Saturday With Sym/Raw Canvas

On Saturday I spent almost the whole day out NOT doing baby things. It’s true! Taylor stayed home with Gwen and I went out with Sym in the afternoon and some friends in the evening. I actually slept way in that morning so I did almost no baby things that day- it was weird.

I had some boring errands to run (the post office to mail banners, Canadian Tire to pick up window insulation kits, Michael’s for more exacto blades) that I dragged Sym along to, but I was able to make it a fun afternoon for her and therefore for myself as well.

Sym in Starbucks
Granville StreetNutella CrepeSym as a Mutant Reindeer

We got salted caramel hot chocolates at Starbucks, after finding the window insulation kits we looked at all the Christmas decor at Canadian Tire (and bought a few things like a stocking for Gwen and light-up Rudolph deelyboppers for Sym), we had a late lunch at Cafe Crepe and I let her choose some small, inexpensive things to buy at Michael’s. It’s really important for me to make sure Sym doesn’t feel left out or unimportant now that Gwen has been born and this was a nice way for me to spend time with her while still getting things done, since I’m super busy right now.

In the evening I met up with my friend Bonnie and some of her friends at Raw Canvas, a kind of art restaurant down in Yaletown.

Pre-Painting Drinking
Huge WineMeats & CheesesFine Art Works

The menu there is really simple (for $17 you get a tasting plate with your choice of three items from the meats & cheeses side of the menu and three from the accompaniments side) but the real point of going is the painting: you chose what size and shape of canvas you want and have access to a whole wall of locally made acrylics and the help of a resident artist who can give you tips and advice and show you different techniques.

Of course, I already have my own technique- it’s called being a giant control freak and planning/designing/sketching what I want to paint for sometimes weeks in advance, so this was WAY outside mt comfort zone! I actually brought one of the sketches I did for the flowers on Gwen’s cradle with the idea of using it for inspiration and it kind of worked? Like, I don’t LOVE what I bought home but I think if I work on it some more I will like it better. The other problem I had was with their brushes- I like to use tiny brushes to do a lot of fiddly detail on things, and the brushes there are used by dozens and dozens of drunk people so they were scrubbed to death and in worse shape than the ones I have for the daycare kids! I think if I go again it’ll be a BYOB night (Bring Your Own Brushes).

This was all the first time I’d been away from Gwen for any significant amount of time (like, longer than the length of a dog walk around the park) and it was hard, but I think it was good for me to get out. I did miss her a lot though!

Baby Bear Wearing
Bright EyedLap BabyLittle Hand

I mean… who wouldn’t???

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