been able to find on Sabah.</div>
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Overall, it should be no surprise to you to hear that I highly recommend travelling to Sabah, and probably sooner rather than later, as the wildlife's habitat is constantly endangered by the expansion of the palm oil plantations. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySTnY4yA59yrdx3ZVVuPWou154D2Usknjfj7B1NRHW2qElWvbzAQjc2PkgtaJIgWyP9_YXLynBkwy-6izwNYVeAcp-RT3EaJJQuJhL7N4ohoxT45HAVe0hbQDuzeuuWVFM2m55sBqjCPe/s1600/flora.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySTnY4yA59yrdx3ZVVuPWou154D2Usknjfj7B1NRHW2qElWvbzAQjc2PkgtaJIgWyP9_YXLynBkwy-6izwNYVeAcp-RT3EaJJQuJhL7N4ohoxT45HAVe0hbQDuzeuuWVFM2m55sBqjCPe/s1600/flora.jpg" width="850/" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit <a href="http://www.flourishingfoodie.com/" target="_blank">Heather Hands </a></span><br />
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I had planned to have the part 2 of our <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2015/03/two-weeks-in-borneo-sabah-malaysia-part.html" target="_blank">Borneo adventures</a> ready to share with you this week, but unfortunately, it's not happening. Too much is going on, and I can't concentrate enough to finish putting it together. All I want to do is look up home design sites and shop for furniture. Last night, we made an offer on a gorgeous house, and it was accepted. We are waiting for the inspection before getting too excited, since you never know, but we think we found the one. We love it. For me, it was love at first sight. Graham needed a day to think it over, but soon we shared the same vision, and we are both thrilled, freaking out, ecstatic and terrified. A good mix I guess. So instead of sharing with you the memories that still fill my head, I'll share with you what's been on it since we got back.<br />
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I've dreamed of my <a href="http://www.churchmouseyarns.com/collections/churchmouse-patterns-hats/products/floras-cap-pattern#.VQtUJ7B4oSE" target="_blank">Flora's cap </a>for a long time. It's a <a href="http://www.churchmouseyarns.com/" target="_blank">Churchmouse</a>'s Classic for a good reason, and I knew as soon as I saw it that I needed to make one. I bought the pattern, and then... I'm not sure what happened. I didn't have the right needles, wasn't sure which yarn I wanted to use. Finally, as I was working on a sweater and getting to the trickier part, I realized that 1) I loved the yarn - <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/indiecita-alpaca-dk" target="_blank">Indiecita DK </a>- and had some to spare and 2) It was late, I wanted to knit and watch TV, and my attention span was at best challenged. So I put down the sweater, grabbed my size 2 US circular needles, knitted for quite some time... and had about an inch. This is not a quick knit, which should be obvious given the needle size. But the time spent is well worth it. Although I'm not one of those who find the seed stitch soothing (I prefer to go the stockinette route when I want a mindless task), I love the look of the seed stitch. Now that my hat is finished, I regret nothing. It is perfect, and was well worth the time and effort. When the picture was taken, it had just been blocked, and remained unworn. Since then, I've worn it a lot, and it has stretched just the right amount, making it slouchier than the picture shows. It is soft and light, perfect for the end of winter. </div>
Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5036164932319506054.post-63505099084590885982015-03-11T08:22:00.001-07:002015-03-20T19:39:54.707-07:00Two weeks in Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia) - Part 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Borneo is a large island in Southeast Asia, divided between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. It is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world, with countless flowering plants, mammals and birds, many endemic to the area. And that's not mentioning the world-class diving and snorkelling. If you like nature, the outdoors and wildlife, it's a wonderful destination. We decided to concentrate our 2 weeks on the Sabah region, in Malaysia, the northeastern tip of the island.</div>
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<u>Kota Kinabalu (KK)</u><br />
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We flew in and out of Kota Kinabalu, the largest city and capital of Sabah. The city isn't one such that you'll swoon over its beauty or architecture, but it definitely is worth a stop, if only for the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, which is comprised of 5 coral islands off the coast of KK, accessible by boat from the Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal. Tour companies abound there, and prices are fixed, depending on how many islands you wish to see that day. We visited Sapi and Manukan, where we swam, snorkelled and relaxed for a few hours. On Manukan, you can watch the fishes right from the jetty, the water being crystal clear. It's pretty amazing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp4fA-r-ZRNXqCA_8RAEaqVFV_ND28GwQS77mnvWsOSRz8Nh56YjuQvhfw7d_xiUzvDFQztfY2FQGHW6fzVpM3L93A0m3SMU9kVOrUM-73bOuK-02TdiBJufOmD5Xshhu8LTUrs7pk4ae/s1600/KK15.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp4fA-r-ZRNXqCA_8RAEaqVFV_ND28GwQS77mnvWsOSRz8Nh56YjuQvhfw7d_xiUzvDFQztfY2FQGHW6fzVpM3L93A0m3SMU9kVOrUM-73bOuK-02TdiBJufOmD5Xshhu8LTUrs7pk4ae/s1600/KK15.jpg" width="850" /></a><br />
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The city is packed with malls, ranging from eclectic Asian stores to international classics, and we appreciated cooling down with the AC mid-afternoon, especially on our first day. The city is fairly small and easy to tour by foot. The markets (Night Market, Handicraft Market, Central Market) are lined up along the water, as well as bars where you can sit down for Happy Hour and watch the sunset before heading off to dinner, perhaps in Chinatown, particularly charming at night with its red lanterns everywhere. We had planned to eat at the Filipino BBQ at least one night, but reports of red tide, fellow travellers getting very sick and questionable sanitary practices changed our minds... better safe than sorry, especially just before a 30+hr journey home! Instead we had some tasty Indian food at Sri Latha Curry House and flavourful Arabian food at Al Andalus. You also probably won't feel like finding a nearby beach when you walk along the water, as massive oil deposits and weird entrails are common sightings. But if you're familiar with Southeast Asia, you might think that this place is cleaner than many. Perspective I guess.<br />
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On our way back to KK before leaving, most of us were badly sunburned from snorkelling (which I escaped by hiding in the boat and under my rash guard), and we were looking for outdoor activities that would keep us out of the direct sun. We headed over to the tourism centre, which had been more or less useful in the past, and were lucky to find the most helpful agent, who let us in on a well-kept secret: Kiansom Falls, in Inaman, a short drive from KK. The park consists of multiple waterfalls and swimming areas, and we had the place mostly for ourselves on a Friday afternoon, later joined by local boys jumping off the rocks onto the small pools, which seemed rather dangerous. We spent a lovely afternoon, and headed back into town feeling refreshed. We stopped by the Signal Hill Observatory on the way back, which would be perfectly fine to pass on. The city doesn't really get any prettier from up high.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMUZWhQ94G1KqwuuysFyDu0cU68rnBa80zxLE6-RQMX7J3OXFF2AWVKeqsGDeMbdYdkt8JLojsqRmVPU-ZmnNyvXatu4a_krghwGSHWL0ImQihG0tyM06iWgDwY81w7OJGPdDx4rr5mn0/s1600/KK10.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMUZWhQ94G1KqwuuysFyDu0cU68rnBa80zxLE6-RQMX7J3OXFF2AWVKeqsGDeMbdYdkt8JLojsqRmVPU-ZmnNyvXatu4a_krghwGSHWL0ImQihG0tyM06iWgDwY81w7OJGPdDx4rr5mn0/s1600/KK10.jpg" width="421" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Un2V7ndZyN_jgvKO1MEpoAgAhv3ZyNRiRP-cCaeMBm954RLPkwCF9_2O1axAuUVFh9s_ggZe2_36yPWRwxky7d9UJPnjihiHrmSH6Xd3vzHiVGDuI9q9xVF2lMXmVshfq5CPVGHMZ1pm/s1600/KK13.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Un2V7ndZyN_jgvKO1MEpoAgAhv3ZyNRiRP-cCaeMBm954RLPkwCF9_2O1axAuUVFh9s_ggZe2_36yPWRwxky7d9UJPnjihiHrmSH6Xd3vzHiVGDuI9q9xVF2lMXmVshfq5CPVGHMZ1pm/s1600/KK13.jpg" width="421" /></a></td>
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<u>Sandakan and Sepilok</u> </div>
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From KK we left for Mount Kinabalu, which I'll share more about next week, and from there headed east to Sandakan. The city is not particularly nice, perhaps due to the fact that it was rebuilt after being completely destroyed during WWII, but we gladly used it as a gateway to Sepilok, with cheaper accommodation and more food options. Although we didn't find much to do in Sandakan, the staircase of 100 steps along the Heritage Trail will lead you up to a nice view of the town. We loved the Balin Roof Garden Bar & Bistro, where we got a glimpse of the sunset, and ate delicious fresh rotis at Habeed Curry House.<br />
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Sepilok is a 30min bus journey from Sandakan, easily accessible as a day trip. We started our day with the morning feeding at the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre, which rescues baby orphaned orang-utans, and trains them to survive in the wild before releasing them, when they are ready. A baby orang-utan typically spends the first 5-6 years of his life with his mother, before being independent. Tourists have the chance to observe the orang-utans during the morning and afternoon feeding times, from a platform. The morning feeding was somewhat frustrating due to the horde of loud tourists, resulting in only one orang-utan briefly appearing.<br />
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The ticket gives you all day access, so we grabbed some ice cream and headed out to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, right across the street. The centre was established as a non-profit organization for animal welfare, education, research and rehabilitation. They rescue sun bears bought as babies and kept as a caged pet, and teach them how to fend for themselves so they can live in the wild again. They are the word's smallest bears, with a surprisingly long tongue, and are way more adorable than I'd imagine. Unfortunately, they are threatened by hunting and habitat loss, like most of the wildlife in Borneo (and worldwide, I guess). They have powerful claws, ripping effortlessly through coconuts the size of their heads, and seemed quite playful. I loved watching them eat, play and interact with each other. On our way out, we stopped to look at this colourful snake on the boardwalk, until an employee shared with us that although non-poisonous, the snake was looking ready to attack, and that a bite would be quite painful. We left quickly, hoping that the family of 5 next to us would do the same.<br />
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Later we walked over to the Rainforest Discovery Centre, with many trails through the forest and 8 canopy towers, going up to about 27m above ground. The towers are connected by walkways, giving great views over the forest. Mid day there were only few birds and squirrels to be seen, but we enjoyed the visit nonetheless.<br />
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The afternoon feeding at the Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre was much quieter, and we were able to observe 4 or 5 orang-utans for quite some time, which was a pretty special experience. It was a blast to see them hanging in various positions, often looking like contortionists, and always keeping at least one grip on the rope/branch. Well worth going back for. We heard that earlier during the afternoon, one of the orang-utan escaped the park and headed straight to the cafeteria, causing some commotion amongst the tourists.<br />
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<u>Semporna</u></div>
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The small town of Semporna feels rough and is particularly dirty. People don't seem to smile much, and the vibe just isn't nice. We were pretty much ready to leave as soon as we got there and if I'm being perfectly honest, my favourite thing there was leaving. Either to go snorkelling or simply to fly out. There seems to be a complete separation between struggling locals and diving expats, and no collaboration. We ended up spending the night and booking a trip out to go snorkelling, figuring out we might as well, since we got all the way there. If you plan ahead, you can mostly avoid the town and head straight to a beautiful resort on one of the island. Because of the limited diving/snorkelling permits issued everyday and the international recognition of the area, places tend to book up quickly, so advance planning is a good idea, although you can still enjoy some last minute amazing adventures. We stayed at the Dragon Inn floating hotel, fulfilling a life-long dream of mine of staying in a room on stilts over the water. The idea was maybe a little overrated, although I'd be willing to try again. This place was the budget end of this idea, and my dream is probably closer to the high-end, Bora Bora type experience. We found limited options for food, with some concern consuming seafood of unclear origin, and ate most of our meals at the Scuba Junkie restaurant. One unexpected gem was Summer Breeze, a new little place with ice cream and real espresso, which was pretty amazing after over a week of feeling lucky when we got instant Nescafe. <br />
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We booked a day trip out to 2 of the Tun Sakaran Marine Park islands, with Sipidan Dive Centre. The trip included snorkelling gear, cold water and a tasty buffet style lunch with lots of options. We got to decide which islands we wanted to see, and opted to start our day at Bohey Dulang, where we started by hiking up 600+m to the top of the island, for breathtaking views, before snorkelling amongst the impressive giant clams. The hike is relatively easy, well marked, with stairs on and off along the way. Our guide told us that we were unlucky since we didn't see a green viper, a rather venomous and aggressive snake, so I opted to respectfully disagree with him.<br />
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Our second stop was the paradise island of Sibuan, which is one of the most beautiful places I've seen. It's a popular spot for snorkelers and divers, with white sandy beach, calm turquoise waters. Sea gypsies live on one end of the island, and kids will bring over coconuts in exchange for money or food. The snorkelling was the best I've ever done, with amazing coral, massive schools of fishes, coming in all size, shape and colours.<br />
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Next week I'll share more about hiking in Mount Kinabalu and our stay at the Jungle Camp on the Kinabatangan River, along with some general travel information. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit <a href="http://www.flourishingfoodie.com/" target="_blank">Heather Hands </a></span></div>
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I'm a mess. Jetlag doesn't usually affect me that much, but this time, it's bad. I'm wide awake most of the night, even if I resist napping during the day. I'm confused and disorientated during the day, fighting to stay awake, unable to concentrate. I fell asleep in the elevator yesterday, coming home after walking Noodle. It's not pretty.<br />
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I usually consider myself to be a pretty organized person. I excel at to-do lists, keeping track of appointments, tasks, and I'm typically on time or early. Somehow, in the midst of prepping our condo to put on the market and getting ready for our trip, I lost it a little. We decided that it would be easier to show our loft while we were away, so we wouldn't have to deal with hiding our toothbrushes, tidying up and getting Noodle out of the house every morning. We left everything in the hands of our agent, and flew across the world, to Borneo (Malaysia). If you follow me on <a href="https://instagram.com/barkandpurl/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, you have seen a glimpse of our trip already. I cannot wait to show you more, as I'm sorting through stories, memories and pictures. But let's get back to when I started to loose my grip on things. It began at the airport, when I realized that we had forgotten to pack our guide book. You need to understand, I don't forget or lose things. I remember acutely losing one mitten at the age of 4. And that's about it. So this really was a shock. I started getting anxious during the trip, and for some reason, became irrationally terrified that Noodle might be dead. For absolutely no reason. I completely trust our friends who were looking after him. They love him and he loves them. I was going crazy. I slowly came to my senses, but was truly distressed for a while.</div>
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We left Malaysia after two wonderful weeks, and flew to Seoul, where we had an 11hr layover. I had been planning to leave the airport and do a quick tour of the city, and then explore the Incheon amenities such as the ice skating ring and the golf course. But when we got there, we were so exhausted, the only option was to head over to the airport hotel, and rent a room for 6hrs. We felt much better after some sleep, and I decided to check the status of our flight. It was slightly delayed, expected to land at 11:30am. Which was completely wrong, since I knew we were getting in at 6:30pm. I had planned for it. We had even scheduled a last open house that day, until 4pm. Yet, somehow, I had gotten that wrong too. I franticly texted our friends, who welcomed us over while we were temporarily homeless. Luckily for us, we came home to a few offers, and if all goes well, we'll soon be ready to seriously start our new home hunting. I'm thinking that this process might be stressing me out more than I initially thought.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credits </span><a href="http://www.flourishingfoodie.com/" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">Heather Hands </a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2015/02/inadvertently-twisted-honey-cowl.html" target="_blank">Last week</a>, I shared with you some frustrating project that didn't come out the way I wanted them to. This week, I'm happy to say that I seem to have broken the cowl curse I was under. Admittedly, I decided to play it safe. After making <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2014/12/zig-cowl-variation-1.html" target="_blank">this variation</a> and <a href="http://www.barkandpurl.com/2014/12/zig-cowl-variation-2.html" target="_blank">this other one</a> of the zig cowl, I decided to make a third one, and follow <a href="http://owlsisters.blogspot.com/2011/12/zig-cowl-free-pattern.html" target="_blank">the pattern</a> a little more closely, with only a few modifications. I casted on 198 stitches, and used US #9 24" circular needles. I repeated rounds 1-12 of the first section twice, then only rounds 1-4, once. I changed to the second section of the pattern and again repeated rounds 1-12 twice, then rounds 1 and 2 once, before binding off in pattern, following round 3. <span style="text-align: start;">After experimenting with all the variations, I finally made a long, thick, zig cowl, using 4 skeins of Rio, from Tahki Yarns. I have to admit, it's my favourite of the three.</span></div>
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<br />Genevievehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09389082910905348490noreply@blogger.com0