Blog neglect :(

Sorry for neglecting my blog here - I've missed it! I've had a crazy busy fall. Lots of overtime at work working on proposals and lots of freelance keeping me busy in the evenings.

Speaking of freelance, I have a shameless plug to make. Since June, I've been working on a freelance project for an independent book publisher. I've done the cover design and interior typesetting of a book about a local Winnipeg activist named Harry Lehotsky. Harry passed away of cancer in 2006 and was well known in Winnipeg for his inner-city work, confronting pimps, working to eliminate pawn shops and helping homeless people get into stable living situations. Harry renovated a few homes that were considered unlivable into low income rental properties and established the Ellice Cafe & Theatre and was a well known minister in the area.

The book I worked on was the official biography of Harry and it was an honour to work on a project in his name. The book was launched last week and it's been great to see the support after working on it for several months now.

If you want to check out more about the Urban Saint: the Harry Lehotsky Story by Paul H. Boge, check out their website.

Winnipeg and Awards

Sorry for not writing sooner - I've been moving! I moved from my 2 bedroom suite in a house with a roommate in River Heights to a 1 bedroom apartment by myself in a highrise in downtown Winnipeg. It's quite the change, but I love it.


This is the view out my living room window - isn't it wonderful? I don't think I will ever close my blinds. At night, the whole city is light up and glowing. It's so beautiful.




Anyways, in other Winnipeg news, my work has just launched a new website for the City of Winnipeg. It's an initiative called SpeakUpWinnipeg.com and it's a chance for you as the citizens of Winnipeg to have a part in creating the city's 25 year plan. Essentially, the city is asking for our opinion on six main issues - Sustainability, City of the Arts, Communities, City Competitiveness, Safety & Security and City Building. Sign up to give your opinion on a number of topics in these issues. Believe me, this time they're listening.

Another feature of the website is called Scene in Winnipeg. We're asking citizens in Winnipeg to take one of our handheld video cameras the size of a digital camera and film what is their Winnipeg, their scene, the places they hang out, what truly makes Winnipeg home for them. We want the real Winnipeg, not what the businesspeople, investers, Aspers and Richardsons make it out to be. So go ahead and check out some of the videos already up, or use our camera or your own (it doesn't have to be high quality!) to make your own short film of what Winnipeg means to you. I'll be adding my own video at the end of this week.




And here's my final item of this blog entry. I'm nominated for my first graphic design award! A mere 11 months after graduating from college, I'm up for Best Website of 2008 for the Signature Awards. The Sig Awards are an annual Winnipeg design and media awards show. All the graphic design agencies, TV and radio stations and other media companies submit their best of the best work of the year and a panel of judges pick the top 3-5 entries of each category as nominees. My company is up for 2 awards, but the other one is one which was done before I started working there, so it's a bit less exciting for me.

Our nominated site is Decor Cabinet Company's corporate website (they have 10 sites.... at least half of which are also designed by myself). Graphic design and flash was by myself, art direction by Colin Whitney, photography by Brian Gould, and technical coding and all that was done by our lovely development department. I'm pretty proud. Even if we don't win, even being nominated is something good to have on my resume and portfolio.

before I write more

I just want to say how much I advocate massage therapy.

I just got back from a massage. They're wonderful. I didn't really think I needed it too much, until I went for my first time in November. I think it's one of those things you don't notice until you see the improvement, and then you wonder how you ever managed without (okay, maybe that's a bit extreme). I'm so happy that I get massages covered through my work's insurance.

I had no idea where to go to get a massage before I started going, so I asked one of my coworkers where he goes and he recommended Down To Earth Massage. It's on Corydon Avenue, within walking distance from my house. I really didn't want to go anywhere pretentious, where I'd feel out of place or where people had bleached blonde hair and wore stilettos. Down to Earth Massage is perfect for me. I've only had massages by Meagan, but she's very sweet and very down to earth and helpful. She always gives me tips and exercises to do to help keep my muscles loose. I was scared of massages hurting too much or being really sore the next day, but they really work with the level you're comfortable with, which put me at ease.

So that's my advice for you - get a massage!

I definitely recommend Down to Earth. They don't have a website, but you can find out more about them here.

The Eve of Christmas

I got the most lovely Christmas present today (among other lovely ones). I got a big Annie Liebowitz book.

This is not an Annie Liebowitz photograph, rather it is a photograph of her and her assistant, on top of the Chrysler building. I'm sure they had a good reason for being there. Anyways, I'm very excited to read this book.

I went for lunch to one of my all time favorite places in Winnipeg: Fresh Cafe. Fresh Cafe is on Corydon, right close to my house, and was named one of the Top 10 Best Canadian Restaurants of 2007.


They buy as much local and organic food as possible, and have a lot of healthy dishes, as well as a huge juice/smoothie bar, both of which they make on the spot, once you've ordered. I got my favorite dish - in-house smoked salmon eggs benedict (sans the eggs, of course, and extra hollandaise sauce, I could eat their hollandaise as soup) with hashbrowns, and a strawberry/orange/cranberry smoothie, with vanilla creme brulee for dessert. It was delicious.

Architecture designed for children is some of my favorite, because there are no rules and anything bright and crazy goes. One of the coolest stores for kids I've seen is The Kids Republic bookstore in Beijing.


I have a feeling that if more bookstores in Winnipeg were like this, there would be a lot more children reading here! The store was designed by architect Keiichiro Sako.


Sako, known for his strong attention to graphic shapes and crisp lines, has also designed subsequent The Kids Republic bookstores in Tianjin and Shanghai.