Canola Fields

You may be wondering: What the heck is canola? Where does it come from? Is is a nut or a plant or a chemical or a flower or er...hmmm....Well, around here (Georgian Bay), we have the most impressive fields of yellow. (ah yes, we are so in vogue this year - yellow is the colour of the moment isn't it?) The yellowness is only here for a fleeting week or two, so it's the time photographers and plein air painters get their butts out there. If you've never seen it, it really is spectacular.

Meatless Mondays: Are You Doing It?

Sunday Sauce: Half and Half BBQ Sauce Recipe

In Canada, Half and Half is cream for coffee, but for our BBQ recipe this week, we're not going to be using cream, we'll be using that white stuff called mayo - it's sooo easy.

1/2 of this and 1/2 of that.

Half and Half BBQ Sauce

Mix

1 cup of your favorite bottled BBQ sauce

(mine is PC Smokin' Stampede Beer & Chipotle Barbecue Sauce)

with

1 Cup of your favorite mayonnaise. (Miracle Whip or Hellmann's)

That's it!

Delish on chicken or chops.

The PC BBQ sauce is made with dark beer, chipotle, bourbon and strong coffee! Now how the heck could anyone resist that taste sensation?

Think (Colourfully) and Grow Rich

It was a splendid Saturday! I was awake early - before the sun - and sipped on creamy white coffee whilst I uploaded my photographs and new header to Liberty Post. (yeah! photos are back!) At 7:30 I journeyed to my first ever Mom 2 Mom Sale. What a concept! I actually bought this exuberant blouse there. I adore the pattern and colour. Then I had a lovely visit with my 2 baby Granddaughters - cooing and cuddling - kisses, oh yes..lots of kisses. From there I ventured to Chapters to enjoy the aisles of books and magazines. (tough I know) Another bonus! Starbucks was offering free coffee and Godiva chocolates!!! Yes, free! From Chapters I travelled up the highway to Value Village and discovered a McCoy-looking teal container for some new succulents awaiting sandy soil and a spot in my living room window. (pics to come) Along the way I made dreamy notes; jotting ideas and stopped to photograph lilacs. (and cheated with french fries and an icy coke) I even had to remove my purple scarf. It got quite sunny and warm. The colour chips you ask? Ah...they are perfect bookmarks don't you think? I picked them up from Benjamin Moore. 2 colours (click on the bottom photo to see the names) were highlighted in Nicolette Camille's apartment/floral studio (Blue Hydrangea 2062-60 and Cumulus Cloud 2063-70) and one I just love (Baby Boy Blue 2056-50), well, because it reminds me of Tiffany's. All in all, a perfect day. It's storming and lightening and blowing outside right now. I sense a rainbow of colour over the horizon shortly. Think (Colourfully) and Grow Rich.

Think and Grow Rich here.

Seth Godin book Permission Marketing here.

Did I mention I also scooted into the Barrie Human Society to say hello to all the kitties and puppers? Yes, it was a great day.

Wild Lilac Splendor

I often wonder how old these bushes are; found hugging abandoned farmhouses along the county roads. Wild and free - swaying in the mid-afternoon, pre-storm breeze. The scent was a divine and familiar fragrance. Lilac splendor.

Want to see the world's largest collection of Lilacs? Head west from Toronto on the Queen Elizabeth Hwy and if it's late spring, in about an hour you can enjoy strolling through the world's largest collection of lilacs. The Royal Botanical Gardens features more than 800 varieties of this fabulously fragant flower. The best time to plan to visit this National Historic Site for the lilacs is late May, during the Lilac Festival, when the scent and color of the lilacs are peaking and you can enjoy special tours and demonstrations. Most lilacs are shrubs, except Japanese tree lilacs and Peking lilacs, which can grow as high as 18.5 metres/60 feet. Here, in the Lilac Dell and along the RBG's introductory Lilac Walk, the bushes are kept to 1.8-2.8 (6-9 feet), so they can be fully enjoyed when you wander among them. In late June and early July the Gardens' two acres of roses will be in bloom.

The Dog Whisperer (The Dog Giver)

This is 'Cisco'. He is my Mother's brand new baby Shih Tzu. Many famous people own Tzu's. My Mother is the ultimate 'Dog Giver'. She buys expensive dogs, trains them and then gives them away. I hope she keeps wee Cisco. She has given away baby Yorkie's and Lhapso's and Retreivers and Labs....The Dog Whisperer: (I'm speaking softly here) "Perhaps she'll give Cisco to me."

My Hunger Strike is Over

Well...almost. Yes My Dear Readers, my 'sans blog photo' hunger strike will be over within the next 24 hours. I had to. I just had to break down and pay picasa it's yearly storage fee so that my blog may once again take wings with imagery. (blogs without photos suck - in my humble opinion) And I didn't really want Liberty Post to 'suck' particularly when my 2nd Blogversary is on June 11th. I truly cannot believe that I have published 1694 posts!!! 2 years....my, my...Where has the time gone?

STOP !!! Name 5 Female Artists. Can you do it?

via Boho Girl - the most incredibly talented Photographer....

Jen Gray, Boho Girl and Cedar

even though others may not support you,
even though the world doubts you,
even though you feel like you havent made much progress,
even though that person over there seems to be running down
her path with total ease,
even though it seems no one sees you,
even though you are unsure,

you just keep on...
follow that map imprinted on your soul....

The same Jen Gray who made this heart stopping film for her new born godson...one who was being adopted by BohoGirl. Tears of joy..so lovely.

Black Bird: Tell Me Your Dreams

Blogging: How To Build An Audience

They're at it again. Giving us secrets to success! The Skirted Roundtable: New Podcast on building an audience here.

Amy Butler: Key Points to Growing A Business

Amy and her husband David started their business in 1992. The first year they made about $16,000.00, most of which went to heating their old farmhouse, putting new tires on the truck and buying new computers. Now their business is $1 million +. Here are some key points from them:

1. Put your profits back into your business
2. Freelance to finance your company
3. Don't borrow money from a bank, investor or partner
4. Work with what you have
5. Don't live beyond your means
6. Re-invest in what you do
7. Use your own resources and hands
8. Grow your business in a grassroots way
9. Keep your eye on detail and quality
10. Be flexible and do many things
11. Invest with sweat equity not financial equity
12. Stay away from loans that only bring you pressure and debt
13. Keep things manageable. Grow your business slow
14. Have patience
15. Work hard

Learn more about Amy here and here. Find books by Amy here.

Doing Business The Amy Butler Way

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Amy Butler

Apartamento Magazine

"What would a post-materialist interiors magazine be like? It would probably avoid glossy, catalog-like spreads and apartments that look like upscale hotels styled by celebrity designers. It would show more old stuff than new stuff, focus on dash rather than cash, put texture, personality and patina above glitz, and aspire to the possible rather than the impossible. There’d be glamour, but it would be the wabi-sabi charm of the much-loved and the well-used. Personality would trump pomp. Apartamento is the interiors magazine post-materialists have been waiting for. In the tradition of magazines like Butt, Purple and Here and There, it lays out on matte paper relaxingly informal snaps of real people’s living spaces, pretty much as you’d find them if you just dropped casually by." - NY Times, The Moment

My Discovery Travels

Hello Friend.

Yes, I'm still here in the blogging world, except I have stepped into the realm of complete and utter-delicious self-indulgence. I'm on a world tour of sorts. I have been mindfully-peacefully-stresslessly traveling from blog to blog to blog all around the globe. I've been to places I've never been before. I've met new bloggers; different voices and images. It is delightful and well-deserved (I believe). Flights leave on the hour every hour. You should do yourself a favor too. I'll be back in full blogging schedule soon.

All My Love & Friendship, Liberty Post xo

Sunday Sauce: Stout Barbeque Sauce

Here's a delicious BBQ sauce.

Stout BBQ Sauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 diced onion
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 1/3 cups bottle tomato puree
1 cup stout beer
1/4 cup fancy molasses
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Heat oil, add onion and garlic till soft
Add rest and bring to boil
Simmer to reduce to 2 cups
Will take about 1/2 hour
Strain into jar.
Will keep refrigerated for 1 week


More lip-smacking recipes here !

The Garden Post(s) & Pop's 75th Birthday

May 24th is my Father's 75th birthday. I love you Dad. xo 1934 was a very good year. (And now for an unexpected treat - here is a link to 128 garden posts I've written - great for a Sunday morning over coffee in the Spring) Ah..and you thought I just talked nonsense all week long for 2 years straight. Fooled you didn't I? (are you missing photos on my blog yet?)

Be Yourself and Be Self-Sufficient

What's Your Self-Worth?

Do you rely on a man to take care of you?
What would you do, God forbid if you were on the street all alone?
Could you take care of yourself?
We (society and women) need to encourage girls to be 'independent'.

Independent:
Adjective
1. free from the influence or control of others
2. not dependent on anything else for function or validity
3. not relying on the support, esp. financial support, of others
4. capable of acting for oneself or on one's own
5. of or having a private income large enough to enable one to live without working: independent means
6. Maths (of a variable) not dependent on another variable
Noun
1. an independent person or thing
2. a politician who does not represent any political party

"We don't need equality, we need equity." - Della Reese

The Sweetest Super 8 Wedding Ever

jen + dan's maine wedding from Daniel L'Italien on Vimeo.

via the blog named after my favorite food group: 100 Layer Cake

Blog Out Loud

From the Blogebrities at 'Blog Out Loud':

I'm excited to announce our new little venture, Blog Out Loud >> Connecting Through Creative Blogging. Blog Out Loud is the collaborated effort of myself and Rebecca Orlove of Loving.Living.Small and ATLA.
What it is:
An ongoing creative event in a symposium format featuring a panel of established bloggers {changing each time } The idea is to inspire, encourage and share experiences on a variety of relevant topics.... and of course network. Since all of you have fabulous blogs, we would love your help. If you could do a post about the event in the next few days, we can gain some exposure and (hopefully) appeal to creative people looking for support and/or encouragement to start or maintain their own blog.

When & Where:
Thursday, June 4th at Patio Culture on Abbott Kinney in Venice, CA.
Panel:
Jonathan (Happy Mundane), Audrey Woolen (Parcel Post) and Richele Silva (Richie Designs)


Our Goal:
To get the word out in the next 2 weeks. We want to reach creative people - interior designers, gfx designers, photographers, shop owners, artists, you name it - and invite them to join us, chat with the panel of bloggers and learn more about blogging.
And if that's not enough of a carrot on the stick: there will be free libations.
All event details can be found at http://blogoutloudevent.com

Design Radio: The Skirted Roundtable

NOW HEAR THIS:

If you haven't had the chance to listen to the podcasts over at 'The Skirted Roundtable' or you didn't even know this radio program existed, well you must tune in! They are fantastic!

You can find all the podcasts here and also download them to iTunes and here is my comment on today's show:

"Oh how I love this topic! As a former Gallerist and (still)Artist, I have some opinions. I think curators approach art hanging very differently than designers..don't you?...Curators look at the flow of an exhibit, the emotional context; the journey of visitors to the art show. Designers look at the entire room and how things work together; either in unison or in contrast to make a statement. I was taught...in a room with no furnishings hang art 65" from the middle of the piece to the floor. No exceptions. If there are furnishings then that changes ever so slightly. I also believe that there really isn't any bad art, just peoples' opinions and subjective perspective on art. (to each's own) I would rather see a room designed around artwork that the owner adores, than owners going out and trying to find art that matches the sofa. I love, love, love the picture bowl idea and I still do like 'The London Wall' look - Kate Spade has a grey bedroom with gallery walls - Tracy Porter does them well too. Now, family photos...hmmm...I had a friend who lived in a massive home. When you walked into (the lobby) there was a huge, vaulted spiral staircase. Up the staircase was 4 (3'feet x6'feet) B&W portraits of their Daughters. Oh my word - it was stunning. So incredible; so I think if family portraits are done well, they are wonderful. Ahhh..that's all for now. Keep up the excellent radio show...I love it! I listen to every word!" - Liberty Post

Let's support these 3 incredible Designers - Let's keep 'The Skirted Roundtable' famous!

Wrong Winners: Idol + Dancing

Ahhh....my little rant about these shows. Simon has always maintained that 'America always gets it right'. Finally, I must disagree. Gilles should have won Dancing with The Stars and Adam should have won American Idol. These two shows offer such incredible entertainment value, but now I'm miffed....muffed and chuffed.

I'm Sorry

I apologize for being saucy and grumpy and downright miserable today. Forgive me.

Chasing Pavements

Ive made up my mind
dont need to think it over
if im wrong i am right
dont need to look no further
this aint lust i know this is love
but if i tell the world
i'll never say enough cos
it was not said to you and
thats exactly what i need to do
if i end up with you
should i give up
or should i just keep chasing pavements
even if it leads no where,
or would it be a waste
even if i knew my place
should i leave it there.
should i give up
or should i just keep chasing pavements
even if it leads nowhere
i build myself up
and fly around in circles waiting
as my heart drops
and my back begins to tingle
finally could this be it
or should i give up
or should i just keep chasing pavements
even if it leads no where,
or would it be a waste
even if i knew my place
should i leave it there.
- Adele

I just love this song. I go to Queen of Tarte to listen to it a lot. I think the song is full of hope for those who get discouraged along the way towards their dreams, loves, losts and life crap.

Who's Your City? and A Few Bones To Pick

WARNING: I just woke up and I'm pissed.

On June 11th I will be celebrating this blog's 2nd Anniversary. Now here's the bone(s) to pick: Why don't they (blogger) tell you that your photos will need to be stored somewhere; in some virtual cardboard box in the Internet space air out there some where - like I don't comprehend it so - but truly...why didn't they tell me (us) that it will eventually cost you money to load more photos? (picasa)

10 GB ($20.00 USD per year)

40 GB ($75.00 USD per year)

150 GB ($250.00 USD per year)

400 GB ($500.00 USD per year)

Come on! Isn't the Internet a bit like infinity? I always thought so didn't you? So in the end my friends I'm on a blogger hunger strike. No photos until they let me.

Now comes the next bone to pick. How does one do an interesting post without pretty pictures or disturbing photographs or provocative images? It's harder than you think, so now I have a new appreciation and respect abundant for all those uber-talented bloggers who have never ever ever used pics as a crutch. Can you name a few? Try harder...come on...give me the names of 3 bloggers who never use photographs in their posts....I challenge you.

Alright, 3rd bone to pick this morning. Why the hell is Grace Bonnie (Design Sponge) working with Canadian House and Home? Don't we have some excellent 'Canadian' design bloggers? How about Kim Vallee or Poppytalk or Restyled Home or This is Glamorous or heck - why not add some spice to your publication and have me do it??? I am not dissing Grace - that could be blogging suicide - design bloggers seem to tip toe around each other; chanting niceties and stabbing each other in the back - so darn (traffic) competitive. Am I the only one who is feeling the formation of a negative hierarchy in the blogosphere? Who knows who and who's scratching who's back kind of stuff? Shame on you Suzanne Dimma. Pick someone from Canada for god's sake. (And yes, Canadian House and Home is the ONLY magazine I subscribe to thank you very much. Ya'll know I gave up buying magazines..as a responsible recessionary measure....but I could never give this one up...it's about my country...and..er...now foreigners...opinions...)

Who's your contributor? Who's your Blogger? Who's you City? (If you didn't know it, this magazine has fabulous design videos to watch.) Like this one of The Florida's Toronto home.
The best-selling author and his wife, Rana, show off their stunning, light-filled space. Rana and Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class, tour their kitchen, office, living room, kitchen and poolside deck in this video. Mixing modern and traditional elements, the home also features incredible ravine views. See more of the house in the April 2009 issue. Ah ya...Richard is not Canadian either. Hmmmm...

Pick. Pick. Pic. Pic. (sans) Pics.

Sue Tupy, Artist

SEE PHOTOS OF SUE TUPY ART HERE.

I made 2 rather startling discoveries today. 1. I found out there was a Studio Tour - The Blue Mountains Art Tour (bonus!) and 2. I met 'Artiste Extraordinaire', Sue Tupy at Curio in Clarksburg. No photos you snarl....yes, blogger and picasa are being temperamental at the moment. Be patient my friends. Pics to come.

Sue Tupy has always been an artist. Born in Collingwood, Ontario in 1961, her innate desire to create beautiful things has sought, and found many outlets. Her education includes business, fashion, and design arts from nearby Georgian College in Barrie. At an early age, her profound romance with textiles through the art of sewing, were revealed. But, possibly one of her most significant talents was forged as she worked alongside her artist father, the creator of Blue Mountain Pottery. Circumstances led Sue to express yet another area of her creativity—cooking. At age 24, she began a culinary career, while continuing to pursue an art business degree. Her experience as a cook/chef included stints at local restaurants like Christopher’s in Collingwood, Carriages in Thornbury, and eventually her own establishment, Hluboka in Clarksburg, Ontario. During her 20 year career in the food industry, Sue’s talent caught the eye (and taste buds) of culinary author/teacher Bonnie Stern, earning a favorable mention in her Toronto, newspaper column. But eventually her attention would turn back to the life of an artist, requiring her to make the difficult decision to leave culinary pursuits behind. Happily seeking her passion, and a desire to lead an authentic life, Sue continues to experiment in the medium of clay, textiles, wood, metal and paint. She incorporates these into manifested expressions of her unique style, realizing form and/or function in things like landscapes, and the whimsical wall hangings she creates from recycled oars and paddles—some of the very things that reflect the water, and wintry lifestyle of her native Collingwood. The apt description of “Faux Naïve” was once penned about Sue’s works. (folk art) Sue Tupy resides in an 1800’ renovated (“magazine worthy”) home in Clarksburg, Ontario, that she and her husband creatively renovated together. Also, enjoying their inspired lifestyle are her son, daughter and niece. We won’t mention the two, crazy resident cats…. Sue Tupy’s work is available at local and Toronto galleries, as well as several retail, “life-style” stores. As of April 1st 2007, Sue is now the proud owner of her own store, called Curio, located on the main street in Clarksburg.

Kings Buffet

Fit for a Queen and in this recession, about 1/2 the price ($13.99) of Mandarin. It was just, well, O.K.. Next time we will splurge and pay $23.99. I've had my fill for now, so perhaps we will go in the fall some time. (not to be nasty...but there were many, many morbidly obese people there - was there some kind of convention in town?) I was over stuffed when we left, but by the time we got home I was hungry again. Chinese food is weird like that isn't it?

Sunday Sauce: Sweet & Spicy BBQ Recipe

Sweet & Spicy BBQ Recipe:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1 12 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 dash tabasco sauce (or more, if you like)

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook about two minutes, until just soft. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer about 20 minutes until sauce is reduced by one-third and the flavor is concentrated.

Lisa Congdon and Switching Sides

I used to love reading Lisa Congdon's blog and then I was extremely sad one day when she announced that she was closing it down (I hate it when people do that and then they actually do do it don't you?) for good. I missed peaking into her world. Lisa is now represented by Lilla Rogers! Now I am a happy girl today because I found out via Sarajo Frieden (who by the way self-published a self-promotion book on Blurb for her agents to show companies at the Surtex Show in NYC - how brilliant) that Lisa and her Dog Wilfredo have started a brand new blog. Yeah! Lisa is a tremendous artist (her Etsy shop here), who by the way is on the front cover of Paumes new book on SF Kitchens and she is also Gay. Why does this matter this morning? It doesn't really. It's just a sidebar to her tremendous talent, but I also just read an intriguing article on HuffPost about switching sides that I found to be both humorous and perhaps truthful.


"A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle" was a clever little slogan of the Women's Movement during the Seventies. Little did I realize then how prescient it would prove to many of my peers as they hit middle age. In the past five years, I've been stunned by how many of my formerly married-with-children Girlfriends have bolted from their traditional family geometry and found true love with other women........And the sex is great! As Carol Leifer put it (much more succinctly than I) another woman already knows where all the happy spots are and what makes them downright euphoric. She said that it's like knowing your own house--even with the lights off, you still know where all the furniture is. I can only barely imagine what it must be like to have sex and have someone to talk to after. Think about it, we Girlfriends are usually so intimate with each other in a non-sexual way; we hug and kiss and can even share a bed without thinking about sex. We already behave like lesbians, in fact, most men fantasize that we are, so if we do or don't actually become lesbians isn't necessarily apparent to the outside world." - Vicki Iovine

Farah Fawcett's Rain

"I was thinking I would miss the rain. I wonder if you can experience the rain in Heaven, if God will let you dip your wings down," Fawcett said softly. "But my biggest expectation now is just to live. I will not go gently into that goodnight ..." - Farah Fawcett

Farah's Story

On October 4, 2006, it had been revealed that Fawcett was suffering from anal cancer and was undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy and surgery. Four months later, on her 60th birthday, the Associated Press wire service reported that Fawcett was, at that point, cancer free. Fawcett said in a statement, "This is an extraordinarily happy day for me and my family. I hope that my news might offer some level of inspiration to others who unfortunately must continue to fight the disease."

May 7, 2009: Fawcett was reported as being critically ill, with O'Neal quoted as saying that she now spends her days at home, on an IV, often asleep. The Los Angeles Times reported that Fawcett is in the last stages of her cancer and had the chance to see her son Redmond in April 2009 under supervision, as he is currently incarcerated. Her 91-year-old father James was being flown out to visit with his ailing daughter. O'Neal said she wrote her father a note which read "I've lived a full and wonderful life. I've loved and been loved. I'm happy. I'm ready."
As of this week, Farrah Fawcett is continuing to receive chemotherapy to thwart the spread of cancer. Her doctor, Lawrence Piro, and Fawcett's friend and Angels co-star Kate Jackson—a breast cancer survivor—appeared together on The Today Show dispelling rumors—including that Fawcett had never been in a coma, had never reached 86 pounds, and had never given up her fight against the disease or lost the will to live—as had all been reported in the tabloid press. Jackson decried such demoralizing fabrications, saying they "really do hurt a human being and a person like Farrah". Piro recalled when it became necessary for Fawcett to undergo treatments that would cause her to lose her hair, acknowledging that "Farrah probably has the most famous hair in the world," but acknowledged that it is not a trivial matter for any cancer patient, whose hair "affects (one's) whole sense of who (they) are". Jackson averred that the point to Fawcett's documentary was to show that "she didn't do this to show that she is unique, she did it to show that we are all unique... This was...meant to be a gift to others to help and inspire them."
The two-hour documentary, Farrah's Story, filmed by Fawcett and her friend Alana Stewart about her battle with the disease, aired tonight on NBC.

I watched it and my favorite part was the paragraph she wrote and read aloud about 'rain'. I loved it so much.

"I was thinking I would miss the rain. I wonder if you can experience the rain in Heaven, if God will let you dip your wings down," Fawcett said softly. "But my biggest expectation now is just to live. I will not go gently into that goodnight ..." - Farah Fawcett

More UPDATES here.

My Own Private War

Mod Vic Style

Victoria Day (in French: Fête de la Reine), colloquially known as May Two-four, May Long, or May Run, is a Canadian statutory holiday celebrated on the last Monday before or on 24 May, in honour of both Queen Victoria's birthday and the current reigning Canadian sovereign's official birthday. It has been marked since before Canada was formed, originally falling on the sovereign's actual birthday, and continues to be celebrated across the country on a fixed date and in various fashions, also being considered an informal mark of the beginning of the summer season. Trust me, you know it's the beginning of summer here in Wasaga Beach because thousands of party goers invade the sandy shore.

Victorian Style looks like this and described very well by BBC here. Mod Vic Style is everywhere today as old homes are renovated and interiors updated. Mod Vic Style is ever present in the craft (31,000 items on Etsy) and design world too.

And you thought May Two Four was just about beer. (it starts...right...now!)

Victorian Flickr Images and Modern Victorian Flickr Images