Shipwrecked

At the Jordan Harbour, just off the QEW, sits La Grande Hermine, or "The Big Weasel", a rusted old ship I have the pleasure of driving by on my bi-weekly trip to and from Toronto.  The boat is a well-known landmark throughout the area, and until arsonists set it ablaze it in 2003, was a popular location for a bit of nontraditional urban exploration; the kind term for breaking and entering (if you're in the Toronto area, check out the book Access All Areas, from Infiltration) 

Though the boat is very well known to locals and travelers of the QEW, its history is less common knowledge.  That being said, this boat has been places in the over 80 years it lived before coming to rest at its undoubtedly very permanent resting place in the Jordan Harbour nearly 20 years ago.

La Grande Hermine was built in 1914 in Quebec, as a replica of the largest of 3 ships Jacques Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence River from 1535-36 (tragically the boat is a namesake as well.  Seriously).  The boat was originally used as a ferry on the St. Lawrence, before being turned into a cargo ship and later a floating restaurant, even becoming a haunted pirate ship for Halloween to raise money for a hot-lunch program for students.  It came to rest in the Jordan Harbour in 1997, after which the boat's owner passed away before permission could be granted to tow the boat to Niagara Falls to become an offshoot casino facility.  

The rusted ship is quite easily accessed from a service road along the highway, and I was really pleased to have the chance to photograph it before stopping at the nearby Prudhommes Antique Market.  I'd love to photograph the boat on a stormy day at dawn, but until my schedule and my good sense accept this as a smart idea, these early afternoon photos will have to suffice.

Thanks for reading a bit of local history! I had no idea this hilariously named boat had such a bizarre and lengthy lifespan.

--Erin

Photo an Hour: April 2013

Freaking finally, I have photos to share from April! Here was a fun and very productive little day out and about in St. Catharines, and around NotL.

11 am// Well rested and ready to roll.  A-table-hunting we shall go!

12 pm// St Catharine's bound

1 pm// Red Velvet pancakes.  Because who's going to stop me?

2 pm// Stopped to take photos of this old wreck.  It was briefly a restaurant/boat.

3 pm// A creepy basement full of cobwebs, dust, and glass bottles at Prudhommes Antique Market

4 pm// A sweet room full of old clocks and radios at Prudhommes Antique Market

5 pm// I bought a table! Took 30 minutes to get it out of the house.  Why do men not listen when a woman says we have to take the legs off?! I mean they had to come off to fit in the car anyway...

6 pm// Prepping the neckline for bias tape

7 pm// Finishing up my sewing for the day

8 pm// Taking some outfit photos

Honestly, it's been so long since this day that I couldn't tell you how we ended the evening! But it probably involved a movie and definitely involved dinner of some kind.  I'm looking at my glorious formica table at Ephraim's right now, and boy oh boy was checking out the Prudhommes Antique Market the best thing to come out of that day! I'm currently working on collecting a few pairs of mismatched but complimentary chairs to go with the table.  Vinyl and formica and chrome, oh my! Our kitchen is going to be so awesome!!

--Erin

Currently...

Reading: Archie Hartigan and the Frost Wolf, by Seth Greening, edited by Ephraim Ellis.  Okay, so, this book isn't actually by Seth Greening... or is it? Seth, as you may know, is the titular character of the web series Seth on Survival, portrayed by (my charming and multi-talented) boyfriend, Ephraim Ellis.  As a spin off on Seth on Survival, and it's sequel webseries Your Lupine Life (which is set in the same universe), Ephraim wrote a young adult novel, also tying in with both series'.  The book is available for iPhone, with a deluxe version for iPad (oh, how I wish I had one!) with loads of special content such as video segments and hilarious footnotes! While it claims to be geared toward the 12-15 age range, I'd say the language is suited just fine to those who are, erm, a little above that bracket.  I'm liking it a lot!
Plus, Ephraim put a little bit of me into one of the characters in the book! He mentioned to me earlier that he gave character Nell O'Neil the middle name Frances (just like me!), but it can't be a coincidence that she's also a strawberry blonde, and 1" taller than our hero, Archie.  You are so busted, Ephraim Ellis!!  

Watching: I never watched Friends when it was on TV, but now that I'm the same age as some of the characters, I thought I'd give it a try.  To my surprise, I like it a LOT!  I really see how HIMYM tries to hit on the same notes as Friends (btw, they revealed the mother, finally, sadly 3 years after I stopped caring.  She's Ted with long hair.  Snore), but the little bit of raunch and the acting are all really working for me.  Also, Phoebe.  She's amazing. 

Anticipating: Another packed weekend! Though my birthday was this past weekend, being stuck in NotL didn't make for very exciting celebrations.  I'm going to celebrating with my family, and then my friends, this long weekend! Also, it's "May 2-4" weekend, which is a big deal up here in Canada.  We go nuts for our long weekends, and this one has always been seen as the gateway to summer.  It's barbeque season, even if you have to grill in a hoodie for the next couple weeks.  Summer approacheth!

Laughing about:   Umm... I'm struggling to find anything to go here.  It hasn't been a particularly funny couple weeks! We just finished tech for Lady Windermere's Fan, which involved some 13-15 hour days, and then opened a bunch of shows, and frankly I'm just super burnt out from it all, even still.  Things are starting to feel "normal" again, but I'm not there yet.  My sense of humor is expected to return any day now...

Listening to: Big Shiny Tunes 2.  Back in the day, Canadian Music Station Much Music used to put out a mixtape every year called big shiny tunes.  My car only has a cassette player, so I've amassed a little collection of hilarious old tapes (some genuinely awesome ones, obviously) and a cassette adapter for my iPod for car trips.  I have Semi-Charmed life completely memorized, and laugh about how oblivious I was as a child that it's about smoking meth.  I seriously remember singing along to the chorus during swim time as summer camp as a wee kid (same summer I learned how to braid, and spent hours digging clay out of the beach.  Loved nature camp!).

Eating:  Recently I've been cooking a lot of the PC Brand "world's greatest meatless chicken breast" with a sauce made of dijon mustard, honey, and minced garlic.  I've been trying to make sure I'm getting plenty of protein to build muscle as I continue trying to push my weight lifting (which I've admittedly slacked on lately.  Cursed tech week!)

Working on: I spent 2 hours hand hemming that dress I designed (it's so close to being done! Going to wear it to the abundance of birthday celebrations this weekend), and only got half way through it.  Why did I decide it had to be a blind hem?! Stupid circle skirts are like 3m around, it's taking forever to hand stitch.  Luckily I have netflix to keep me company.

Wishing:  I got to see my friends more regularly.  It feels super weird to make some big hullabaloo about your birthday, but really I just want them all in the same room.  That's a sappy wish.  I also wish that I had a puppy.  Something fierce.  I miss having a dog around!

"Currently" is a recurring post using categories borrowed from Dani Hampton of Sometimes Sweet.  
 
--Erin

Springtime at the Beach

Niagara on the Lake isn't exactly known for its beaches.  We don't have big white sandy expanses, no real spot to sunbathe to speak of, and people don't tend to get into the water.  Yet, this town has a few small, rocky beaches that are frequented by dog walkers and bonfire makers.  It can be a nice quiet spot to get away - if you can get far enough from the tourists.  The beach I went to one day after work last week was devoid of anyone who was just passing through.  For an hour or so I walked along, listened to seagulls, dug in the sand, and took pictures of the blossoms on this amazing tree.  It wasn't much of a beach experience, I suppose, but it was tranquil and regenerative all the same.  Plus, I got some of my best flower photos yet! One of these pictures might already be my computer desktop background... the white on the bright blue sky just makes me so happy.  I hope I can capture the blossoms on a few other trees around town before they're all gone!

I really love that I can walk down to the shoreline in NotL and see Toronto, across lake Ontario.  I grew up in Toronto, and working in NotL has been the longest time I've ever been away!  It still feels like home, though, and I'm so glad I get to visit as frequently as I do.

This trip to the beach had me looking for some beach glass for the first time, after seeing the impressively large and shockingly beautiful collection of sea glass found by Kaylah of The Dainty Squid.  I only found brown and green glass, but did a lot better than I expected to, and having a "mission" while at the beach was really pleasant.  I can be a bit of a magpie, so I tended to spot larger bits of shells before I'd come across a piece of glass.  I have some nice jars laying around at home, and I think it'll look quite sweet to have a jar filled up from beach treasures I continue to collect from NotL's beaches! There's a long summer ahead, after all. 

I don't normally alter the colour of photos so much, but it looked like a cherry tree all warmed up.  So delicate.

Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes! Yesterday was a lovely, low-key day. I hit up all the thrift spots in St. Catharines, and found some really great stuff, including a tin cup for my milkshake maker (FINALLY! All the milkshakes shall be mine, this summer!) and a Hawaiian muumuu in fluorescent colours. I also went to see the new Iron Man movie, and loved it! I think this year is going to be a good one, as strange as it seems to say that I am in my "mid-twenties".  It's going to be a big year for change, so I think an ever-so-popular blogger-style goals list is in order.  That, and a deep, deep breath.

--Erin

A Birthday Wishlist

If I haven't mentioned it already, this Sunday is my birthday.  And while I'm not "officially" celebrating for another week (but let's be real, my plans of going to a craft fair and seeing Iron Man 3 is totally all I need) when I can be in Toronto, I'm still super pumped and dreaming about all the things I wish I owned.  I put together a birthday wishlist for my family to help them in their gift shopping, and thought I'd share the visual version here, too.  It always feels like I ask for such random things at the holidays, and seeing them all pictured here... yeah... I don't know what my deal is, haha!

1. Swedish Hasbeens Braided High Clogs in Black/Natural

I promised myself that I wouldn't buy more dresses or "trendy" items first hand all summer.  Staple items are okay, and accessories are really where I'm lacking, so those are okay too.  You can never have too many shoes, and as far as simple, black shoes that look good with dresses (ie: not ankle boots), I have...nothing.  Swedish Hasbeens are so damn cute with their 70's silhouette and chunky wooden sole.  I'd get every colour if I could.  But let's start with black (and let it escalate from there).

2. Milwaukee Hammer Drill/Driver Kit

My boyfriend is becoming a home owner, and has a whole whack of projects to do around the house.  I am a very handy person, thanks to predisposition and several years experience working on theatre sets (I love me some carp shop time).  Hammer drills are necessary for drilling into concrete, but also cover softer materials like wood.  I think it's a good thing to have around, and I'd use it a lot.  I got a whole bunch of hand tools for Channukah, and then inherited even more from my Grandparents, but I want a bit more power behind me to tackle some DIY projects. Fun fact: power tools have been on my holiday wish list since high school.  I still own no power tools.  THIS MUST CHANGE.

3. DeSerres Self Healing Cutting Mat (36")

Cutting Mats are awesome and really really needed for model building, fast fabric cutting with an rotary knife, and leather working.  So, uh, I definitely need one of these in my studio-to-be!

4. Prismacolour Premier 72 Pencil Set

Pencil Crayons have been my medium of choice for several years.  While in school I worked on incorporating pencil crayon into my watercolour work, but lately I've been wanting to get more into more serious pencil crayon work.  I have coveted Prismacolour sets since I was really little (Grand and Toy was my favourite store at the mall.  I would literally just walk around looking at pens and pencils for a solid half hour, no problem) but couldn't really justify getting a "professional" grade set.  I think I can call myself a pro now.  Like the power tools, this is something that has been on my gift wish list on and off since... childhood.  Wow.  I already know that this wish is being fulfilled this year at long last (thanks Mum!!)

5. Epiphanie Bags Austin Messenger in Black/Brown (pictured here in grey)

I have been needing a good camera bag for a while now, as sticking my camera loose in my purse wrapped in a scarf was really just playing with some serious fire.  I go back and forth between Toronto every couple weeks, so being able to put my laptop in this bag as well is a serious bonus! I love how large and neutral it is, and I can see me getting a lot of use out of it.  It's advertised as part of their men's line, but this wouldn't be the first time I bought something "masculine" (and preferred it to the women's line on several levels).  It's sharp, professional, and ON SALE.  Uhhh so I snapped that bag up, and actually got it in the mail earlier this week.  Happy birthday to me!