Red Shoes blog:

I'll admit there's a part of me that wants to go all Amy Winehouse and be a bad ass,

but truth is I'm a good girl.

A little rotten around the edges yes, but basically a true hearted person. So when my blog was recently Blacklisted as an attack site, there was something kind of liberating about it, it felt kind of naughty. like I had done something wrong and could just walk away from it with nothing but an explosion left in my rear view mirror.

but truthfully, it was a really frustrating and terrible experience.

I felt violated by technology, and completely helpless about how to fix it. It made me so angry that something had hacked into my account and tried to hurt you people in the process. I tried to go through all of the steps and figure it out on my own, but it was beyond my capabilities. so I spent $89 and had it professionally fixed.

I cannot tell you how happy I am to be back.

happy that some of you were so kind to send me emails telling me you missed it here.

that meant alot.

Silly, but I feel like having this blog repaired is maybe a sign of things starting to turn around for me, because I cannot even begin to tell you the black cloud I've been living under for so long. I'm tired and ready to move on. ready to embrace good things for the future and ready to strap my work boots on and get Busy again. ...not that I haven't been busy, but you know what I mean.....

so for those of you still interested and with me, here are some pictures of what I've been up to the past few weeks........

Dealing with numerous technology issues......swim practice, kids home for the summer......the inevitable fighting between siblings.....

hormonal 14 year olds.....

the zen refuge of my tiny apartment I've now lived in on my own for a year....

fantastic cocktails made by my friend Adam, served up delicious at the Grange downtown.

Fiona, the ever prolific artist.....

making beeswax candles.....

enjoying the downtown life with dogs.....

fiona's take on cocktail hour......

inspiration courtesy of me I 'spose ;-) but I will tell you, that Fiona will be her own party girl when the time comes. She always wants to have people over to celebrate and hang out. love that.

she will also some day probably be covered in tattoos, though for now she just likes to draw them on herself, and me.

in between cocktail hours, swim practice, and refereeing I sometimes manage to crank out a pillow or two.....

trying to fill the space at the shop. it's so pretty in here with Samantha's lamps.

birds......always around.

fiona creating by my side.

dabbling in jewelry....when I'm not by the pool trying to calm down this racing mind.

and sibling rivalry/revelry

oh that fiona is a moody creative one I tell ya.

her style constantly changing/evolving. she's truly an inspiration along with being a handful

a very soulful child......

she has her dark side too, along with the sunny spots.....

break ups are hard for kids, but they deal in their own ways........

she channels her energy into the arts, and is always singing. (in a deep bluesy voice mind you.)

she's a pretty happy, centered child.....but shooEY, you know how those temperamental artists do........

Tank gets it.

lemonade stands, and Kids art fair down.....

she sold out of almost everything. working hard paid off and my girl bought herself a bike. yes, she did.

Art fair was grueling and long, but we had a great time.....friends in town, parties at the shop, open houses, and paintings on display.....

swim championships following directly after.....7 hours a day for two days in a row on a hot pool deck watching kids swim to victory.... then the same day fracturing a wrist in a skateboarding accident.

can I get a drama free day yo? I think not.

my boy is usually on the opposite side, filming, but everyonce in awhile he chooses to be on the participating side, and it doesn't always go well.....

he's an artist in his own right....obsessed with graffiti at the moment, and unfortunately really darn good at it. no this is not his work out in the world.

but someday I hope he will make a living doing his work in the Arts somehow.