I ran across a website a couple of weeks ago called Stripnotize.  It's a business run out of Florida that customizes high heels (okay, outrageously high high heels!).  They often use recycled materials to customize the shoes.  I wrote an article about them at Green UpGrader, where I write about once a week or so.  I liked the darn shoes so much that I decided to order a pair of them for myself.  I guess that's what happens when you're a bit of a shopaholic...

Anyways, the only limits I put on the design team is that I wanted them to be an expression of my eco-friendly lifestyle.  Here's what they came up with.

<!-- This class is used to pad text content in the cols, so that the cols don't need side padding that would then require box model hacking for IE5.x/win -->

<!-- Calculate which image zoom to use -->

Christa Gruenwald, owner and designer at Stripnotize, used pressed flowers and plants, recycled paper, and hemp cording to create a very organic looking and feeling shoe.  They're gorgeous, girly, super sexy and eco-friendly all at the same time.  For better pictures and pricing information, go here.  They're even named after me!  (blush.)  They should be here any day now.  I'm sooooo excited!  Yes, I admit it.  Shoes excite me.

Congrats to Paula for being named in "Counting Down the Top 10 Most Inspirational Triond Authors of 2008". Paula has been writing a number of articles on Triond, Helium and Bukisa recently and it is nice to see her recognized.

It's that time of year again when everyone is starting to make their Christmas lists in the family. I hope to have some stuff for the kids at least posted shortly in case anyone wants to get a jump start on their shopping. The malls are already packed every weekend. One thing for sure that I know is on Paula's wish list is some new Kohler faucets. All of the faucets on the upper two level of our house are the cheapest ones that they could buy. Our house was built by one of those people who just builds houses and flips them so the choices they made on finishes are not ideal. She loves the kitchen and hard wood floor but the carpet and especially faucets have got to go! Kohler makes about the best faucets available on the market and she really loves all their bathroom design software that's available on line.

I started writing some miscellaneous articles with a Triond account several weeks ago. Here's some links to some of my more exciting (I think) articles:

1. http://greenupgrader.com/4028/artistic-recycling-amazing-uses-for-leftov...

2. http://www.socyberty.com/Issues/Pregnancy-Loss-Awareness-Week--October-9...

3. http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Visual-Arts/Everyday-Art-15-Amazing-Pictures-...

4. http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Artistic-Recycling--Metal.294011

5. http://www.quazen.com/Kids-and-Teens/Teen-Life/Teenage-Life-Modern-Schoo...

6. http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Visual-Arts/Artistic-Recycling-Egg-Cartons.26...

7. http://www.quazen.com/Kids-and-Teens/10-Ways-to-Say-Nothing.239693

8. http://www.purpleslinky.com/Offbeat/Self-Portrait-of-a-Madman-Charles-Ma...

The topics I've been writing about are pretty random. Whatever pops into my head really. It's been helping me to regain focus and concentration levels. Also, writing about what we've been going through occasionally has actually helped a little. I've been pretty hesitant to share any of this so don't be too brutal when you let me know what you think!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Paula wrote a great article for Purple Slinky on "12 Very Strange Children's Costumes Not for the Faint of Heart" that is doing very wellon the ratings at Purple Slinky and Triond. Way to go Paula!

This kid's face from the article just makes me laugh so much!

It is funny though. Paula has done a number of articles on whatever suits her fancy and the only thing for sure is that we have absolutely no idea how well each article will do. Some of the ones that she really worked at just putter along and then some simple recipe will get loads of traffic! All I can say is to keep it up and it will all work out in the end...

Paula has been publishing a number of articles through .  Some of these are:

Dreams

About the continuance of dreams and the similarity of dreams and hopes across humanity in general.

How Are You?

Reflecting on grief and death of a child. Societal pressures to pretend every thing's okay. Sometimes things just aren't.

Looking for Happiness?

Examining levels of happiness and depression. How can you attain happiness? Not ecstasy just pure happiness? Also, discussing the Dalai Lama's view.

Roasted Baby Potatoes

A great recipe for Roasted potatoes with garlic.

So, Uncle Joe (aka  my little brother)  got offered a ticket to Hawaii to go visit the family that he was traveling with earlier in the year and to see Cousin Alexandra.   I am sure that everyone is shocked that he took it (yeah right)!   Joe will be in Hawaii for about a month visiting and then helping Alexandra house sit some really nice sounding property!  Sounds tough!

So, last night Uncle Chris and Uncle Joe came over for dinner and we ended up playing Wii Rock Band (borrowed from one of Kris' friends) .  Kris was great on guitar, Joe was good at drums and Paula did super as the singer.  I died brutally on vocals, but at least survived on bass.  I guess with Joe gone, I will have to try the drums before we return it.  I am guessing that me on drums is going to be painful...


In the morning (just barely, it was about 4am!) Joe went to the airport to catch the 6am flight to Hawaii!  Nice!  Well, actually, that would be to easy...  After going through customs and waiting for a few hours, they canceled the flight due to "mechanical issues".  Then the funniest part is that they made him go through customes to enter Canada!  I am not sure what they thought that he might have done while trapped in the terminal at 6am, but the gears of beurocracy do not always make sense...


He got booked on a later flight and hopefully will be in Hawaii soon.  Good luck and good surfing Joe!  We'll miss you!  Hopefully, he will be back soon, but who knows with Joe...

Dale is the heavily involved with the Calgary International Blues Festival (i.e. he is on the board and Mobiltex is a sponser).  As a result, we have been lucky enough to get tickets to it for the last few years.  Today we saw Southern Thunderbird, The Ian Stewart Band and the Sherman Dousette Band.  It was great!  Personally, I really liked Sherman Dousette Band, who were very John Lee Hooker inspired, but they were all good.


Kris is at that age where he is to old to be a kid and to young to appreciate the blues, so he decided to stay home this year.  As usual, Emma attracted quite a bit of attention when she danced and we got lots of good comments about her.  Overall, while I think that she enjoyed it, her favorite thing was probably the sprinklers and face painting in the children's areas.  Sorry Dale, we are working on her music appreciation though!


Unfortunatly with everything else going on, we had to miss a few other really great bands like The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Canned Heat, and Buckwheat Zydeco.  Oh well, maybe next time.


Anyways, thanks Dale!  We had a great day!

As part of a series bringing broadway shows to Calgary (and other Canadian cities), there is a production of Monty Python's Spamalot in town this week.  For Kris' birthday, we got him tickets and Friday night we got to see it.  Kris had already seen it in London, and he said that it was very similar, but he totally loved it anyways.  Even Paula, who was not sure that she would like it had a great time.  It has been quite a while since the last good play  that I saw, so I really enjoyed it.  The last time I saw a good production like this was probably The Producers and Assassins (with Doogie Howser, bet he hates being called that...) in New York on my last trip a couple of years ago.


The show itself is definitely unique and loosly based on Monty Python and the Holly Grail (with bits stolen from The Life Of Brian and other places.  Of course in order to make it work on stage, there are a number of ommisions.  There are also some great new numbers that were somehow never included in the movie such as the lady of the lake singing a song complaining that her part is not big enough and she has not had enough stage time and a the required love song that starts low and builds up then changes keys (no, seriously, that is what the song is about!).


Kris loved it so much that he got the CD, but my request to get a killer bunny hand puppet was refused as possibly traumitizing for Emma...


Anyways, we all had a great time and I totally recommend it!


Next, they have Cats, Annie and couple more comming in the next year.

Happy birthday Paula, We appreciate you and cherish you lots! I hope you have a great day! Love, Mark and the kids