Friday 26 April 2013

A Very Crafty Community: Cut Out + Keep

For those of you who live only to scour the interwebs for the coolest and craftiest of websites, this will be old news, but for those of you with other tasks that must get done (and really, I'm sorry, because all of those other important things are about to go straight out the window) I'd like to introduce you to Cut Out + Keep.

Cut Out + Keep is an online community where people share their crafty tutorials in categories such as cooking, sewing, papercrafts, and crocheting (but it doesn't stop there!).  I first discovered Cut Out + Keep about 7 years ago, sitting on my tiny dorm room bed using Stumble Upon (THE internet discovery tool, for those of you who do enjoy a little scour now and again) into the late late hours of the night, looking for something to DO.  And from that moment on, I knew I'd never be bored again (materials willing).

What I didn't know, or rather, haven't bothered to pay much attention to - I'm there for the crafts.  What do you mean I can whiten my teeth with clove oil?! - is how much the community has grown since I first happened upon it so many years ago.  Cut Out + Keep is now in its 10th year and boasts over 120,000 members and 50,000 projects; not bad considering the community started as the personal craft blog of founder Cat Morley.

Cut Out + Keep was also recently  featured by google in a video promoting their advertising service, that offers an amazing look around Cat's creative space, and a little information behind the business side of Cut Out + Keep.

When Cat emailed me to tell me about how much Cut Out + Keep has grown over the last few years, I was a) Super flattered to be on her radar (I mean, guys, WHOA) b) SO inspired by how many individuals are getting into crafts in a serious way.  I think that resurgence of the cottage craft industry is incredible, and websites like Cut Out + Keep make people feel empowered to do things themselves, try something new, and maybe even find a new passion.  Plus, I think that some healthy competition in capitalism is really important (and serves to save us all a little bit of money, as well as offer up an abundance of choice).  So, that's a win, win, win, win... right? Right!    
If you were totally enchanted by the chalkboard bunting in the video like I was, Cat was also kind enough to send along a tutorial on how to make your own! See? Empowerment! Crafts! Joy for all, and bunting for every occasion! (I'm excited.  Sue me)  
1// Start by cutting triangles out of thin wood. We used some scrap shipping wood that came as packaging with a piece of furniture. You can buy wood triangles in craft shops, if you struggle to find a piece that works well. You'll need about 12 triangles to be able to write a nice long message.
2// Paint your triangles with a coat of chalkboard paint and leave to dry.
3// Paint with a second coat of paint and leave to dry again.
4// Punch a hole at either side of the top of the triangle. My wood was thin enough to use a hole punch.
5// Loop some string through the hole.
6// Secure at the back with a knot and then string through the second hole, securing with another knot. 
7// Leave a small length of string between each triangle and continue threading them all on to the string.
8//  Now the fun part. Write on your bunting with chalk. I used a ruler to give mine a neat outline, but you can decorate yours however you like!
9// Hang up and admire your handy work!


Umm, so, that was awesome.  I would love to make this for my dream studio! Well, at least it would start off there, but since this bunting can be rewritten for whatever you please, I could see it making appearances at birthdays, major holidays, Wednesdays, you know, the works! A big thank you to Cat again for sharing this super sweet and even more versatile DIY.  I mean, can you imagine this with coloured chalkboard paint?! It would be unstoppably adorable.  The best kind.

And as if that wasn't enough, Cat even graciously agreed to answer a couple questions I had for her about her creative journey. 

What was the first craft that you made a significant hobby? Was this sparked by a particular project?
There wasn't one particular craft or project that sparked my love of crafting. I love trying my hand at different types of crafts and learning new skills, so my projects have always been a big mix. My two favourites are definetely sewing and jewelry-making because they're crafts you can show off. I love wearing something that no-one else has and it’s so satisfying being asked where you bought something that you’ve made.
What has been the most exciting part of seeing your crafting community grow?
The growth of the site has been so gradual that we sometimes don't realize how big it's become until we hear our friends tell us about people they've met in far flung countries that are members. It's so exciting to wake up every morning and see all the new projects that have been added and I absolutely love it when someone posts their own version they've made of one of my projects.
If you could impart any advice about this journey to your high school self, what would it be?
I'd tell myself to have confidence and keeping doing the things I love. I was never sure what I wanted to be when I left school, so I spent a lot of time worrying about that. Luckily, I kept doing the things I was passionate about and enjoyed the most until that became my full-time job.
What motivates you to get creative? Be it a phrase, feeling, motivational-kitty-poster or what have-you.
I have scrapbooks and Pinterest boards full of ideas and inspiration and recently I made a set of motivational magnets (http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/motivation-magnets) for all of the creative activities I sometimes neglect, so I can add them to the calendar on my whiteboard and remember to work on them when I get a chance.


A big, big thank you again to Cat Morley for this exciting DIY, and for the inspiring words.  I don't know about you guys, but I am feeling good and ready to create something fun this weekend!!
--Erin

Tuesday 23 April 2013

OOTD: His and Hers - Green Duds and Fancy Wheels

These photos were something of a spur of the moment type happy accident.  It was the first really warm and sunny day this year, and Ephraim and I spent the afternoon running errands in St. Kitts, with the plan of finishing up with going to see the new Evil Dead movie.  But wouldn't you know it, we ran out of things to do a good hour before the movie started, and so we hunted for a coffee shop to wait in.  In our search we ended up trying to turn around in this parking lot, and found this SUPER SWEET old car!! And well, when you come across a beaut like that, no matter how windy it is (and oh, was it ever!!) you take some photos! So here we are showing off how much green the two of us can wear.  This was unplanned, but dammit, neither of us was changing, that might be dumber than coordinating our clothes to begin with!
I can tell it's going to take some getting used to and maybe a bit of problem solving to deal with just how incredibly crazy the wind makes my hair now that it's so much shorter.  It looks like I'm going to need to invest in a few more hats! Which is a solution I can really get behind :). 
The skirt I'm wearing came from my grandmother.  At first I wasn't so sure about the skirt, as the style of pleating and the (albeit faux) front buttoned flap is very 1910's; which, when it's a time period you typically work in, can get a little too costumey for my taste.  Digging through my closet to find something to pair it with, I realized this 1960's top matches the colour perfectly, and happens to be just long enough to tuck into a high waisted skirt! it really was meant to be, I think!  And wouldn't you know it, the folks at work quite liked how Shavian I look in this outfit.
THE DEETS
(hers)
Striped Shirt: Vintage, free from work
Cropped Denim Jacket: Charlotte Russe
Green Pleated Skirt: Vintage, inherited from my grandmother
Scarf: Thrifted
Matryoshka Lapel Pin: Cry Wolf
Belt: Church Sale
Tights: ??
Brown Booties: Vintage, Toronto Clothing Show

(his)
Sweater: Gift
Jeans: Levi's
Shoes: Converse
I hope your week is off to a great start!
--Erin

Friday 19 April 2013

Currently...

Reading: Stiff, by Mary Roach.  I picked up the book from Ephraim a couple weeks ago, when he decided he just didn't need to know that much about the human body after death.  I tend to be a bit more interested in the macabre, and not easily grossed out by gore and details of the body (I was actually working toward a career in medical illustration for a long time), so I figured I'd have more luck with the book.  So far, I really like it.  I only started reading it a couple days ago, as last week I was tearing my way through the first compendium of The Walking Dead, which encompasses the soft cover volumes #1-8.  And man, did THAT ever fix my displeasure with TWD season finale.  If you're also a fan, and felt that the finale was just too anticlimactic, pick up the comics, you won't be disappointed!

Watching: I'm still working my way through Veronica Mars, and I'm already on the 3rd season.  Honestly, this season isn't as good as the first two, but I love me some snarky Veronica, and I'm emotionally invested in the show, so I'm seeing it through.  Other than that I've watched the first third of too many romantic comedies before I decide that I hate them, and go and read instead.  Yup.

Anticipating: A weekend FULL of plans.  I am double booked for Saturday night and can't wait to see some friends and have a good time.  Especially at formal bowling.  Fancy clothes, beer and bowling? It's like all of the things I like, at one time! Plus it's to celebrate my best friend's birthday.  So you know it's gonna be a good time.
Laughing about:  My inability to keep my Bloglovin' unread count under like, 100.  Just last week I got fed up and marked all as read, and now BOOM I have 125 unread posts already.  And you know what's to blame? Fuckin' blog hops, man.  I give up on bloghops (except for Chantilly's, but that's because it's special and not demanding).  Seems like every week someone I follow is hosting or co-hosting a blog hop, and oh it's free to join, as long as you spam the ever-loving shit out of your own reader with the mommy blogs of the 8 co-hosts.  Enough.  I am not a person who can handle that many blogs, particularly that many that I don't really find all that interesting.  A purge is gonna happen, and I'm no longer going to feel badly about missed posts here and there.  It's started to eat up too much time, and is making my reading list so long it's overwhelming to the point of avoidance.  Blog hops.  Not even once. 

Listening to: Lots and lots of 8Tracks while I work.  I'm a bit disappointed in their search function on the mobile site, I can't seem to search activities or moods as well... I don't know why "sewing" results in mixes consisting entirely of Rap and R+B.  So, it's a lot of just acoustic indie and pop for me, easy to find and less likely to require song skipping.  Do you stream music on your iPhone? Any suggestions for a good site? I'm pretty new to streaming music, outside of looking a tune I have stuck in my head on Grooveshark.

Eating:  The funny thing is that I talked about making brussels sprouts for the first time ever in my last "currently" post, and I literally ate a plate full of them, topped with Parmesan cheese, for dinner last night (at like 9:30.  I got in a sewing groove and had no idea how late it had gotten!).  But at literally this moment, I am sipping a chai latte (which in my last post I was wishing for.  I don't change much, month to month!)

Working on: Sewing a dress I designed and started working on this past Sunday.  It's been a weird and difficult balance between wanting it to look clean and professional, and not wanting it to take forever.  I've already decided to replace one of the back panels, because the one way pattern looks a bit too sloppy for my tastes.  It sets the progress back by a good 1.5 hours, but I know I'll be glad I did it, in the end. I kind of wish I was staying in NOTL this weekend, so I could finish it up, and make a trip to the fabric store to get the remaining supplies I need.  I spent 5 minutes hemming (hah, sewing pun) and hawing over zippers, and somehow managed to leave with a standard zipper and not an invisible zip.  Needless to say, that realization earned a hearty (and disappointed) slowclap... from myself, to myself.  Well done, Erin.  Well done.  I took a sick day this week (allergies plus spring cold equals no fun at all) and spent the vast majority of it sewing, and it was awesome.  I needed something inspiring to get me out of this little sewing rut I've been in ever since I abandoned my Sew for Victory dress.  I'm hoping this project kicks me in a high enough gear to actually complete my Sew for Victory dress in time for the Guys and Dolls opening night next month, but I am not going to hold my breath.

Wishing:  That the wind would die down and I could get a handle on taking outfit photos for myself, mid-week.  I get to dress however I want to to work, and sometimes it's pretty cute.  I hate feeling like I'm "saving it up" for the weekend, and frankly, I like outfit posts, and it would seem that the folks dropping by these parts do too, so being able to have more of them would be really swell.  I've been spoiled by Ephraim's photographer skills! 


I hope you all have a great weekend!! 
--Erin

Monday 15 April 2013

Colour Your World




Last weekend was our first real glimpse of spring.  With a crisp breeze and a constant struggle between sunshine and grey skies, it's finally beginning to look like April out there! And though my daffodils at home are taking their sweet time to poke their heads from the ground, I am getting so excited for plants to start springing up! My home has been greener than ever, as my roommate is a plant lover as well.  I haven't had a lot of luck this past year at keeping plants alive, as I keep going to and from Toronto a lot, but now that I have flexibility as to when I come and go thanks to Gertrude, my trusty Volkswagen Golf, I feel more confidant to keep adding to my little garden.  A trip to a local plant nursery had to be made! It's still early in the season, so none of the small stock caught my eye (well, except for the bleeding hearts, I may have to go back for one!) but I had to take pictures of all the beautiful colours.  I just can't wait for it to LOOK like spring!!


I told Ephraim I wanted to live in a world as purple as the little flowers in that first photo, and you know what, I stand by that ridiculous statement.  Take me away to purple plains.

--Erin

Thursday 11 April 2013

Before and After: Locks of Love

Some time last week, I decided I wanted to cut my hair short and make a donation to Locks of Love.  If you aren't familar with the charitable organization, Locks of Love takes donations of hair, 10" in length or longer, and makes wigs for children suffering from medical hair loss who cannot afford a wig to wear.  Judging by the massive 12" braid my hair stylist chopped off (and man, there was some serious sawing with those scissors!) my donation will be making more than one wig.  Thick hair, man, and I had more than enough to give and not feel a loss.  Plus, I like to think that soon there will be a (or more...) kid out there getting a fierce red wig that can make their day a little bit brighter.

My hair stylist kept remarking on how calm I was about the whole ordeal. "You're so chill!! I just cut off all your hair and you're like 'yeah, whatever'!!".  But hey, this ain't my first rodeo.  I cut my hair short (like, really short) when I started high school, and after not getting at all what I wanted that fateful day (brought it pictures of a pixie cut, left with a buzzed head.  Sinead O'Connor style. FOR SERIOUS), I learned that hair doesn't matter much, and all mistakes as far as hair is concerned, are healed in time.  And this go around, I won't even have to wear a hat for 3 months till those wounds heal.  Because I LOVE my big, wavy, short red hair.  Just call me Molly Ringwald.

Wednesday 10 April 2013

Wears Wishlist: April

12345

If you guys are anything like me, the changing weather has you window shopping (or for real shopping) like it's nobody's business.  I just want to stock my already-too-full closet with sweet summery frocks and comfy flats for kicking around town.  Most of all, I want to wear more colour than anyone probably should at any given moment! Here's a little outfit I dreamed up centred around the "Hannah" dress.  The dress features lots of architectural angles, not only in the front as pictured here, but also in the back (which is why this isn't paired with a cardigan, haha!) which you can see on its listing.  The angles in the dress inspired the choice of the pointed toe flats, and the chevron tights and ring.  As for the orange, red and gold accents, I can think of nothing better to pair with ochre to put a little spring in your step! Spring, get it? Haha! I only wish that my closet wasn't so full, or my bank account needing to recuperate from the One of a Kind Craft Show a couple weeks ago.  Hey, a girl can dream!

What is the weather in your area making you antsy to dress up in?

--Erin

Tuesday 9 April 2013

OOTD: Leather Satchel and Nautical Stripe Boat Shoes

THE DEETS:
Floral Button Up: Vintage, free
Navy Painter Tee: J Crew
Mustard Cropped Pants: Anthropologie
Striped Boat Shoes: Target
Watch Necklace: Antique, gift from Ephraim
"Hive Mind" Brooch: Premonitory Dreams
Leather Satchel: Aude Bags


Ephraim gave me this necklace for my birthday last year.  Though I've never been big into gold coloured jewelry, this necklace made me reconsider that bias.  Though I still lean heavily toward silver as a preference, the gold colour of this necklace (not to speak of the enamel flower detail on the back) goes so nicely with some other things in my closet.  Of course, the piece is beautiful on its own: I love that it looks like a locket, but is in fact a watch! It's so nice to hear it ticking away when you wear it.  

This leather bag is actually Ephraim's, but he was nice enough to let me borrow it to walk around the One of a Kind Show.  When it comes time to finally buy myself a nice camera bag, the cross body strap is going to be a very important feature for me.  I simply can't lug around a camera for hours in a shoulder bag, yet I keep only packing a shoulder bag for Toronto! It'll click in my brain eventually, and until then, there's this sweet little messenger bag for me to borrow (by force).  I even told Ephraim, when he picked up the bag at the One of a Kind Show last year, that if he didn't buy the bag, I would! But then, I was the one shopping for a bow tie for themselves at the show :p.  I didn't pick one up, but Handsome & Lace had the most amazing spread of ties, bow ties, pocket squares; and I have a weakness for men's accessories! A sweet bow tie may make its way to my birthday list, yet.

--Erin

Monday 8 April 2013

Design in Film: Stoker

It's no secret that I love horror films.  I really do go crazy for a good slasher flick/gore fest every now and again, but the ones I really love are the quieter, more suspenseful and cerebral scary movies.  Stoker fell quite perfectly into the second category, playing more on the audience's interest in the characters than their appetite for brutality.  Plus, the film is stunning.  I mean, stunning.  This is an aspect of horror films that is often glazed over, favouring "sexy breakdown" (oh, what, you never noticed how the female lead's shirt always rips to expose some midriff and her likely heaving, dirt-sculpting-her-cleavage breasts? Sexy breakdown.  It's a thing.) and dark locations to any real sense of style or atmosphere... I mean, other than anything you could call "dank".  God that's a gross word.  Dank.
I want to read in a giant wicker Hershey's Kiss!!
Though I managed to only hear about Stoker after it had been in theatres for over a month, I'm not going to go ahead and assume you've all gone out and seen it, and so I won't get too far into the plot and give away the nitty gritty, and will instead focus on the design elements of the film, which surprise surprise, I was totally in love with.  For the sake of context, however, here's a brief synopsis I lifted from my local movie theatre's website:

When her father Richard (Dermot Mulroney) is killed in a car accident, India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) is left with to deal with her emotionally abusive mother Evie (Nicole Kidman). Soon after, a man who calls himself her Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), whom she never knew existed, moves in. The solitude of their woodsy family estate and the peace of their tranquil town are suddenly upended.
Although India hopes Charlie will fill the void left by her father's death, she soon comes to suspect that this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives. 

I think that last line gives you a pretty good idea what kind of scary movie this is: very much a Hitchcockian slow burner.  It let's you get comfortable with your surroundings before it pulls the carpet out from beneath you - and it makes certain that those surroundings are deceptively welcoming and warm. And I've just now realized how few production stills there are of this movie.  Shame!
The locations in the film, both indoors and out (but particularly indoors) are immaculately put together, and provide an essential sense of tranquility, in the designs by Thérèse DePrez.  There's a heavy influence of mid-century architecture in the furnishings that initially confused Ephraim "Is this a period film or is it just designed strangely?", which I took to be a comment on the recently deceased father figure.  We learn early on that Richard Stoker was a prolific architect, and as we see more of his house, the landscaping, and his personal belongings, his aesthetic - clean, relatively minimal with a love of natural materials - makes it clear that though we may not get to know the character well through a personal presence in the film, we can come to understand much of him by what he has left behind.  Indeed, the only real clutter in Richard's office, are an abundance of tokens from his bonding experiences with India.
 The costumes are, of course, a key way to learn about the characters, and the costumes of Stoker, designed by appropriately mysterious duo Kurt and Bart (and yes, those are the only names offered) tell us a great deal about the personalities of individual characters, while relating them all to one another as well as the scenery.

Uncle Charlie is often smart, clean and tidy, but always with an air of the casual; a button up with no tie, the top button unbuttoned.  He looks put together in a way that feels predetermined, like a man who only owns neutrals so that everything can be paired together and he never has to think about it.  There is a sense of calculation behind it, but more in the pragmatic sense that if he has no real sense of style, he frees his mind up to contemplate other things.
Evie, on the other hand, seems to be borderline incapable of wearing anything not intended to be worn at a dinner party.  She looks so manipulative that it's the way you expect her to behave.  She feels often at odds with the house she lives in, preferring intricate lace designs to the clean colour blocking the other primary characters wear.  Despite the softness seen in her clothing, she herself feels rigid and uncomfortable within them.
India, clad entirely in soft neutral colours impeccably tailored within an inch of their lives - including many pieces I would kill to have in my closet - seems entirely comfortable within her rigid wardrobe.  Every year for her birthday, India has been gifted a pair of saddle shoes, which she wears until her next birthday, pairing them with airy silk frocks with crisp pleating, shirts buttoned to the very top button; a wardrobe where everything goes with everything else.  Sound familiar?

Beyond the set and costume design of this film, the cinematography and editing lended themselves to creating stunning images the whole way through; though the latter is certainly something that has to be seen to be understood.  I can't recall the last time the first words out of my mouth after a movie were "That was incredibly edited.  Just beautiful".  If these insights have piqued your interest, I really urge you to see the film, I promise you I have only scratched the surface.  The story, performances, and direction were all spot on.  So take a chance on a "scary" movie; you just might be blown away by what Stoker has to offer.
--Erin 

Thursday 4 April 2013

Paradigm Designs at the Spring One of a Kind Craft Show

Paradigm Designs once again graced The Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place this past week, as part of the Toronto Spring One of a Kind Craft show.  I lent a hand minding the booth to give the artist a much needed dinner break, as well as to help pack up at the end of the show on Sunday.  Needless to say, I can't turn down an opportunity to photograph pretty sparkly things, and I did, abundantly.  And that's all there is to say about it.  Now look at the shiny things!
--Erin

Wednesday 3 April 2013

2013 Goals: March Update

 Well, we're another month through 2013, so it's time to check in again and see how my list of goals has been going.  It's been a weird month, with lots of holiday time derailing my schedule, so I know before I even go to fill this out that some of these goals have fallen by the wayside.  Let's hope this just encourages me to get back on that bandwagon as we get cracking with April, hmm?  Alright, let's go!

  • blog 4 times a week  I've been averaging about 3 posts a week. I decided not to worry so much about how many times I blog, but rather to encourage myself to get better about scheduling my posts in advance and not letting myself leave gaps because I got lazy. So far, so good...ish.
  • complete my 365 Days of iPhone Photos project Oh, this one is SO dropped! After I forgot my fancy iphone lens in Toronto for a week, I just never got back into the habit of taking a neat photo every day.  Plus, the model building I was doing for work has been very finicky and doesn't photograph well.  So.... not so much.  This one's as good as over!
  • complete one photo-an-hour post for each month Yes, yes and yes! Hoping to get April's day photographed this coming weekend.
  • save my pennies and purchase a new laptop to replace the 8 year old glorified paperweight 
  • take a trip  This one's still far off, and nothing has been booked yet
  • create more, and consume less Netflix (or knit while I watch!) It's February March.  Lay off me.
  • read 6 books (this makes me sad.  how did it come to this?!) I'm working my way through Blog, Inc, and loving it.  Looking like I am more into non-fiction right now, which is why I was having SUCH trouble getting through the novels I was trying to make myself read (and enjoy..)
  • create an online portfolio No progress on this one, this month.  But I do now have a substantial number of edited photos to use!
  • look into continuing education Internship didn't pan out (being overqualified is a gift and a curse), and I don't think that school is on the docket for next year, but the idea of doing my Masters in Scenography (set and costume design) is sounding more and more appealing all the time.
  • take my camera with me more (and invest in a serious camera bag) I've definitely been trying to take my camera with me more.  My birthday is in May, and a new camera bag is at the top of my list, for sure!
  • invest more time and effort into friendships, old and new It's been a good month, in this regard :)
  • send 6 pieces of snail mail 2/6, I sent a little package off to Amanda of Salvaged Strawberry this month! Also sent Lisa of Lala Faux Bois her embossed leather banner necklace that she won from my first ever giveaway! Not sure that that one counts, though :P
  • build a small business Premonitory Dreams opened in March! I'm still working at designing new items, to be added to the shop as soon as I have a solid day to cut, paste, and photograph.
  • exercise twice a week  I started taking Zumba on Wednesday nights, to help keep me obligated to exercise at least once a week, making that second trip to the gym no big deal.  I am loving it, by the way! 
  • take life drawing classes I'm SO loving taking life drawing classes at the niagara pump house.  I've spent the last couple weeks trying out a couple different mediums and focusing on accuracy, and now I'm feeling better equipped to play more with style.
  • get a car
You know, that's actually not as bad as I thought! But I could still stand to do a bit of rededication to some of my goals.  I will begin by dragging my sorry butt to Zumba class tonight, and then an exciting evening of cleaning my room and clearing my head.  Really, after 2 weeks spent mostly in Toronto, returning to NotL only to swap out my clothes, it's well beyond due.  Laundry is a thing, too.  Ugh, but all I want to do is watch Veronica Mars!!

How are your goals for the year shaping up? Is the change of season botching up your plans a bit, or have you stayed the course?
--Erin

Tuesday 2 April 2013

Down on the River: The Niagara Pumphouse

Every time I look at this door, all I see are donuts.  I shouldn't go on an empty stomach, haha!
 A couple weeks back, I started taking a weekly life drawing class at the Niagara Pumphouse Art Centre.  I had never been down by the pumphouse, despite having lived in town for a year and a half, and now that I go every Tuesday night, I really regret that it's taken me so long! It's a beautiful short drive from my house (admittedly walking distance from my work, but with class starting at 6:30, a girl has got to get her ducks in a row [and some food in her belly] before heading to class), right along the river and just down street from the historic Fort George.  I decided to head over a little early last week so I could take a few photos before class started. 
The building itself is really beautiful, and I look forward to seeing how the scenery changes through the months, as  the pumphouse is located right on the river, where you can look across to New York state.  The pumphouse generated electricity for the town until the 1910's, and pumped water for the town until the early 1980's.  The building was later sold to the town for $1, and massively renovated into an arts centre.  They offer all kinds of regular classes and special workshops, including a metalsmithing workshop I'm looking forward to taking, in early May.  In the meantime, I am loving getting back into life drawing!! I'll have to post some of my favourite sketches that have come out of class here, but if you don't want to wait for a big roundup, I post my favourite sketch/es of the week on Instagram every Tuesday after class (@efgerofsky).  Tuesday has quickly become one of my favourite days of the week!

Have any of you gotten back into an old hobby recently?
--Erin