Hayley + Allan

What a lovely couple of days enjoyed with a lovely couple of humans.

Hayley Barry is an extraordinary hand lettering artist from Provo, Utah whom I happened upon on Instagram about two years ago. I was immediately in awe of and inspired by her intricate and pristine works of word art.

A year ago, when it came time to revamp our Panic-Free Pricing book into an e-course, I suggested to my co-author, Becca, that we include Hayley as a guest contributor, sharing her wealth of knowledge on the subject of pricing for mural projects. She was a complete delight to work with, writing an entire chapter and providing amazing video to support her material.

This past August on Instagram, Hayley asked her audience where she should host her next Hand Lettering workshop. I (not so) jokingly sent her a message reply, “How about Ottawa, Canada!?”

You can imagine my squeals of delight when she replied, “I’d love to! If you can secure a minimum of 12 participants, I’ll come!”

After working out the details, and selling not only the minimum of 12 spots, but selling out all 25, Hayley booked flights for her and her husband Allan to spend the weekend in Ottawa, starting with our workshop Friday night. Not only was this to be Hayley + Allan’s first trip to Ottawa, but their first trip to Canada!

The anticipation of this weekend has been not unlike that leading up to Christmas morning. Waiting for them to arrive at the airport yesterday morning was like waiting for Santa! My heart was racing and my palms were sweaty! We all did a little happy dance upon first recognizing each other—them at the top of the escalator, me at the bottom. People must have thought we were long lost cousins, or completely bonkers!

After their overnight flights, Hayley + Allan were just about ready to ground themselves in their AirBnB, so we headed that way taking the scenic route, stopping along the way for quick hellos with a mutual friend, and a bite to eat in trendy Hintonburg. While they rested, I headed to ALE—Amberwood Lounge + Eatery—to set up. (Handy that I work there part-time as the Event Administrator!)

Hayley + Allan arrived with Becca at 4:30pm, followed by 16 of the 25 workshop participants for an early dinner. The workshop began at 6:30pm, and was jam-packed with hand lettering knowledge, tips, tricks, and techniques—sprinkled with Hayley’s charm and humour to keep everyone giggling.

By 9:30pm we were all exhausted and ready for bed. Becca drove Hayley + Allan home, and we confirmed plans to meet up this morning for a full day of Ottawa sights.

We started this morning at the National Art Gallery, followed by a stroll through the Byward Market, landing at The Aulde Dubliner for Hayley + Allan’s first taste of Poutine! We then visited The Original Giant Tiger, as a bit of a gag—before taking her calligraphy business full-time, Becca worked in the Interior Design department of GT, and had requested Hayley take a selfie, should one cross her path.

To rest our legs a bit, and take full advantage of the season, I drove my guests to Gatineau Park. We made it to Huron and Champlain Lookouts, where Fall Rhapsody did not disappoint!

Farewells were bid at about 5pm, as I left them at their AirBnB with suggestions for places to explore during the rest of their time here before heading home Monday morning.

Our bittersweet hugs goodbye felt so much more connected than our excited hugs hello. Time and memories shared brought the three of us closer together as friends, and Utah has officially been added to my wish list of travel destinations!

I have been reminding myself constantly of the magic in this entire experience—from admiring a young artist’s work, to saying hello, to collaborating on a project, to inviting her to travel to lead a workshop, to touring them around my beautiful city, to becoming friends.

Some people frown upon social media for the lack of connection and withdrawal it seemingly causes in real life relationships. And while I don’t necessarily disagree, I also see and embrace the opportunities it offers for connections I wouldn’t have imagined without it—real, intimate, authentic connections.

What a lovely couple of days enjoyed with a lovely couple of humans.

Wordless Wednesday | Cuba 2019

xox
Joanne

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this story. Feel free to leave a comment and let’s chat!

Hola!

Tomorrow at this time, Quinn, Jake, and I will be on our flight to Varadero, Cuba.

This trip is a promise I made to my boys way back in 2010—the last (and fourth) time I travelled to Cuba. I promised them the next time I went, it would be with them—just the three of us. They were nine and four then, now 18 and 13.

Quite honestly, even though I have wished a thousand times I could have taken them sooner, I think now is the perfect time. They are old enough to understand the value and opportunity of this adventure, and young enough to appreciate our time together (I trust I have raised them to always appreciate our time together 😉). I am so proud to be able to make this happen—so looking forward to the laughs we will have, and witnessing the wonder in their eyes as we tour though Havana, their amazement at the sights + scenes, and their appreciation for the local culture, and my love for the country and its people since my first visit in 1998.

This will be my fifth trip to Cuba, and by all counts, the most special.
✨☀️👩‍👦‍👦💕

xox
Joanne

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this story. Feel free to leave a comment and let’s chat!

Wordless…

{ Psst… I love to receive feedback on my posts. Please leave your comments whenever you feel inspired to do so! }

Happiness 101.10

• Returning to my favourite place on Earth after being away for 26 years.
• Letting go of past fears and embracing present strengths.
• Amazing friends.
• Taking my kids to Toronto, and to the top of the CN Tower.
• Learning about religion, politics + golf.
• Ice cream in the park.
• 24hr bike tour of Ottawa with Quinner.
• Kayaking.
• Swimming though seaweed.
• The Old Spaghetti Factory.
• The LEGO® Store.
• Butterflies.
• Bargain hunting at Value Village and The Salvation Army Thrift Store.
• Knowing my boys are so wonderful and fantastic, and being told so by all who meet them. 
• Snuggles + Giggles.
• Allowing love—in all forms—to enter my life.

{ Psst… I love to receive feedback on my posts. Please leave your comments whenever you feel inspired to do so! }

For 2012…

I have been contemplating these past few days on what my 2012 Daily Post will be. My Grateful Statements have been wonderful—though challenging at times—to write. What I set out to achieve was certainly accomplished within the first 30 posts. I had hoped my friends, family and followers on Facebook and this blog, would catch the wave and consider their own gratitude for things big and small. I had hoped they would share their gratitude with others as well, and so on… My heart danced when I would read somebody’s Facebook status update starting with the words, “I am so grateful that…”

In 2012 I am going to widen the scope to include all inspirations—what this blog was originally designed to capture and share. So for 365 days, I will not let my camera or notepad leave my side. I will be scouring both the soft-copy and hard-copy versions of this extraordinary world, and the people who populate it, for excerpts of creativity, spontaneity, design, wisdom, humour, beauty, flavour, joy—all things inspired and inspiring.

As always, you are encouraged to leave feedback and comments {please!}, and share with us what inspires you.

The purpose of all this? To open our eyes to beauty—inside + out. And to share.

Enjoy… and Happy New Year!

Random photos…

…because my blog has been short on colour lately :)

Wordless Wednesday

JoeGirl Shoots!

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to try a few things I had never done. Actually, they aren’t just things I had never done, they are things I swore I would never do.

My new friends, C + J have some fabulous property in the woods. Scattered with wildflower gardens, secluded swing sets, whimsical birdhouses and ornaments, their landscape is also home to a firing target.

Before arriving to their camp, the suggestion had been made to me that we might try shooting and 4-wheeling. Inside, I cringed. Guns, shooting, hunting… no way. Never. Not me. However, in this, my time to do something different, I threw all previous judgment and concern out the window and decided to… bite the bullet. Har, har.

J was my firing coach. It took me about two minutes to even look at the rifle, and—because I was certain I would turn to ash upon doing so, like Voldemort in Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone—it took me another five to reach out and hold it.

All set. Positioned, hair tucked behind my ear, elbow up, targets pinned to the board. Ready. Aim. Fire! “Go again! Go until you run out of ammo!” Bam! Bam! Bam!

That groundhog didn’t have a chance… Wow. Beginner’s Luck? Nah… I’m just that good.

Next up was four-wheeling. J took me out to show me the trail. What a strange sensation to be able to drive over trees, boulders and through swamps (I swear this is where Shrek lives). We stopped for a beverage, then I hopped in the driver’s seat for the ride back.

Okay. THIS is fun. Once familiar with the amount of gas the beast required to make the obstacles, I was riding this bull moose like nobody’s business. I tore through the swamp, dousing myself and J with more mud than can be found on Joan River’s face.

What a brilliant adventure. Take every opportunity to Do Something Different.

Do Something Different

Today is Thursday, August 6th, and I am excited to tell you I am still keeping my New Year’s Resolutions. I made three, and I am sticking to all of them, most of the time. But one of them stands out in my mind every day, and anytime an opportunity to live by it comes along.

“Do Something Different.”

A couple of years ago, I came across a quote. Not sure who said it, or why, but it is this: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

Poor grammar aside (I avoid using ‘get/got’ whenever possible. There is always a better word), this quote is brilliant. And oh so true. So many days pass when, as I close my eyes to sleep, I realize I simply went through the motions: Wake. Dress. Boys. Eat. Work. Play. Eat. Boys. Sleep. Pretty mundane for the most part.

And I see so many people enduring the same routine, day after day. Whether they are stuck in a rut, or afraid to step outside of their box for a moment to do something different.

Something different does not have to be a major life change. It can be simple, like parting your hair on the other side, or trying berries in your oatmeal. Reading a new magazine, or shopping at another grocery store, in another neighbourhood.

And yes, something different can be life changing as well. Not in a dramatic or traumatic way necessarily, but in a way that opens your eyes to new ideas. New adventures. New challenges and therefore new accomplishments.

In March, when we traveled to Florida and visited Busch Gardens, I challenged myself to ride their über-extreme roller coaster, Sheikra. This is a ride I admired from afar when we first saw it in 2007. I used to be a coaster-rider when I was a kid, but as I grew and began to appreciate the hazards involved, I grew more terrified of them, and stopped riding them altogether. In 2007, I swore I would never ride Sheikra.

By 2009 I was ready, but there was no way I was just hopping on Sheikra right away. I needed to prepare myself. I started small, on some of the kid coasters. Then the drop ride, and made my way up to the tamest of the adult coasters, Scorpion. With each progression, I craved the thrills more and more, and grew increasingly excited for my final conquest. My Dad and I bounced up the stairs to the entry gate. We waited in line for 5 minutes, the entire time not sure whether I had to pee or puke from nerves.

Our turn to board the ride. And away we went. My life was in the hands of this gorgeous ride.

Sheikra is breathtaking. She takes you 200 feet into the sky, towering over the entire park. She then inches you toward the apex of the first 90° free fall, and hangs you—suspended—over the edge for 1-2-3 seconds. Whoosh! Down you go. STRAIGHT down. Then at 70mph, she takes you on a 3-minute ride around inversion loops, through corkscrews, down a second 90° drop and through a tunnel and water feature.

And then you are done. What a ride. A ride which, for me, meant I could do anything I set my mind to. With proper preparation and mindset, I can crash through my fears to realize a dream.

To this day, I have a photo of Sheikra as my desktop (wallpaper for you PC users). And every time I see it, I am reminded that “I did Sheikra”, and that I did something different.


When I am feeling challenged, I remember Sheikra. I think of every time I have stepped outside of my little box. And I push through that challenge knowing every time I try something different, my box grows. My life becomes richer and more flavourful.

My challenge for you today: Do Something Different.
Then come back here and tell me about it.

Palette: Cuban Coffee

In March of 2007, the four of us drove from Ottawa to Tampa for Spring break. We were staying with my parents, which conveniently afforded Andrew and me a night out. We ventured through Tampa to one of its most unique neighbourhoods—Ybor City, and dined at the famous Columbia Restaurant.

I have to remind myself every time I look at these two floral, ceramic balls—which were purchased at the Columbia Restaurant Gift Shop—that we weren’t actually in Cuba. The meal, music, decor, and service reminded Andrew and me, very vividly, of our time spent in beloved Havana.

Colour trends this Fall dictate a muddier palette—incorporating grey hues to modernize and bring a more urban quality to our homes and offices. When choosing paint colours, lean toward the muted versions of your favourites, like the ones I've shown here, for the most current selections.

“Cuban Coffee”: Pantone 497, 402, 5493, 5523

Pantone is a colour matching system used primarily by graphics professional and printers. If you would like to know paint equivalents to these colours, simply post a comment and I will happily provide.

In this particular case, have a look at Pratt & Lambert’s Obsidian, Shadow Beige, Blue Fog and November.

Palette: Blush Petals

In May of 2007, the boys and I took off on a mini-getaway to Montreal. We visited the BioDome, Insectarium and Botanical Gardens.

The gardens were my favourite, although I am not known for my green thumb, and if I were to list my hobbies or interests, gardening would not be one of them. The fascination came from the colours nature so generously offers us. Pure, sincere, glorious colours.

And yah, I know... there’s that pink and green thing, yet again.

“Blush Petals”: Pantone 5175, 197, 5783, 5763

Palette: Cuban Tiles

Andrew and I traveled to Cuba this past April as part of his long recovery from a broken ankle and arm. This was our third trip to Cuba since, and including, our honeymoon in 1998. On every trip we schedule a day in Havana — one of our favourite cities in the world, though his traveling experience is much more vast than mine…

Art is a key, and vibrant, component of life in Havana. These tiles are merely a few in a massive wall mural. Here is a small portion of the mural — enough to demonstrate the colours, details and intricacy of its beauty.

“Cuban Tiles”: Pantone 7492, 5483, 7510, 437