Puppy Love (on the Fringe)

I brought Coyote along as my date to the Ottawa Fringe Festival Media Launch, and I was soon abandoned by him when he sniffed out this beauty. Click!, went his camera.


I am not sure if it was her colourful flowery bodice, or the high pitched sounds that she emitted when she performed that tickled his doggy fancy.

Miss Shoshinz, (who told Coyote her name was Yanome*) will be performing at the Ottawa Fringe Festival all week.

*Was the admiration mutual?

Fashion Tip: X Hides the Spots

Pin-Up Girl and Flower Child run up to the bathroom to get ready to go out. They're both so pretty, I find it confusing that they say they will need an hour and a half to get ready.

The bathroom door is open and I hear happy chatter and girlie giggles - I enjoy listening to them.

Pin-Up Girl comes over to my desk where I am sitting and procrastinating at blogging,"Woodsy, do you have medical tape?"

"Yes, I do. But why do you need it?" I worry that maybe one of them has poked themselves in the eye with the mascara brush (as I might do).

"Oh," sighs Pin-Up Girl, "I can't wear a bra with my new dress, so I need the tape in case of a wardrobe malfunction."

I give her the tape and continue to efficiently put off writing.

Then, I realize that I don't understand what she is going to do with the tape. Tape her dress to her bosom?

"Hey, Pin-Up Girl, why the tape?" I yell out.

"Oh, you know," she purrs back innocently, "gotta make little x's".

Downtown Air Service - Part II

Remember the airplane seat? Well, yesterday I came across the whole crew!

Keeping Tabs on Fashion

I stopped her because I was awed by her coat. As we chatted, she shared with me that her boyfriend had made it. The pull-tabs on the shoulders were hand-sewn and reminded me of chainmaille. She wandered off, and I continued to gaze at her, intrigued by how her gentle voice and sweet demeanor contrasted with the armour-like coat.

Chic Geek

J., from Please Pick-up Your Socks, identified the hat worn by the snow bunny as a Pook Toque. She suggested that I go to YouTube to learn more about it.

I found the video below, which is worth watching for the adorably smart and funny comments by Siân about how to wear the toque. She makes a geeky hat sound cool⁶.

Pook Toque - by Siân

Capturing Woodsy

While our mayor is busy shopping for street furniture to make our city swellegant and in sync with the nature of its good citizens, Lise (pictured above) is working hard at trying to earn an honest living. Lise is a talented pixie-like young woman who for $5 will draw almost anything you request.

It is her goal to complete her high school diploma, and she is aspiring to apprentice in a tattoo parlor.

I liked Lise immediately – she was amiable and talented.

I asked if she could draw me. "Of course," she responded with unblinking confidence.

I am delighted with the way she captured my astral presence.

In Full Bloom

I met Michelle at the Folk Festival. Isn't she lovely? She is also as sweet and genuine as she is pretty. We chatted amicably for a few minutes as she explained her wares which she mostly makes from re-used materials. (mouse over Michelle's picture)

She had pins, barrettes, necklaces, fridge magnets and earrings made from scrap material, poker chips and/or buttons.


She also had jigsaw puzzle piece earrings made from one puzzle. The pieces had been divided up and were being sold around the world. Michelle hopes that it will make people feel "part of the big picture".

I was amused by one of her little boxes of magnetic poetry for creating naughty poems - she cut out all of the words from National Geographic magazines.

"Can you believe that I found the word boobies in National Geographic?" she chirped proudly and then quickly added, "You know that it is actually the name of a bird, right?"

My favourite item at her table were her button frames.

For many years I have held on to a tin of my grandmaman's black buttons which she collected from her discarded dresses, my grandpapa's worn out suits, and her eight children's outgrown clothes.


Michelle's black button frame has inspired me to make my own frame with my grandmaman's buttons. Inside the frame I will place a sweet picture of my grandmaman when she was a little girl.