I'm Not Dead!

I realize it's been a looong time since I last posted.
A very, very long time.
Please forgive me.
If you want a real excuse, I blame the wonders of Instagram as it's basically like blogging for lazy people (ie: me).
I have aspirations to blog regularly, so you will be hearing about my adventures in the kitchen, and life, very shortly.
In the meantime, look at what I found while exploring Gastown a few Saturdays ago!

A Craft Fair and Cath Kidston!

On Sunday I went to a craft fair at the Corn Exchange!
I love craft fairs and I love historic buildings, so it was like a match made in Stephanie Heaven.

This the interior of the Corn Exchange:

It's a really cool building with a big, domed ceiling that lets in tons of light and makes it feel like you're outdoors.

I think the building was once used for literally exchanging corn, which is neat.
But, I don't really understand why that would require three levels and a bajillion cute, arched, double doorways. Maybe there were a LOT of people buying and selling corn?

The craft fair was a bit smaller than I had hoped, but I still really enjoyed myself. I picked up two pairs of earrings made by a local artist.

(Jammy Dodgers are a type of cookie here. They're like the cuter version of Fruit Creams because the cut-out is in the shape of a heart instead of a boring circle).

And my weekend got even craftier was when I came across two super cute stationery shops while in the City Centre - Paperchase and Scribbler .

Paperchase had about a million things I wanted to buy, especially if it was from the teapot or the cupcake collection.

And Scribbler had these beautiful lasercut cards by Rob Ryan.

And last, the highlight of my weekend...

 My Cath Kidston bag!!!

It's going to be my new schoolbag because girls here don't carry backpacks and because it's beautiful and I love it.

Cath Kidston

I'm obsessed.
There's no denying it.
Cath Kidston may be the best store ever created.

Paul and I went into the City Centre today and made a detour from our errands to go to Cath Kidston.
It was amazing.
The storefront. The window display. The layout. The products. The prints.
Everything was amazing. Everything!

I picked up a free copy of their monthly magazine and promptly started reading it when I got back to my room. I also started a running Wish List of Cath Kidston products I would like - there's no such thing as too many floral printed items, right?

I've even been inspired to have a Cath Kidston-themed room in my future home.
There will be Cath Kidston wallpaper. Cath Kidston curtains. Cath Kidston floor tiles. Cath Kidston tablecloths. Cath Kidston dishes. Cath Kidston cutlery. Cath Kidston napkins. Cath Kidston tea towels. Cath Kidston tea cozies. Cath Kidston tupperware. Cath Kidston cupcake liners. Cath Kidston radio. And I will be in a Cath Kidston dress with a Cath Kidston apron and oven mitt set serving something from the Cath Kidston Cookbook. (That last part is a lie. I don't know if she has a cookbook).

I love Cath Kidston!!!

I Like You

This is just the cutest children's book ever, so I had to share it.
Unfortunately I couldn't find any images of the illustrations, and I don't have a hard copy of the book, but I assure you the images are just  as cute as the text.

I Like You - Sandol Stoddard Warburg

I like you and I know why
I like you because you are a good person to like
I like you because when I tell you something special, you know it's special
And you remember it a long, long time
You say, Remember when you told me something special
And both of us remember

When I think something is important
You think it's important too
We have good ideas
When I say something funny, you laugh
I think I'm funny and you think I'm funny too
Hah-hah!

I like you because you know where I'm ticklish
And you don't tickle me there except just a little tiny bit sometimes
But if you do, then I know where to tickle you too
 
You know how to be silly
That's why I like you
Boy are you ever silly
I never met anybody sillier than me till I met you
I like you because you know when it's time to stop being silly
Maybe day after tomorrow
Maybe never
Too late, it's a quarter past silly
 

Sometimes we don't say a word
We snurkle under fences
We spy secret places
If I am a goofus on the roofus hollering my head off
You are one too
If I pretend I am drowning, you pretend you are saving me
If I am getting ready to pop a paper bag,
then you are getting ready to jump
HOORAY

That's because you really like me
You really like me, don't you
And I really like you back
And you like me back and I like you back
And that's the way we keep on going every day

If you go away, then I go away too
Or if I stay home, you send me a postcard
You don't just say "Well see you around sometime, bye"
I like you a lot because of that
If I go away, I send you a postcard too
 
And I like you because if we go away together
And if we are in Grand Central Station
And if I get lost
Then you are the one that is yelling for me

And I like you because when I am feeling sad
You don't always cheer me up right away
Sometimes it is better to be sad
You can't stand the others being so googly and gaggly every single minute
You want to think about things
It takes time

I like you because if I am mad at you
Then you are mad at me too
It's awful when the other person isn't
They are so nice and hoo-hoo you could just about punch them in the nose

I like you because if I think I am going to throw up
Then you are really sorry
You don't just pretend you are busy looking at the birdies and all that
You say, maybe it was something you ate
You say, the same thing happened to me one time
And the same thing did

If you find two four-leaf clovers, you give me one
If I find four, I give you two
If we only find three, we keep on looking
Sometimes we have good luck, and sometimes we don't

If I break my arm, and if you break your arm too
Then it's fun to have a broken arm
I tell you about mine, you tell me about yours
We are both sorry
We write our names and draw pictures
We show everybody and they wish they had a broken arm too

I like you because I don't know why but
Everything that happens is nicer with you
I can't remember when I didn't like you
It must have been lonesome then

I like you because, because, because
I forget why I like you but I do
So many reasons

On the 4th of July I like you because it's the 4th of July
On the fifth of July, I like you too
If you and I had some drums and some horns and some horses
If we had some hats and some flags and some fire engines
We could be a HOLIDAY
We could be a CELEBRATION
We could be a WHOLE PARADE
See what I mean?

Even if it was the 999th of July
Even if it was August
Even if it was way down at the bottom of November
Even if it was no place particular in January
I would go on choosing you
And you would go on choosing me
Over and over again
That's how it would happen every time

I don't know why
I guess I don't know why I really like you
Why do I like you
I guess I just like you
I guess I just like you because I like you