Author: Tanie

Rock climbing; her dad took this picture. Apparently she got almost all the way to the top before she was like NOPE NUH-UH NEVERMIND I’M COMING DOWN.

Sym is basically amazing these days. Yesterday she brought home a couple of math tests for me to sign and I was thrilled to see she’d gotten 100% on both of them. She’s had some really problems and struggles with math this year (because math is for jerks but I digress), but she’s worked really hard and studied and pulled it together. The teachers had a job action thing going for the first half of the school year so she didn’t get any report cards until just a few weeks ago and it was really good- 2 As and 6 Bs (including math).

Because she’s been so good recently and because her little kid Firefly cellphone recently stopped working, the other day I took her out and got her a new phone, an iPhone. Lots of people I know on the internet (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) thinks and crazy and gross and stupid for kids to have iPhones (or any phones or electronics other than maybe a Nintendo DS) but like… I think most people who have iPhones don’t really NEED them. I mean, what do most people use them for? Playing games, sending messages, instagramming pictures of food and pets, sometimes making phone calls, buying progressively more adorable cases for them.

I ordered her both of these.
THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT MY KID USES HERS FOR. Well, not the instagramming. YET. I pretty much hate instagram but I’m going to get it for her so I can post her pictures here and call the posts SYMSTAGRAM. Yes, I already have this planned out.

I am so easily distracted these days, I came over to my desk to get some tissue paper for a banner I’m shipping today and my dog was being soooooo cuuuuuuuuuuuuuute that this happened.

I SWEAR I DON’T KNOW HOW, I JUST TRIPPED AND FELL INTO MY CHAIR AND THE DOG WAS ON MY FACE AND ALSO I STARTED UP PHOTOBOOTH ON MY COMPUTER.

I actually had a real, well written post all ready for today but I’ve had to postpone it indefinitely so instead you get this. YOU’RE WELCOME, INTERNET!

After a couple of beautiful sunny weeks the weather finally caved in yesterday, and it’s been soggy ever since. It’s too miserable to go out and do anything, but it’s perfect for bundling up on the couch with some snacks and watching movies. It’s actually a holiday here in Canada and Sym is off school, so we grabbed some blankets, some cheesy poofs and the Sailor Moon Super S movie.

If you aren’t familiar, in this scene* the heroine has just tasted a disgusting cookie. Truly a masterpiece of animation.

*this is from the English version, Sym will only watch it in Japanese.

Aaaaaaaaaaall I wanna eat right now. Also I tried something new with my hair today and it wasn’t exactly successful.

Symphony was picked up early today to go with her dad to her grandma’s house so I spent a leisurely late morning/early afternoon lazing around the internet eating ice cream bars. That up there was my brunch, and as you can see in the background Taylor was super busy killing the thralls of Hell.

In the afternoon we went across the bridge to run some secret and/or boring errands, and in a shocking twist I didn’t buy a single thing! Okay that’s kind of a lie- I bought a frappucino for myself (so I could use the washroom at Starbucks) and an ice cream bar for Taylor (I guess they are all he wants to eat too). Anyway Taylor DID buy himself some new shoes for summer, which is fair I guess since I bought some for myself on Wednesday.

H&M, $15.

It’s hard to take a picture at that angle that doesn’t make me look like I have cankles. WAIT, what if I DO have cankles??? THE HORROR. Oh and that floor isn’t dirty, the previous tenant spilled some kind of adhesive and it is LITERALLY impossible for me to do anything about it without gouging the linoleum.

Other than that all I did today was watch a couple episodes of The X-Files (I kind of quit for a while but now I’m back at it) and take the dogs to the park, where Georgie had fun chewing sticks and running with the big dogs. She also scared a German Shepherd away with her mighty bark so like, don’t mess with her or she will mess with you.

Don’t forget I’m now accepting June sponsors, get all the information (plus a cute picture of Georgie OF COURSE) right here.

I’m now accepting blog sponsors for June! It’s going to be a super exciting month here on Unicorn Parade (blogs can be exciting, right? WELL I SWEAR THIS ONE WILL BE), with more dogs and crafts than ever, the return of popsicle making, non-stop shopping and plenty of other thrilling posts, so be sure to reserve your spot!

I’m offering ads in three different sizes at prices anyone can afford, for all the information please check out my sponsor info page.

Georgie enjoying our new Alina bedspread from Ikea while Taylor is wedged into the corner of the bed.

We bought this bedspread last weekend (it also came with cushion covers but they are HUGE and SQUARE so no pillows I own fit in them) because Taylor finds the duvet too hot to sleep under except for in the dead of winter. I’d actually been coveting it for a million years and he paid for it so who am I to argue? I would like to get some turquoise sheets & pillowcases (from my favourite bedding store, Bed) to use with it so I can keep up my bedroom colour scheme.

I actually already have linens in scrub BUT only a fitted sheet and I need a flat one for my freakishly tall mattress. I also need to get some kind of a headboard- if you look in the second picture you can see a lovely blue stain on the wall above Georgie; that’s from my hair. CLASSY.

My beautiful and amazing internet friend Krista Cousins is in the top 30 finalists for Curvy Kate‘s Star in a Bra USA contest, and she promised if she won she’d hook me up with some bras soooo…. No but really, you should vote for her and here’s why:

“As of May 10th, 2012 I am officially in the top 30 contestants for the Curvy Kate Star in the Bra Contest in the USA. Not only could i be the first USA winner but also the first brand representative to be black or a person of color!
To vote please go here. First you need to add the app but it’s worth it to see me in lingerie or so i’m told 😉
Seriously though, it would mean a lot to me. My whole life I’ve severely struggled with body image and my looks. My family isn’t the most supportive and my whole life tried to change me. I’ve been chastised for enjoying food (saying mm or yum when I eat something delicious) or questioned for taking seconds of a meal.I’ve overheard them call me fat even though i really am not! My self esteem has always been low but I always enjoyed modelling for some weird reason I love the pictures smiling and posing and clothes etc on a whim i entered this contest. It would mean so much to me because this brand emphasizes real women as models, is supported of larger breast sizes. Finally, after taking place in this contest i have felt a surge in self confidence and that it priceless.
Thank you so much <3"

I made this trio of custom banners on the weekend and I’m really excited about how they turned out. The client wanted ombre in as many bright colours as possible and I think what I came up with is pretty perfect. I used nine different combinations:
pink to golden beryl (lime green)
fuchsia to florentine gold
ruby to lapis lazuli (bright blue)
gold to verdalite (deep green)
peridot to tourmaline (bright pink)
emerald to turquoise
blue topaz to charoite (purple)
sapphire to garnet (red)
amethyst to kunzite (pink)

Last night after work Taylor and I grabbed the little dogs and went for a walk along the Seawall from Sunset Beach to English Bay. It was the ONE THING I wanted to do yesterday (well, that and have milkshakes, which I unfortunately didn’t get to have because I never washed my blender after making smoothies- still haven’t tbh) and something I NEEDED to do because I had a very stressful afternoon and needed to relax.

Symphony loved the portrait that Sara drew of me so much that she asked for one of her own (original photograph is here). Sara is taking commissions, starting at just $10. You should totally check out her page and get one of your own!