Art for our little monsters

There are few blogs I follow every day but this one is a must. There isn’t a morning I don’t check what Meg Duerksen has to say over at her blog named Whatever... and today was awesome!!!
During this week and all of next week, she will be doing a craft project with her children every day when they get back from school (how amazing is she? Can someone say Mom Award of the year?!).

Here is the blog that helped her out:
The Crafty Crow

For all my future teachers, moms and aunties, let’s get creative with our little monsters!

Yay!

I love those mornings, when you dread getting up, its really cold (I mean cold, minus 29 degrees celcius cold) and taking the dogs out ... well sucks, the drive to work has you stuck in traffic and then, once you finally do get to the office you open your inbox and see, 'You've got mail' that says:

Your business cards are finally ready!!!!!!!!!!

Yay! I am in such a good mood now!

Picking them up from the printer tonight :)

Mika's Holiday Pooch Portrait

Just got back from the Underdog Club and I am super impressed!
Here are six photos of Mika taken by a wonderful photographer over at oh my dog! Photography. A wonderful fundraiser idea …and all of this was done in about 6 minutes!!!

Oh and if you guys are wondering what my creative projects are… here is a sneak peak. The collar Mika is wearing is one of my creations. It’s made out of the richest yellows, oranges and purples (which matched Ricardo’s tie and shirt and resembled my bouquet at our wedding!). And it was actually a great success at the Underdog Club … now if only I could get around to printing those business cards.

A Wedding in 4 Parts!

I am going to attempt to finish something I started a few blogs ago, talking about our wedding! Maybe I have procrastinated because there are just so many parts I can blog about, so I will start slow.

Hopefully my experiences will help a bride somewhere out there with the daunting task of planning her own wedding. For this to be accomplish Kirsten-style, she (or you) will have to be a creative, original, hands on, crafty and broke (my husband will kill me for saying that, so I will rephrase that to ‘on a tight budget’) bride to make sense of everything I have done in the last year and attempt to put it on repeat and make it her (or your) own.

Let me start by saying we did everything backwards. We first decided we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together and we wanted to shout it to the world SOON! So we got crackalacking! This meant we did not follow a logical order in planning our wedding. Proof? We first booked the venue (not engaged we would say “Ya we’re getting married the 3rd of October”). I then shopped with my MoH and chose my engagement ring. He proposed (As if he was nervous... he knew my answer!) ... and then I got rolling on THE projects!

So, unlike the planning of the wedding, lets blog logically, shall we?!
Part 1: Venue and ... priest?!
Part 2: Photographer, Deco, Food and Music
Part 3: the dreaded guest list
Part 4: Partying up the I Do!

Part 1: Venue and ... a priest?!
This was quite easy considering my man is pretty easy going. First you choose your ultimate favourite season. This was easy for us; fall, fall, fall!

Everything about fall is incredible. It’s just warm enough to wear big sweaters and cute hats, scarves and mittens with a sexy pair of boots but not cold enough to lose sight of fashion in a jacket suited for the North Pole. The colors and leaves are just so beautiful its mind blowing and breath taking, and the list goes on.

Fall is one of those seasons you take in ... in the middle of nowhere and if you ask my husband or any of our guests (after the drive there), they will tell you I sure found the “middle of nowhere” to get married!

In the last year we have been on a budget. We are also two very independent people that were determined to pay for their own wedding, no parental help. We, since living together in our own little home, have become more environmentally friendly. So our thought was local. Let’s try and spend the least amount of money so we can still have food on our plates and a roof over our heads once we are married and the money we do spend, let’s spend it locally. And this we accomplished very well.

We live in Canada, more specifically Quebec and now while that might not seem relevant to you, anyone who has ever eaten a pancake with REAL maple syrup will tell you ‘the land of Maple Syrup, Awesome & Yum!’. So we got married in a sugar shack, the home of maple syrup, a place called Sucrerie de la Montagne. There, in the middle of the woods, where buckets hang from every tree to collect the sap, they make their own maple syrup, bake everything homemade, have some of the biggest horses you have ever seen in your life and even have a friendly wolf whom just chills amongst its sugary friends.

Wanna know what it was like back in the day?!

Dirt path and foggy misty day, we walk to our loveshack in the middle of the woods! Romantic?!

A picture of moi infront of our 'maisonnette du sous-bois'

where we spent our first night as husband and wife!

Everyone whom works there are part of the same family and by the time we finished planning our wedding and becoming Mr. & Mrs. we had become part of the family too.

We are a young couple, and if any of you readers are young, you will know that often we are treated with the furthest thing from respect and priority. That’s why local businesses are often the best way to go. I can’t even express how impressed we were with our venue and they way we were treated.

We see our wedding as a sort of investment. We have reinvested our money in our home. We have supported a local business, where family work together. In return we had a wonderful wedding that was personal and cozy.

This is our best friend, Véronique! A tear in her eye while marrying us, we couldn`t have dreamt of a better way to get married. We are lucky to have such a wonderful friend!

To complete the personal factor of the wedding, we had to decide how we wanted to get married. While we don’t attend church we thought of us hypocrites to get married religiously. We know no priests personally and didn’t want a stranger marry us. So my wonderful friend Marissa suggested “why don’t you have a friend ordained?!”. While we first laughed at this thought, it soon became a serious consideration. We looked into it and here in Quebec it is possible. So we chose someone extremely dear to both of us and asked her if she would do us the honour of marrying us. With tears in her eyes she accepted. So on our wedding, in a cozy wooden shack, in the middle of the woods, in front of a warm fire place, our best friend made us husband and wife. Original, personal, cheap, cozy and full of love our venue and ‘priest’ were amazing!

Holiday Pooch Portrait

Ok so as you guys have probably seen I am a little nutso for the animal kingdom, more specifically pooches! While my intention is not to create a blog about dogs, I will slip a few posts here and there when something cool comes up… like what I am about to tell you.

A little over a year ago, my husband and I decided to become proactive in the saving of those poor poor puppies that are abandoned, mistreated and uncared for and so on. We have worked with many rescues until we have found our own; Sophie’s Dog Adoption. This rescue is run by ONE woman. She is incredibly sweet and kind hearted. How did we meet Sophie?

A few months ago I heard on the radio, the story of a woman who’s been writing articles in the gazette and has created a unique project called the Underdog Club!
The goal of the Underdog Club is to counter the pet stores and puppy mills while supporting rescues but more specifically the underdogs of each rescue. The dogs that are old, ugly and unpopular. And well since I am a fan of the underdog, discovering this project made me so happy! We decided to check this out. Amongst the many rescue there, we met Sophie and ever since we have been trying to support the Underdog Club as well as giving Sophie a hand by volunteering for her.

Meant to run for a month, it was so successful that they have decided to stay open until funds run out. They are set up in a gallery on Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal. In this gallery are amazing photographs of underdogs up for sale for this charitable cause. But what makes this gallery unique is that while you are looking at some of the most amazing photography, the underdog in the photo is walking amongst you. Why go the pet store when you can stop by the underdog club and greet, meet, play and love a pooch right in front of your eyes? A rescue dog that is looking for someone to give him a second chance and in exchange will gladly love you unconditionally.

While we all wished money grew off trees, it doesn’t, and rent is being paid by generous supporters, fundraisers and volunteers. So what do you do to raise money? You come up with genius ideas…. And here is this month’s!

“Bring your dog to the Underdog Club to get his vintage-style Holiday picture taken by a professional photographer.”

Now if you ask me, this is a wonderfully fabulous idea. Our dog Mika has her appointment tomorrow at 3:15 and our other dog Clara has her appointment the following week. Frame them, scrapbook them or put them on a Christmas card, these photos will be beautiful and unique I have no doubt.

I hope, if I have any readers in Montreal (or any readers at all for that fact! :P) and are animal lover like us, will consider supporting an amazing cause by bringing their pooch down to the gallery for their holiday portrait. And if you don’t have a pooch, pop on in, meet exceptionally amazing dogs, check out the prints and maybe find something to hang on your living room wall!

That time of the year ... again!

It’s that time of year again, when the sun goes down early and the weather isn’t quite sure if its settled on being warm, cold, windy, rainy or snowy so, it gives you a combo and this results in… one of those famous colds!
The sniffles, sneezes, watery eyes, head congestion, deep voice, sore throat, tired-bags under your eyes that for some odd reason come and go. They come and go for two weeks making you actually envious of the people that experience the ‘real’ thing. A two day, 48 hours, worst cold ever… but the glorious thing is, it’s gone as fast as it came.
This year I was the lucky one chosen to get the ‘teasing-cold’, the poser of colds, the weakling cold that wishes he was ‘The’ cold but isn’t! Now I just sound crazy… anyone know how I feel?

So for the past week or so, I have eaten soup, worn horribly comfortable clothes, ski socks and cuddled with my dogs while watching one too many episodes of “Say Yes to the Dress”. I have attempted to be productive, but have failed a tad bit.

Here is what my past week has looked like:

Cuddling with Mika and Tchix (foster pup) wearing my dorky new glasses

Attempting to be productive and work threw the fogginess going on in my head
=
One too many projects … brooches, iPod cases, Christmas ornaments and more

A few posts ago I showed you dog chaos in my office
Well this is to prove that cats are always up in your shizzz
Just chillin’ in the middle of my materials

Holiday Shopping!

We are the 25th of November already, and can I just say “holly crap time is flying by”! We are exactly one month away from eggnog, gingerbread cookies, Santa and most importantly... gifts! Right?! (Oh don’t deny it, opening gifts on a cold Christmas Morning, in your comfy pjz and sleepers with a warm cup of coffee, sitting besides the ones we love, is pretty awesome!)

With a month away, gifts are on our mind. This is also the time of the year people succumb to the “daddy I want a puppy for Christmas! Pleeeease!”
So mommies and daddies sit together and talk it out: do we, don’t we. Often going to the local pet store to go and find the most adorable furry face there to surprise their child on Christmas morning.
So are you ready? Here goes my rescue Shhhpeel!

As most of you who know Ricardo and I, will already know we are pretty huge supporters of animal shelters and local rescues. We are currently housing our third foster pup who is, well, short of perfect!
If you are considering a dog for Christmas.... please Adopt, don’t Shop!

Here are a few reasons why:
* You are giving a living, breathing, loving creature a second chance.
* Because of foster moms, like moi, you are not bringing an unknown dog into your home. Foster moms will be able to tell you all about character and will be able to place the pup with the perfect home, whether that is with other dogs, cats or children.
* When you adopt, included in your adoption fee are basic shots as well as spaying and neutering
* You are helping stop puppy mills! Pet store puppies are almost always puppy mill dogs.... (Remember that the next time you go and visit you local pet store)
* ... and the list goes on!

Talking from experience, our cats and dogs are all rescues and we couldn’t love them any more than we do. They complete our lives; they are part of our family! And in the meanwhile, when a sad pup is looking for a safe and loving home to crash until his or her for ever home comes along, our doors are open.

For Christmas this year, adopt don’t shop!

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday,

my wonderful husband!

I love you so so much!

Mini morning blog of props

Aren’t I just totally terrible?! One week in the blogging world and fail !
How do all those wonderful women, whom I read their blogs every day, have time to … blog? They have 5 kids, and a house, a husband and friends, a social life and a job and STILL find the time to blog!!!! Impressive! I bow down to you!

Here is my 'mini catch up' post of what I have been up to:

Friday night we had dinner with my husband’s lil’bro Carlos D. Sadly I think it was the first time we’ve done something only us three. It was so much fun and I promise it will happen more often.
We had dinner at a Brazilian restaurant named Le Milsa. For those who have never heard of this place, it is pretty much every man’s dream restaurant. Why you must ask?
Because men walk around all night with GIANT slabs of all sorts of meat, going from table to table till you just can’t take it anymore. On top of being in meat heaven, there are almost nude dancers shakin’ all around in sparkly bikinis and feathers. My boys had a pretty big smile on their faces all night!

As for last night, Vero brought us to this little bar in St.Henri that is attached to the Brasserie of St-Ambroise (where I had the most amazing beer ever!!!!!! Apricot beer, Yum!) to watch one of her friend, Matt Stern, perform.
Let me tell you ladies, he is the best kept secret right now. Get out, find him and go watch him play. He is seriously the next Jack Johnson or John Mayer. He’s got the looks, the charm, the smoothness and he is ubberly talented…. Even bought his CD!
What’s awesome about attending things like last night is you often discover a few hidden gems that have not yet been discovered. Elaine Ryan was the second act. She sang folk. She had the most amazing voice, the best personality and her songs were filled with very meaningful and honest lyrics of commentaries about the world of today. No taboos no fakeness here, she laid it all out, and I loved it!

I am leaving you on this and I will be back this afternoon!

Wedding Madness!

Ricardo and I tied the knot October 3rd of this year. He proposed on Halloween night the year before dressed like a pirate! How perfect is that?!
Since, well pretty much the day we met, I knew he was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with; the idea of marriage was often discussed. Our thoughts; money, savings, a house first or a wedding, until….
We concluded, whether it would be a small or a big wedding, whether we were rich or poor, we wanted to be married now and that was it!
And off we went planning our own wedding with no help and everything done by us. For the past year, I had been obsessively working on our wedding. I thank God we have such amazing friends that have helped us along the way (you know who you are, I love you guys!)
And so began a year long process of projects, ideas, planning, creating, painting, gluing, sewing, and so on! Along this path of craziness I discovered, ‘hey! I really like doing this and I have more ideas than I will ever be able to use for my own wedding’ so … maybe, hopefully this will be one of my future career endeavours!!!

Before I show you pictures of our big day, I will leave you with a teaser, a picture of my wedding bouquet while it was still in the process of being created!

Wanna read and see more ????

Organized Chaos

On any given day, if you walk into my office, you will find chaos, disaster, the biggest mess you’ve ever seen … call it what you want but creative people are almost always messy yet somehow always know where everything is. My chaos is very VERY well organized!

My husband walks into my office, and it goes like this every time:
R: “How the heck can you work here, I don’t even know what color your desk is?”
K: “What do you mean, it’s not thaaaaaaaaaaaat messy, plus I need everything out. What if I want a different color string, another shape of button, a piece of candy, a glass of water…. A creative girl has to be prepared… I can’t waste time running around getting stuff!”
R: “Ok, fine….but tell me, where’s your iPod, right now, right now?”
K: “Under the pile of cut string, that’s sitting on my agenda, by the right of my keyboard of my laptop”
BINK! There it is!
R: “Man you’re good!”

My desk at its cleanest!

I like, no I need, my creative space to be messy but I hate when the rest of the house is. I love having all of my art materials all over the place. I hate when everything is neat, then I search. Give me my mess and I know where everything is. I like shifting from one project to the next yet I don’t like that I never finish the project I am working on before starting the next. I would love to sometimes change the gears of my brain, maybe put it in slow motion for a change. I need to learn to focus.
… and perhaps kick the puppies out of my space, once in a while, or else I get this: :)

Mika, Clara & Tchix (current foster pup)

I live in a Zoo!

Most people laugh when we say this, but we really do live in a zoo. We invite our friends over, and after about a grand total of 2 and a half minutes they almost always say “Now we get it, this is definitely the DePretis-Machuca Zoo!”.
Anyone looking for love, a waggy tail, a sloppy kiss and lots of chew toys just need to stop by our place!

Now, while I wish we lived in the country, in a huge house with lots and lots of land, we, for now, live on the bottom floor of a duplex in the city. You would think this, space, would make us a bit more reasonable and perhaps rational as to welcoming the entire animal kingdom in our home, but no!

Clara

Mika

My package was me and my 9 year old golden retriever Clara. Ricardo’s package consisted of him and his cat Roberto. When our packages mixed and melded together to become a family, we quickly expanded. We got a puppy, our boston terrier, Mika who is now two years old and a black cat named Diego.
On top of this we have two fishes, which started as four but the cats are taking care of them slowly : ( , we had a lizard, an abandoned kitten and now we have entered the world of fostering. We foster one pup at a time, helping them find their furrr-ever homes!

Diego & Roberto

It is always a full house, there is never a dull moment

and there is always tons of love and cuddles to go around.

New to the Blogging World

Let’s get started!
Before my creations, business cards, a webpage and figuring out everything else, I am attacking the blogging world.
While I love and follow many blogs, once I get hooked to a good blog I back track to figure out what I am reading…. What dog? Who’s that? She has how many kids? What does she do as a job?
To avoid such confusion and questions, when hopefully I actually have people reading my blog, I will start off slow.
For this first week, every day I will blog a little bit about me.

this picture was taken when we first started dating. We headed up to Mont-Tremblant for lunch and took this picture I love so much

I am in my mid twenties and have recently married the most amazing man in the world (and will slowly post some of our wedding pictures). Our story, while being quite funny and cute all in one, will be kept for another day.
I am a creative artsy busy girl. Anything I can get my hands on. One week I am painting glass and our stove has turned into a mass productions of baking wine glasses (weird endeavour that was very short lived) and the next minute I am scrapbooking half my life worth of pictures, to sewing everything felt and buttony (yes, I like to invent words). I am a bit neurotic and jump from one thought to the next, I never stop moving and my music can never be loud enough in my studio.
For now I work a boring desk job at a company while I figure out just what I want to do with my life and studies in painting, sketching, sculpting, print making and art history.