My Favourite Hospital part II

This was my view driving into work every morning- such a beautiful hospital. I'll miss it, as we're moving to a new hospital, so I decided to try to paint this to commemorate it a bit. This is from the final night, though it still needs work.

Below was the second or third night. Chui told me to mix red with either Naples yellow or Ochre with red and white for the sunlit buildings. Also this night the second building's windows were too dark, overall that building face has about the same tone. The greens of the roof tops had to be different too. The sky bluer, to bring out the buildings. The background trees were too detailed, he said just make it uniform reddish purple, the colour of trees in the distance. The tree bark is too dark, the trees are really greys in the winter with the haze. I removed the neuro building, it was sort of ghostly off in the distance and not nice. Chui put red in the branches of the tree, I wouldn't have, but since looking at nature I've noticed that it's true, the branches against the sky are really red. When I asked him if they should really be that red, he said "Bien sur!"

The photo I worked from. Notice the moving truck in front!

Venice Vacation

We decided that a little California sun would get us through to the end of this wretched winter, and stayed in Venice. Lots of canals just like the Italian Venice.

We walked to Venice Beach every morning, shopped on Abbot Kinney, went to Malibu and had drinks at Malibu Farm at the end of the pier http://www.malibu-farm.com/

We took a road trip to Joshua Tree National Park and stayed at the awesome 29 Palms Inn http://www.29palmsinn.com/

On the way home shopped at the Desert Hills Outlets and I got a cute DVF dress + shoes...

J's sister was super hospitable.

New Year's Renovations

Well we finally got the renovations mostly done on the house. It was a long and dusty painty process but it looks good.

The baby's room. The wall hanging was made a long time ago by my grandparents. The rug is an old Ikea one, and the lamp is from Living Lighting in Ottawa.

The bathroom, which was inspired (copied) from a page in a magazine- I loved the French looking coin floor tile pattern and the subway tiles. The paint is Betonel White Buck 10YY 72/021. The tub and shower are from Mondeau. The Mercer sconce is from Pottery Barn, but as you can see, the middle glass is broken, it arrived that way in the box, so we're trying to get that replaced which is such a pain.

This was the inspiration

The bedroom needs new bedding, more decor, more furniture and stuff for the walls. The color- when we repaint I want Balboa Mist

The sun room, with the wood stove hauled out of my Montreal place, as they've recently passed a by-law banning their use in the city. It's great in here, though it weighed a ton. The table was made by my uncle and we can play checkers/chess on it.

The kitchen was just repainted, but this shot shows the addition. The lighting is from a great store in Montreal called Beige http://www.beigestyle.com/ 

Ode to GOOP

Every Thursday I finish my clinic and crash land on my desk, and have lunch while reading Gwenyth Paltrow's great blog, GOOP. So last time I went to Paris, I had in mind her post: French Pharmacy

I love lip balm so bought her recommended Apricoderm in a French pharmacy, but it doesn't taste like apricots; it tastes like nothing. It is still nice though, and I use it every night before bed. However, in a Paris pharmacy I found something as good as Sugar's $26 lemony lip balm but only 3 Euros - Amilab. The downside is that the stick melts if it gets too warm (like in the sun). Still recommend it, it is very hydrating and tastes like creamsicles.

 And Nuxe is, OK but the smell of Lierac moisturiser or moisturising oil, also from Paris, is lily of the valley, with a hint of rocket popsicle. It's easy to find in any French pharmacy, but can also be found in Canada and the U.S.

Avibon for the skin of a French movie star sounds great, but has apparently been discontinued, after a million years of making it. It is now selling on amazon for $200 a tube. When I was in Paris I got a tube for my mother, it was 9 euros. It is yet unopened- I wonder if I should sell it! Anyway. I have it on good authority (a friend's husband is a dermatologist) that Retin A Micro is what all the smooth faced gals are using stateside. You need a MD prescription, though, this cream means business.

 Finally, not from a pharmacy but from a French grocery store, Ricore is a (nearly) caffein-free cappuccino-like chicory drink. I have loved this since back in the 90's, first trying it at my friend Olivier's, he served it in a big bowl with milk and a croissant on the side. Yum. I make it in the morning and then buy a coffee at work so that don't get too buzzed up on caffeine.