Lesley Denford :: Blog

A Note From Miss Lesley :: New Blog!

2011-03-29T16:55:00.000-04:00

Hi friends! Long time no see! Just a quick note to let you know that I have a new blog and website at www.lesleymyrick.com! (Yup, I got married!)

Come visit me at my new blog and say hi. :)

Much love,

One year later...

2010-08-27T11:11:00.002-04:00

Once upon a time, in August of 2009...

...I left my job, my apartment, my friends, my family, and my life in Toronto behind to embark on an amazing adventure with CTI Music Ministries in Willmar, MN. When I left, I really thought that this year away would be that - just one year out of my life given up to serve God and be involved with music ministry. I thought that at this point I would be returning to Toronto and picking up exactly where I left off. I really had NO IDEA the impact that this year would have on me, and how much my life would change.

My mucho incredible fulltime team

I have grown in tremendous ways. I have been all over the US, Canada, and Taiwan, sharing about God and performing in churches, schools, colleges, prisons (minimum to maximum security), hospitals, US Air Force bases, mental health facilities, and rescue missions. I have been totally broken and empty, and learned amazing lessons on relying on God for my strength and life, instead of relying on myself. I've learned the impact that our words and actions have, and I want my words and actions to always be pointing others to Christ. I've gotten so much more confident being on stage singing - the terrible stage fright I succumbed to for years is gone. (Being on stage and being vulnerable isn't always easy, and I've sure made mistakes, but I've accepted that and I'm okay with putting myself out there.) I've learned that no matter what plans I make, God has a greater plan and it's not up to me what happens with my life. I've let go of the need to control and plan every detail of my days and my life's path, and accepted that God is in control and has a great plan for me, better than I could possibly have for myself. I've learned to let go of so much of what held me back before and live an adventurous life that I always knew I wanted but was afraid to have.

One of my many adventures this year...starting a sweet tattoo!

I wrote a blog post back in November 2007 - almost two and a half years ago - that came to mind earlier this year. When I re-read it, I was shocked and in awe of how much of what I wrote back then has come true or changed in my life. (You can read the original post here.)

I wrote about singing:

"I know I have to perform, to sing and play guitar and piano...I know I have a voice and a talent - I just have to stop being afraid to use it."

I think it's pretty obvious that I have used "it". That I've pushed myself outside my comfort zone and developed a confidence in this I never thought possible. I can't believe that I let my fears hold me back so much before. If there's one thing I learned about this over the past year, it's that God has given each one of us gifts, and it's our honour and responsibility to use these to bless and encourage others. (And if you're curious, you can see a video of me singing last November here.)

Singing my little heart out in Florida

And also in that 2007 blog post I wrote about love:

"You can't screw up love. God has a great plan and will make the right thing happen. I have tremendous faith in this, and when that love comes to me one day and knocks me off my feet I'll tell you all about it. I know who I am, what I want, and I won't settle for anything less than earth-shattering, blissfully delicious, butterfly fluttering love."

Well, it has come and knocked me off my feet, and I'm about to tell you all about it! I met the most amazing person, the man who is that earth-shattering, blissfully delicious, butterfly fluttering love I've been looking for and craving for so long. And we're getting married in December! I'm moving to northern Minnesota (from Toronto, a city of 3 million to a town of about 1700 - yikes!), and I'm so excited to see where God's going to take us on this awesome adventure. Because with this amazing guy by my side, and God at the center of our lives, I know that I'm incredibly loved, blessed, and in the most capable hands.

Love love love!

So what now? Finishing CTI and getting back to the "real world" is a huge adjustment. And right now I don't know where God is going to lead me! I don't know what I'll be doing for work, or where I'll be living once I get married (my dream city of New York, perhaps?), or how the details will all work out. All I know is that God called me to leave a lot behind for a new life He had in store for me, and I've faithfully answered that call. And let me tell you, this is the best and scariest and most wonderful thing I could've possibly done.

This is the end of the story, the end of the blog of Lesley Denford: Designer, Artist, Rockstar, Blogger. But I'm not sad about it. This is an adventure, and I don't know how the story will unfold. But I'm excited to see what's going to happen next.

Love always,

(PS. Want to keep in touch? Follow me on Twitter.)

A Note From Miss Lesley :: CTI Music Ministries

2009-08-07T11:27:00.009-04:00

Hi friends! You may have noticed the little note above this post explaining that this beloved blog will be taking a hiatus for the next year (eek!), and I thought I would explain a little more as to why I've decided to take break from art & design blogging, and also let you know a little more about the year I have ahead with CTI Music Ministries and why I chose to take part in this awesome adventure.

Photo by BetterOffDead

In addition to art and design I've always had a passion for singing, and I grew up singing in school choirs, taking part in community musical theatre, taking vocal lessons, and learning to play piano. Although I totally loved doing all of this as a kid and was lucky enough to be gifted with musical talents, somewhere along the way I developed some mad wicked stage fright. And throughout my teens and early twenties, despite the fact that I looooove to sing, I would only ever sing alone. (Usually in my car, with the music cranked up super loud!) A couple of years ago I decided that it was time to get over being afraid to sing, and I started taking steps to do this. Let me just say that this was not easy; in fact, I would use the word TERRIFYING. I started leading musical worship at my homechurch, and every week (despite the fact I was shaking and very nervous) I would bring my guitar and lead a few songs for my friends. Last summer I got the chance to audition for a vocalist position on the worship team at my church. I learned the songs, practiced for a week...and then almost didn't get out of the car at the audition. I firmly believe that the only reason I've been able to overcome my fear of performing is God. Every time I felt afraid, or nervous, or insecure about performing I would pray for the strength to be able to get up, get out, and sing. Fast forward to now, where I'm singing a couple times a month on stage at church with a wicked backup band (and not just singing, I would use the term ROCKING OUT!), singing background vocals with Shawn Clarke at various gigs around Toronto, and giving up my home and my job to join a team of musicians that travel around the world ministering to youth through music. Holy potatoes, has this girl come a long way in a couple of years! At this point, you couldn't shut me up if you tried.

My interest in missions work had been sparked at church, after a presentation about a missions trip to Africa. Although Africa specifically wasn't for me, the idea of traveling to help others captured my interest and stuck with me. After posting (for what might have been the millionth time!) on my blog about wanting to be a rockstar, a friend told me about CTI. CTI's work combines three things that Lesley super-loves: music, kids, and missions. And the rest, they say, is history.

Here's a little summary of what CTI is all about. The text is taken from their website, and the video was made by one of this year's full-time team members:

CTI is a community of young people who combine their common passion for music with their mutual desire to share the love of Christ, and a vehicle through which these young people are trained, equipped and mobilized into ministry opportunities where they can use their gifting to impact their generation. We help ministry organizations around the world reach young people with the gospel by providing the unique resource of a well-trained music team - strengthening and challenging Christians in places where they gather, and bringing the light of Jesus to places where He may not be known. We disciple team members through life in Christian community, service within a global network of established partnerships, and quality training that emphasizes spiritual formation, servanthood, character growth and leadership development. We desire to see all team members leave their CTI experience with an expanded worldview, a more missional mindset, and a continuing desire to impact their world by embracing ministry and discipleship as lifelong commitments.

Because of the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual commitment CTI requires for the year I'm away, my online access will be pretty limited. At first I thought I would be able to keep up regular posting on this blog, but as I get more prepared for the trip I've realized that even if I'm able to get online to work, that's not what the year away is about. I need to be totally focused on the team, the music, and the mission. After lots of prayer and thinking I've decided it's best to hold things here so that my focus can be fully on my work with CTI. Does putting my blog on hiatus mean that I'll lose a bunch of readers over the next year, and do I know that it's going to be tough to build things back up on my blog when I return in August 2010? Sure. And that sucks. But you know what? I think it will be totally worth it. When you give yourself fully to something you're passionate about, in spite of the hardships and challenges along the way, you will be blessed in so many ways for following your heart and your true calling.

And never fear my loves, I've started a new blog! Although the updating will be limited (perhaps only biweekly or monthly), I've created it to share personal stories, photos, and videos from my musical rockstar adventure. And I hope that you'll come check it out at lesleydenfordadventure.blogspot.com.

So, until next year...

PS. If you're one of those peeps that's down with praying, I would totally appreciate your prayers and kind thoughts for my journey! And if you feel called to financially support my trip with CTI, you can donate with the pretty button up near the top on the right, or click here. My goal is to raise $12,000 USD, and while I'm almost there (yay!), I still have a little ways to go and every dollar helps CTI fund this awesome mission.

A Note From Miss Lesley :: Moooooving Time!

2009-07-24T00:02:00.002-04:00

This is the current state of my apartment, as I am moving in a mere seven days (and by contrast, this is what that same corner of the room used to look like!):
Because of this pile 'o boxes (and the time that it's taking me to get everything into those boxes!), please accept my apologies for not posting the usual Tuesday-Thursday-Friday goodies. In lieu of blogging for the next week or so, I am offering you homemade vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting in Tinkerbell wrappers. They are sitting in my kitchen waiting for you, all sparkly-pretty and delicious! Come and get 'em.

Happy Friday!

PS. This is the hallway in my apartment. Isn't it rad? I'm going to miss it here.

Wreck This Journal :: Week 6

2009-07-17T07:04:00.001-04:00

All sorts of pages are now torn out of my journal, about to be sent on their merry way to Australia! I guess this means the journal is officially wrecked, huh? Cracked spine, missing pages...I think that's about all the literary destruction this girl can handle. As part of Jamie Ridler's rad book club, the wrecking participants have each been matched up with a partner to swap book pages with, and mine is the lovely Hybrid J. She has been so much fun to chat with via email, and I'm checking my mailbox daily to see if her pages for me have arrived yet! Hopefully by next week I'll have some wonderful new pages from her to stick in my journal and breathe some new life into it, as it has spent another we ek sitting on my nightstand, untouched...

Happy Friday!

Things I Love Thursday :: July 16, 2009

2009-07-16T19:24:00.005-04:00

* Lounging in bed for two days. Drinking smoothies, taking naps, and watching marathon episodes of Sex and the City are all fun reasons to take two days off work and spend most of that time in bed. Having a wicked nasty case of strep throat is not. But hey, you've gotta make the best of it, right?

Happy Thursday! Wash your hands. Take your vitamins. And don't get strep throat. It's not cool.

Creative Inspiration :: Susannah Conway

2009-07-14T07:26:00.001-04:00

I cannot begin to tell you how much I love Susannah Conway's photography (I've written about it before), especially her work with Polaroid and Holga cameras. What a source of inspiration for beautiful, feminine, well-styled photos. When I'm back from my trip next August, I am SO BUYING a Holga and some film. And maybe running off to the UK to eagerly follow Susannah around with my camera.

Happy Tuesday! Whose artwork inspires you?

Wreck This Journal :: Week 5

2009-07-10T07:30:00.001-04:00

Dear Wreck This Journal,

What happened to week 5? (What the heck happened to week 4, for that matter? I sure missed the boat on that one.) You have sat ignored and unappreciated at my bedside for two weeks now. And for that, I am sorry. There has been no wrecking from me, and you must be mighty upset. I will do my best to make it up to you, possibly by smearing your pages with Lucky Charm marshmallow rainbows or drawing destructive things on your cover that I think are ugly but you will love.
Please forgive me, Journal. I promise that from here on out, things will be better for the both of us. And if you could just help me pack up the contents of my apartment and wrap up my work projects and get me travel insurance quotes and passport photos and give me an extra 4 hours in the day for the next couple weeks so we can have more time together, that would be AWESOME.

Things I Love Thursday :: July 9, 2009

2009-07-09T10:14:00.010-04:00

* Love Life, Not Stuff. Hallelujah Zen Habits, you're totally speaking my language:
"Your life is the series of moments that is steaming through your consciousness right now, and how you use those moments and what you fill them with is what truly matters, not what you fill your home with. At the end of this short journey, you’ll look back and remember your experiences, the people you loved and who loved you back, the things you did and didn’t do. Not the stuff you had."

* Quirky portraits by Tuesday Mourning. I'm totally digging the cute illustrative style of these works, and I love that she does custom portraits! Check out Tuesday Mourning's Etsy shop here (and bonus, she's got a great illustration blog and personal blog too).

* What is Nubby: 2009 Media Kit. The fabulously stylish Nubby walks us through her brand spankin' new media kit, and it is a goodie. If you've ever though about putting together a promotional kit, Nubby's is full of great information and inspiration
* Exploding Dog. I just want the weekend back too, buddy. Luckily for us it's almost here!

Happy Thursday!

Things I Love Thursday :: July 2, 2009

2009-07-02T07:09:00.008-04:00

* Mid-week holidays. Work two days, have Wednesday off, and work two more days? Sure. That's awesome. Thanks for having a birthday, Canada!

Photo by Amy Mortimer

* Puppy-sitting. Guess who I got to spend the day with yesterday? My favourite Boston Terrier/Beagle mix MORGAN! We chased balls, laid around in the grass, and had a super nap-fest for a good part of the afternoon. He also shimmied under my desk and ate a few rogue Froot Loops. All in all, a lovely day.

* Why your email inbox is NOT a good to-do list. Using my inbox to keep track of my to-do items was something that I had done for a long time, and only recently decided to work at processing my inbox to empty and listing my to-do's elsewhere. (If you're curious, I use the Remember the Milk gadget right in my Gmail.) Zen Habits has a great article on why there is a better way than an email inbox to keep track of your to-do's.

* The 2009 World's Ugliest Dog. Awww, this puppy's not ugly, he just has a pretty wicked underbite! I think he's kinda cute, actually.

Via Perez Hilton

* Alphabet cabinets. I'm totally loving these alphabet drawers, inspired by old-school letterpress blocks. So many little drawers to organize so many little things! (If anyone would like to buy me one for my future studio, I would be eternally grateful...wink wink.)

Via Poppytalk

Happy Thursday! What do you love this week?

Creative Inspiration :: Erin Kenepp

2009-06-30T18:17:00.007-04:00

Ohhhh yes, I am in instantly smitten with the collage work of Erin Kenepp. Pretty pastel paint smears with little handwritten bits of emotion and just a touch of paper ephemera. Very Sabrina Ward Harrison. I heart it.

Via NotPaper

Happy Tuesday!

Wreck This Journal :: Week 3

2009-06-26T08:18:00.007-04:00

My journal was taken hostage this week. Hostage! I did not "ask a friend to do something destructive to this page", she STOLE THE BOOK AND RAN INTO MY BATHROOM WITH IT. And now it is covered in Mac foundation and glitter eyeliner and blush and eyeshadow. Which I guess is kinda pretty...
Thanks Beth, for helping me wreck my journal. You are awesome.

Happy Friday!

Things I Love Thursday :: June 25, 2009

2009-06-25T07:20:00.006-04:00

* Emma Watson in Teen Vogue. Love love LOVE this photoshoot. This is how I imagine characters in a Francesca Lia Block novel dressing - quirky and colourful, and just a little bit over the top. (PS. I want that purple dress with the million layers of tulle!)

* PocketMod. PocketMod is the funnest little 4-page personal organizer - set up each page just how you like it (with a calendar, task list, graph paper, or chart), print on a good 'ol standard piece of paper, fold, and VOILA! It becomes a teeny little portable organizer, complete with a pocket for business cards. I'm trying this out as a wandering to-do list, so that I can catch everything in one place. It tucks perfectly into my Moleskine planner...I think I'm in love.

* Antiqued wooden signs. Printed on wood and made to order, these are a lovely way to add some texture and retro charm to a room.

Via Poppytalk

* Coeur de Pirate. The lovely Beatrice Martin (aka. Coeur de Pirate) played her first Toronto show last week as part of NXNE, and the venue was so packed I almost didn't make it in! A little eyelash batting and sweet talking got me through the door, and I'm so glad it did, because she is fantastic live. Although I don't understand a word she's saying (all of her songs being in French and all), her music is definitely worth a listen.

Photos by Lesley Denford

Happy Thursday! What's making you swoon this week?

Creative Inspiration :: Library Catalogue Cards

2009-06-23T23:30:00.000-04:00

I love typewriter text. I love index cards. And I love all things vintage and charming. So the fact that there is a website where you can create and print your own library catalogue cards makes me swoon with delight. (I can imagine using these in a collage, or as a rad to-do list, or possibly sending a sweet love note to a boy...) Click here to make your own!

Via Design*Sponge

Happy Tuesday!

Wreck This Journal :: Week 2

2009-06-19T22:47:00.003-04:00

A busy week means little time for journal wreckage. But I did sneak in some time to be a wee bit rebellious....hehehe.
Happy weekend!

Things I Love Thursday :: June 18, 2009

2009-06-18T23:30:00.006-04:00

Ohhh hey you! Did you miss me? It's been one of those super busy weeks, and I've barely been home any night long enough to get anything done. So let's call this the abbreviated busy-Lesley version of Things I Love Thursday, shall we?

* Being on the guest list. NXNE is in full swing in Toronto, and I had the privilege of seeing the Arts&Crafts Records showcase tonight, featuring Timber Timbre (and my adorable boyfriend on sax). The funnest part? Skipping the line, and getting to say, "Yeah, I'm on the guest list". Just another day in the rockstar life...

* Coeur de Pirate. My darling francophone music crush Coeur de Pirate is playing downtown tomorrow night (also part of NXNE). I will totally be there. I don't understand a word she's saying, but I will still totally be there. (Maybe she'll play one English song from her side project, Pearls, that I can sing along to?)

Happy Thursday! What's rockin' your vida loca this week?

Wreck This Journal :: Week One

2009-06-12T07:30:00.001-04:00

Hoo boy, cracking the spine and tearing out pages of a brand new book goes against every fiber of my being! But I did it anyway, teeth clenched and eyes closed. Here's this week's progress with the journal that is TORTURING ME BY INSTRUCTING ME TO DESTROY IT:

First things first - the spine needed to be cracked. And as hard as I tried, it really didn't want to. It took a few good tries to crease it, and then I died a little inside.
Being the organized little girl that I am, I of course had to fill in my name and address. If I lose this book it had better be returned to me, because there is NO WAY that I am destroying another beautiful helpless journal!Next came sticking random things in the journal, like postage stamps from my mail (all from Willmar, Minnesota this week!) and fruit stickers. This part I like. I am essentially an expert at sticking sticky onto other things (see this for proof!). If the book was called Wreck This Journal Simply by Sticking Interesting Collected Things In It, I'd be a happy camper.
After the pleasure was more pain to be had...tearing out my very first page. I have since bid it farewell, and I hope it leads a very lovely life in my kitchen garbage can. (I miss you already, black page.)
My fellow wreckers...how's your wrecking going this week? (And for those of you who have no idea why I'm willingly destroying a book, read this.)

Happy Friday!

Things I Love Thursday :: June 11, 2009

2009-06-11T13:33:00.009-04:00

* Gala Darling's Love & Sequins podcast. My favourite pink-haired wondergirl has started a podcast, and I am smitten. Love & Sequins #2 (titled The Smart Girl's Guide to Business — Taking control of your life, finding your passion, loving what you do & making mad bling!) is easily the best $12 I have spent lately. For any creative young person dreaming of working for him/herself, this hour-long listen is a super dose of inspiration, encouragement, and ideas.
* Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Robert Downey Jr + Val Kilmer + Michelle Monaghan = all kinds of awesome. ("And don't worry I saw the last Lord of the Rings - I'm not going to have this movie end like, seventeen times." Hahaha.) You might need to go rent this.

*iPhone paint apps. Another reason I really, really would like an iPhone - how rad would it be to use these colour matching applications from Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore when working with a design client?

Via Design*Sponge

* International travel. I just found out today that as part of my music missions trip with CTI, I will be spending the month of October in either Taiwan or Honduras! How FREAKIN' cool is that? I am so pumped to spend time connecting with and ministering to youth through music in one of these amazing countries! Wheee!

* Memorable advice. When the fabulous photographer Stephanie Congdon Barnes was asked for the most memorable advice she'd been given, her answer was this:

Happy Thursday! Go get 'em, tiger.

Creative Inspiration :: Treats and Treasures

2009-06-09T09:34:00.006-04:00

I have been following Treats and Treasures, the journal of Marieke Berghuis, for a couple of years. I'm so inspired by the way she uses simple white return address labels, rubber date stamps, taped-in Polaroids, loose handwriting, and interesting bits of ephemera; but what inspires me the most is that she posts a new journal page almost every day.
Happy Tuesday! Who has been inspiring your creative journey?

New Custom Collage Pieces!

2009-06-08T06:24:00.001-04:00

Morning sunshines! Thought I would share what I've been up to lately art-wise and show you a couple of recently completed collages. You can check out more of my artwork here, or contact me if you're interested in a custom collage.

Happy Monday!

Wreck This Journal :: Day One

2009-06-05T07:35:00.005-04:00

Photo by swelldesigner

Today is the first day of the Wreck This Journal book club - a super exciting creative endeavor hosted by Jamie Ridler Studios that I have decided to participate in. I have had my eye on Keri Smith's Wreck This Journal since I first saw it, but I must admit that I was quite intimidated by it - the purpose of this book is to, page by page, DESTROY IT. I am a lover of all books pristine, perfect, and untouched, so the thought of tearing pages out, scribbling messes, chewing a page (ew!), dropping the journal from great heights, smearing pages with ink and paint, and filling it with messy and imperfect content quite scares me. Honestly. So I thought, what better way to get over my fear of being creatively imperfect than diving in headfirst with a community of creative people who will be posting their journeys with Wreck This Journal too! Every Friday from now until July 31 I will be sharing what I've done with the journal each week. Today is the official day to crack the journal open and get started (but shhhh, I've already started sticking my collected fruit stickers in as per the instructions on one of the pages!). I'm super excited, if not a little nervous, to jump in, make a creative mess, and let go of the need for perfection in my art. Deep breath...

Interested in wrecking a journal too? Check out all the details here.

Happy Friday!

Things I Love Thursday :: June 4, 2009

2009-06-04T07:51:00.001-04:00

* Productivity tools. Adorable file folders from Knock Knock to sort the to-do stack of papers on my desk, and Remember the Milk to sort the virtual to-do's in my email inbox. These are the tools that an organized girl is made of!
* Green Tea Frappuccinos. Is there a better drink on a hot day? I think not. Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino with whipped cream, I salute you.

* Paris in the springtime. Does anybody feel like joining me on a little weekend jaunt to Paris? Hmm? The only catch is that you'll have to pay. Sound like a plan?

Via sfgirlbybay

* One Year Out of Design School: 10 Valuable Lessons. I've been out of interior design school for four years (eek!), and have learned a lot of these lessons firsthand. But while my lessons are just hanging out in my head...Nubby has made a lovely list!

* This outfit. Want. Need. And those shoes!

Via Garance Dor é

Happy Thursday! I'm meeting the adorable Mary (yay!) this Sunday afternoon - what are you planning for this gorgeous weekend, kittens?

Creative Inspiration :: Tara Anderson

2009-06-02T23:49:00.007-04:00

Pretty pretty pretty. That's all I have to say about Tara Anderson's scrapbook pages. Wouldn't you just love to spend the afternoon with her drinking tea and making collages?

Via Decor8

Happy Tuesday! Sorry for the slow and missing posts...things have been quite busy lately with planning for my missions trip! I've given notice that I'm moving out of my apartment, booked my flight, and am working on fundraising the rest of the financial support I need for my year away. Kindly bear with me when my real life takes away from my blogging life - I will try my bestest to keep up with posting beautiful things here amidst all the daily chaos and adventure!

Things I Love Thursday :: May 28, 2009

2009-05-28T09:23:00.009-04:00

* Tea. I love black tea in the mornings (Lady Grey and English Breakfast are my favourites) with milk and just a little sugar. How about you?

Photo by Decor8

* Bargain shopping. I'm a gal on a tight budget, but that doesn't mean I want to skimp on looking good. I am THE QUEEN of finding good deals (paying full price is so unfair!) and had the best luck last night picking up a few essentials - 3 pairs of dark and lovely work-appropriate jeans ($20 skinny jeans, $30 wide-leg, and $50 boot cut), and two adorable button-front cardigans ($15 each). A mere $130 spent for 5 well-fitting and classic pieces. Win!

Photo by iHeartBecca

* These photos. Such a stunning combination of photography and illustration.

Via Poppytalk

* Afternoons in the park. After a late night of karaoke for Shawn's birthday last weekend, we spent Sunday afternoon relaxing in High Park with some magazines, a shared ice cream cone, a camera, and a guitar. Total springtime perfection.
* Magical super-supportive surprise donations. As of a couple weeks ago, funds we seriously lacking and I was afraid that my whirlwind rockstar adventure (aka. my year-long music missions trip with CTI Music Ministries) might not happen. I only had about 10% of the required funds, and the idea of raising $12000US was completely overwhelming. My faith was definitely wavering, and I'll be completely honest - I was terrified that I would fail and have to cancel my plans. (There were tears and everything!) But as always, God is awesome and things can turn around so quickly...because in the span of one week, I now have 60% of the funding I need. 60%! Holy potatoes! I am so grateful to everyone who has offered support through encouraging conversations, finances, and prayers. Having faith can be so frightening and uncertain sometimes, but my goodness, it's an incredible journey that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Happy Thursday my loves! Here's to incredible journeys that shape and change our lives in amazing ways.

Things I Love Thursday :: May 21, 2009

2009-05-21T07:40:00.000-04:00

I've had a bajillion photos from the past couple months just waiting to be shared, and today feels like a good day to share them. So here's Things I Love In My Life and Have Taken Pictures of Recently!

* Striped socks and vintage chairs. The striped feet are mine. The chairs are not. But I wish they were! They belong to a very stylish home in London. And I think their owners like them very much.

* Making crafts with my friend Rachel. I've recently been working on a couple of commissioned collages, and it was super lovely to get to work on one of them with one of my favourite creative friends. But oh my, does my apartment ever get covered in STUFF! (Note to self: make room for a studio in your next apartment!)

* Friends wearing coordinating outfits. And reading the dictionary!

* Waiting for the subway. In awesome sneakers. Together.

* Photoshoots on swingsets. Although I'm not in the band Olenka and the Autumn Lovers (I think my official title is groupie?) I got to hang out with these rad kids during their promo photo session. Taking photos was almost as good as being on the swings. Almost.

* This boy. (And this dog too!)
* Peeling paint on old wooden doors in Nicaragua. This may be one of the prettiest walls I've ever seen. (Thanks for taking this, Shawn!).

* Walking home on a warm spring night at dusk. Although I didn't leave work until 9:00 last night, the weather was perfect and the sun had just started to go down. I think that May is one of the loveliest times of year in Toronto.

Happy Thursday! What do you love this week?

Things I Love Thursday :: May 14, 2009

2009-05-14T07:26:00.005-04:00

* A designer's resolution: do it your way. Queen Gilda's thought on keeping your unique vision in a competitive creative world. Girl, you are AWESOME!
* Writing haikus about friends. After jokingly daring a friend to drink table cream straight from the carton and watching him successfully do it (ugh!), my payment to him was to write him a haiku. (Sometimes my friends and I do strange silly things together.) Although my attempt at poetry was mediocre, I quite liked the haiku that he wrote about me in return:
How freakin' awesome! It's the essence of Lesley in 17 syllables. (Thanks Rob!)

* How to make Gmail your ultimate productivity centre. I adore all things Google. As a girl who loves her Gmail (lesley@lesleydenford.com is just a Gmail account in disguise!), Google Docs, Blogger, and Google Reader, I was giggly-excited to try out Zen Habits' hacks to make Gmail an awesome productivity too l. Organizing nerds unite!

* Live what you love. I adore this limited edition letterpress print from the lovely Etsy seller Hijirik. Good thing I bought it and it's on its way to me right now! Eek!

* Long weekends. Oh hey Canada, it's a 3-day weekend coming up! Yeehaw. What will you be doing with this extra day of awesomeness?

Photo by Miss Lulu

Happy Thursday! Do you write your own Thursday list? Share the link in the comments and spread the love!

Creative Inspiration :: Scandinavian Interiors

2009-05-12T09:33:00.010-04:00

Some beautiful house porn for you today. (Hey, if my website is going to be blocked and marked as pornography, I might as well give them a reason!) I love love love the all-white walls, trim, and ceilings of this Scandinavian home punctuated with bright bursts of colour in the art and accessories.

Via Desire to Inspire

Happy Tuesday!

Edit: Have you heard of Furniture Porn? Can't believe I've never seen this before. (Thanks Brad!)

Things I Love Thursday :: May 7, 2009

2009-05-07T07:00:00.002-04:00

* The Goddess Guidebook's 12 Key Zen Habits poster. I love Zen Habits. And I love colourful lists. This free PDF combines both into one magical printable poster that you can hang up for inspiration and organization anytime. (Mine's posted up beside my desk in full colour with a few pretty magnets.)* Sara Lando's 2009 Calendar. Check out this gorgeous mix of photography and digital manipulation, shot by one of my art-crushes Sara Lando. (Yeah it's in Italian, but it's awesome!)* The art of Genevieve Godbout. Genevieve is an adorable Canadian gal living in London, and she's an incredible artist to boot. I've been checking out her work periodically for a few years, and totally fell in love with this collage she posted - and it was made when she was only 4 years old. How adorable.
* sfgirlbybay's Flickr tutorial. Want to learn how to make the most out of Flickr as an inspirational tool? Although geared towards interior design, this the principles and ideas of this how-to can totally be applied to anything you're interested in and want to find great photo reference for - be it wacky hair, vintage airplanes, or red teapots.
* Nienie: On Being Alone. Beautiful words from Nienie. Her writing breaks my heart and lifts me up all at once.Happy Thursday! What do you love this week?

Creative Inspiration :: Sarah Ahearn

2009-05-05T09:41:00.001-04:00

Vintage book pages and birds and rubber stamps and bicycles are what good collages are made of. I think that means that Sarah Ahearn's work is very good. Check out her beautiful work at her Etsy shop and blog.
Happy Tuesday! What artists are inspiring you this week?

Things I Love Thursday :: April 30, 2009

2009-04-30T14:41:00.008-04:00

* Find Your "Flow" and the Money Will Follow. The more I work for others, the more I realize that I soon need to be working on my own terms, in my own flow. Skelliewag has an inspiring article for entrepreneurs on finding that flow. (Via Nubby.)

* Collage art by Bethan Algieri.Yesssss. Quirky and colourful collages with a little retro charm. (Via Blanket Magazine.)
* Pralines and Cream ice cream. Loaded with butterscotch syrup, this has been my choice snack of late. Ice cream always brings a smile to my face.

* 1000 Awesome Things. Because reading about awesome things makes your day even more awesome. (This is one of my favourite awesome things.)

* Being a rockstar. Who sings wearing a sparkly silver tiara? THIS GIRL. It's less than four months until I leave for my one-year music missions trip with CTI Music Ministries, and I'm sooooo super excited for this adventure! Singing brings me so much joy...I can't wait to be doing it for an entire year to reach out to thousands of people.

Happy Thursday my dears! How has your week been?

Creative Inspiration :: Twitter Magnets

2009-04-28T22:59:00.006-04:00

Remember magnetic poetry? And all those awesome lines you wrote on your fridge with those teeny tiny magnetic pieces? Twitter Magnets is like that, only more...internet friendly. (It also means less clutter on your refrigerator, hurrah!) Click here to play with Twitter Magnets and let the words inspire you.

Happy Tuesday!

PS. Here's my Twitter Magnets masterpiece:

Words to Inspire You :: On Possibility

2009-04-24T11:30:00.007-04:00

Via Dawnsays and Danske

If someone says, "That's impossible", you should understand it as, "According to my very limited experience and narrow understanding of reality, that's very unlikely". Do the impossible.

Happy Friday! Enjoy the warm weekend, my loves.

Things I Love Thursday :: April 23, 2009

2009-04-23T11:02:00.001-04:00

* Late night ice cream floats. If going out at 10:30pm to buy vanilla ice cream and rootbeer is wrong, then I don't want to be right. Because doing this last night was AWESOME.

Photo credit

* Inadvertently ask Daddy Likey. You're going to have fun reading this - the lovely Winona is HILARIOUS! (And if you don't understand what "Inadvertently ask Daddy Likey" is, click here for an explanation.)

*We Love Typography. Lesley loves typography too. Mmm. Bookmark this site for some stellar design reference!

* sfgirlbybay's photography. I'm loving her photo diptychs loaded with vintage prettiness.
* Multicolour satin ribbons. Today at work I'm floating in a sea of rainbow ribbons, trying to pick the best turquoise to use for a custom project. Some days at work are challenging...thankfully, this is not one of those days.

Photo by Suzanne Duda

Happy Thursday! What's making you happy this week?

Creative Inspiration :: Patty Van Dorin

2009-04-21T09:21:00.006-04:00

Patty Van Dorin creates beautiful art journals from papers, ribbons, fabric, and charming ephemera. Lesley Denford wants one.

Via Decor8

Visit Patty's blog and Etsy shop for more handmade inspiration. If you're feeling crafty, try making one of these lovely wire-bound books yourself! One day when I have the time I will. One day...

Happy Tuesday!

Things I Love Thursday :: April 16, 2009

2009-04-16T07:30:00.000-04:00

* Twitter. Yes, this thing is still the object of my affection. I love reading all the cute, funny, and inspiring blurbs by cute, funny, and inspiring people. These are some of my favourite tweets (by Ki, Gala, Shelby, and Meighan):
* Star's new jewelry line. Loving these laser-cut acrylic pieces celebrating the awesomeness of graphic typefaces. Can't wait to get my hands on one of these necklaces! Available at Star's Etsy shop.
* Garance Doré's illustrations. I would so wear this outfit. With that hair. And that eye makeup.

* Vintage family photos. I was rooting through old photographs at my Grannie and Granda's house over the long weekend, and found a few gorgeous vintage pics of of my mom and my grandparents. I just love how photos like this tell amazing stories about the people I love. (Like, my Granda played the banjo? And my mom wore a homemade red fur poncho to her highschool graduation? Who knew?) Check out more on Flickr.
(And of course, I'll throw in a couple photographs of me as well. I think my brother and I were pretty cute kids.)

* Birds Too Tired to Fly's Track of the Week. So my boyfriend writes this blog about music. It's really good. Especially when he writes about a band from London called The Whipping Wind, who have released this fantastic song called Tidal Wave as part of the Oh! Compilation. The song is so fantastic that I keep listening to it on repeat, watching it climb up the ranks in my iTunes...so go listen for yourself! You'll thank me once you're bobbing your head and smiling along with the song.

Happy Thursday!

PS. I also love the trailer for this movie. Zooey Deschanel, you rock my world.

Creative Inspiration :: Jennifer Mercede

2009-04-14T07:30:00.001-04:00

Jennifer Mercede makes awesome abstract art. It's like the overactive imagination of a two year-old exploded onto a canvas, and wonderfully energetic ideas thoughts and colours just went everywhere. I'm in love with Jennifer's imperfectly messy creativity. (Check out her Flickr and Etsy for more.)

Via Decor8

Happy Tuesday!

Things I Love Thursday :: April 9, 2009

2009-04-09T13:03:00.012-04:00

* Today's Note From the Universe: "Too often, the only difference between HAVE and HAVE NOT depends on whether or not the initial request was followed by a thank you, yee-haa, and action, rather than a question mark, timidity, and TV. Don't ask. Give thanks. Bust a move." Got that? Your dreams can't come true if you're sitting around waiting for them to happen - take action!

We Heart It

* NieNie. The blog of Stephanie Nielsen, a young mother of four who barely survived a fatal plane crash last year, is one of the most charming, inspiring, and beautifully uplifting blogs there is. If I'm ever able to have half the faith, grace, and love for God that this woman does, then I'll be the luckiest girl around. (PS. this post is one of my favourites.)

* Olenka and the Autumn Lovers. This fantastic assemblage of musicians (one who happens to be my very adorable boyfriend) is playing at Toronto's Rivoli tonight. Come out and join me!

* Vintage bicycles. My vintage bicycle is sitting in the hallway of my very teeny apartment, just dying to be ridden once the weather stays warm. I've adorned the handlebars with a giant pink flower for springtime. Yum.

Via sfgirlbybay

* A cat with an English accent! Hehehe. Talking animals are the best, especially when they sound British. (Via Smitten.)

Happy Thursday, and Happy Easter! Enjoy, celebrate, and give thanks for everything you've got this weekend.

Creative Inspiration :: Blanket Magazine

2009-04-07T22:07:00.006-04:00

Blanket magazine is a whole lot of art, design, and photography awesomeness. Download the current issue of Blanket for free (a whopping 65 pages - yay!) or check out their blog. (And while you're perusing through the mag, take a listen to two lovely singer/songwriters whose albums I've recently purchased, Schuyler Fisk and Amy Seeley. Yum.)
Happy Tuesday, art lovers!

Words to Inspire You :: Benjamin Franklin

2009-04-04T09:37:00.006-04:00

Via We Heart It and 1001 Rules For My Unborn Son

What are your talents? Maybe baking cookies, or painting landscapes with your eyes closed, or singing spot-on at karaoke? Find 'em. Use 'em. Trust me, you've got talent, baby!

Happy weekend, you wonderfully talented people!

Things I Love Thursday :: April 2, 2009

2009-04-02T07:38:00.000-04:00

* Colourful messy art hands. Ooh, how this picture makes me want to spend a Saturday immersed in paint and paper making pretty things! Anyone want to have an art party with me one weekend?

Via Kelly Rae Roberts

* Domino's Deco File. Although Domino magazine is no more, their handy Deco File is still lingering around the world wide interweb. The lovely sfgirlbybay shared some of her favourite bookmarked Deco File pics, and I must say I love them too! Bye bye Domino and your wonderful decorating inspiration.

* Polaroid Blossoms. Springtime, anyone? It's so close I can feel it...

Photos by Bliss

* Strappy hot pink shoes. One day I'll have the chops to pull this look off. Until then, the fabulous street fashion photos of The Sartorialist will have to tide me over.

Photo by The Sartorialist

Happy Thursday! (Psst...check out my new homepage today!)

A Note From Miss Lesley :: Update Your Bookmarks!

2009-04-01T18:14:00.009-04:00

Via We Heart It

Good evening my favourite people! It's Wednesday night, and you may have noticed that there was no Creative Inspiration post on Tuesday. That's because I was too busy working on my own creative endeavors - designing a brand new homepage for myself! It's something that I've been intending to do for quite some time, and got the jump-start yesterday that I needed to finally get 'er done! This means that as of tomorrow, you'll need to change your bookmarks/blog reader feeds, because:

www.lesleydenford.com is now the homepage, and

http://lesleydenford.blogspot.com is now the blog.

Got it? Good. Got a question? Ask now. I wouldn't want you to miss any of of beautiful things I have coming on this blog! And in case you're curious, here's a sneak peek of what www.lesleydenford.com is going look like tomorrow:

Eek! I'm so happy with how it turned out. Would you believe that this homepage was all done just with Blogger? It took a little creativity (and a lot of Googling for help!) but I pulled it off.

Happy Wednesday! Time for sleep now...learning all that HTML made my brain fuzzy.

PS. Notice the wicked handwriting font? That's the lovely result of my handwriting combined with YourFonts! If you'd like the font for yourself, email me and I'll send it off to you!

Things I Love Thursday :: March 26, 2009

2009-03-26T08:00:00.002-04:00

* New Math. Such a simple equation, I could have come up with it. Yeah, but I didn't.
* How to make a media kit. The lovely business-minded ladies of Bakery have written this step-by-step guide to self-promotion and it's a must-read for anyone trying showcase themselves, their service, or their product. (PS. Bakery also has a great guide to selling on Etsy.)

* What is and is not okay. Collage artist Kelly Rae Roberts shares her thoughts on what is okay and what is not okay when it comes to using other artists' works and photographs. This is a super sensitive topic to address, and I love that she's tackled it with grace and respect.

* Kindred's back! Remember Kindred's winter desktop wallpapers? Well, it's springtime in Kindred-land, and their new wallpapers are pretty and charming, just in time for April showers and May flowers. Download the gorgeousness here.
* Dinner and conversation with creative people. I had a yummy vegetarian dinner with the talented musician and interior designer Sarah Walker last night, and talked music, missions work, creativity, and design. It's awesome to seek inspiration and learn from a mentor who has walked the path that you seek to follow in your life.

Happy Thursday! Have a pretty pretty weekend.

Creative Inspiraiton :: Fran Benavides

2009-03-24T21:47:00.008-04:00

What a beautiful model Miss Fran is. Looking at her makes me want long hair, blunt bangs, and Wayfarers. (Too bad I just cut my hair...)

Via Design for Mankind

Happy Tuesday! Have you watched fuzzy little squirrels run around outside lately? No? I suggest you do. Trust me, squirrels are good for a giggle.

A Note From Miss Lesley :: It's Portfolio Time!

2009-03-20T08:00:00.002-04:00

Furniture Concept Drawings by Lesley Denford

Ohhhh hey friends, guess what? I'm working on a new portfolio for the internet world! In addition to my collage art and journals, I'm also including my interior design work (something I've never shared online before). The portfolio is a work in progress with more projects to be added over the coming weeks, but if you'd like a sneak peek, you can click here to check out Miss Lesley's art and design work. Are you interested in a custom collage, or perhaps need some guidance with an interior design project? I'm currently accepting freelance clients, so if you'd like more information just send me an email here.

(And if you're on Flickr, add me as a contact!)

Happy Friday, my dears! Have a fantabulous weekend.

Things I Love Thursday :: March 19, 2009

2009-03-19T08:12:00.000-04:00

* Not Paper. Toronto collage artist Aprile Elcich has a fabulous blog, Not Paper, where she interviews collage and mixed media artists from all over the globe. OH MY GOSH I'M SMITTEN! So much artistic inspiration in one place - I've bookmarked bazillions of posts already!

Juliana Neufeld via Not Paper

* This quote by the fabulous Gala Darling:

"You are this incredible treasure, a shining jewel in the shape of a girl or boy (or unicorn), & you have no idea. You are a gift. Your presence here is important, your thoughts & dreams & loves & heartache enrich the world. Realise how cherished & amazing you are, right now. You will not be any more wonderful or valuable when you lose ten pounds, or become a millionaire, or get married.
Recognise what you are & make a promise that you will be a love letter to the universe forever, a valentine to all the people & all the stars. The more love you give away, the more true it becomes, & while it can be hard at first, it gets easier — I promise, pinky-swear. You & I are in alignment. This is our secret pact. Write it down & keep it close. I will do my best & you do yours, okay?

Photo by Paige [Little Pea]

Decide to fall in love with the world & it will swoop you up in its arms & smother you with kisses. You will get all your joy & excitement back a million times over. This is real, this is how it works. Even when you feel hard & cold & angry, you have more love to give away than you could ever believe possible. It is infinite like galaxies. Just give it away. Imagine cartoon hearts in hot pink & vivid red floating out of your chest & popping over the heads of everyone, showering them with hope & blessings & encouragement, & your life will begin to change. It will become this sparkling carousel of magic & wonder. I love you & I believe in you & you deserve to be happy, always."

* The art of Kristina Contes. I'm loving Kristina's altered journals! Check out this amazing one that's bursting with pretty things. In the artist's words, "It's a compilation of old catalogues, pictures I've taken over the years, and things I've found from Google. it was nice to finally consolidate all the Anthro paraphernalia I've gathered and it's like my own little encyclopedia of Anthropologie."
* Zen Habits asks: What's the number one dream killer? Love this article:
"If we want to have any hope at making our dreams a reality, we have to carve out our own path. We have to find a way to get paid to be ourselves. We must drop conventional wisdom (collective assumption) and break away from the herd."

Happy Thursday! Hold your chin high, kitten, and share your light with the world.

Creative Inspiration :: Recovering Lazyholic

2009-03-17T22:58:00.007-04:00

Feeling lazy and uninspired? Check out the Recovering Lazyholic's 12-Step Program. Hehehe. (FYI - click the link above, not the 12 boxes below. Clicking the 12 boxes will do nothing except frustrate and discourage you, and that's certainly not what we want on an inspiring Tuesday!)

Via My Favorite Color is Shiny

Happy Tuesday! Now turn off the TV, go to new places, make time for your hobbies, and do all the other wonderful things that will help make your creative dreams real.

Mascara and Charity? Yes Please!

2009-03-13T08:30:00.000-04:00

We Heart It

Matchstick is looking for feedback from anyone who may have seen my posting regarding L’Oreal Beauty Tubes (click here for Part 1 and Part 2). If you click on the link below and complete the survey, you will be helping them by donating $2.00 to Shelternet, so please Click Here to take their short feedback survey.

For every survey that is completed, Matchstick will make a $2 donation to Shelternet, which is a Web-based Women and Children’s Crisis Support Center that provides aid and financial support to locally based women’s shelters across Canada. Your time and feedback is greatly appreciated

Happy Friday! Thanks for clicking to support great a cause.

Things I Love Thursday :: March 12, 2009

2009-03-12T21:44:00.015-04:00

* Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. This is my current read, and although I'm only halfway through, I already love it. It feels like a mix of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Catcher in the Rye, two of my favourite books.

* Opening my own business! Lesley Denford is officially the sole proprietor of her own sweet little company! In an effort to take my art and interior design freelancing to the next level, I've set up shop. So far, the company is small (just...me!), but who knows where things might lead now that I've taken this first step?
* Faded jeans with Converse sneakers. Warmer weather means the big heavy boots are coming out less and less, and my super most favourite beat-up black Converse are coming out more and more! (Yessss!) Although not high-fashion, the pairing of perfectly worn denim and classic kicks is one of my favourite sartorial choices.

Le Love

* Hand-lettered fonts. Using (the totally free!) YourFonts, Star created a wicked serif font. I downloaded it. I like it. I will be making my own LesleyFont soon. And I will give it to you to download. And I think you will like it!* Wrapped in Your Arms by Fireflight. I was introduced to this song just a couple days ago, but I'm already soooo in love with it - it's a beautiful and powerful song that really connects with me. Miss Rockstar (that would be me!) will be singing it at a worship event that The Meeting House is hosting this Sunday night, so if you're in the lovely city of Toronto, come sing with me. I'd love to see you there.

Happy Thursday! Hearts and puppies and love to you all.

Creative Inspiration :: She's Jack

2009-03-10T08:13:00.002-04:00

I've been on a super photography kick lately. And She's Jack is simply feeding my obsession. I love photos like this, that have such a strong mood and evoke feeling. Each one takes you away to a little world, just for a moment. (And the upside-down Polaroid hairdryer shot? Perfection. Totally reminds me of this illustration by Tara McPherson.)

Happy Tuesday! Anything tickling your creative fancy this week? Share in the comments and spread the love.

Things I Love Thursday :: March 5, 2009

2009-03-05T09:10:00.009-05:00

* Cheerios with blueberries. Simple, and very yummy. (Although when looking for a picture of Cheerios to accompany this, all the photos I found involved babies. Why can't grown-ups enjoy them too?)

* Style Statement: Live by Your Own Design. I've been intrigued by this book by the fabulous Carrie and Danielle for a while, and have spent the last couple nights reading through it and trying come up with my style statement. I love the idea of refining your taste, likes, and essence into a 2-word phrase. Maybe I'm a Creative Rebel?

I LOVE this outfit. But can't remember where the photo's from, sorry!

* Listening to new music. Now playing on my iPod are Lily Allen and The Fray's newest discs. So far, me likey!

The lovey Lily by Eglantinno

* Opening new savings accounts! I so adore Ramit Sethi's personal finance blog, I Will Teach You to be Rich. This guy is a wizard at teaching young people how to take control of their money, a skill that I think most 20-somethings (including myself) seriously lack. I've pre-purchased his new book and have been taking steps to whip my money and savings into shape. If you have money questions, I highly recommend checking his blog out for inspiration and guidance. (But be prepared, dude is no hand-holder. He'll whip your sorry financial butt into shape!)

Happy Thursday, my loves! Hope your week has been warm and lovely.

Creative Inspiration :: Bizkit the Sleepwalking Dog

2009-03-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

Okay, so this isn't "creative inspiration" in the way I usually do it (sharing artists and photographers and musicians I love), but this video made me laugh so hard I almost choked , and started my day on such a silly happy note that I just had to share it.

via Dooce

Happy Tuesday! Hope this giggle gets your happy juices flowing.

Things I Love Thursday :: February 26, 2009

2009-02-26T08:43:00.000-05:00

* Twitter. Have I told you how much I like this thing? It's oodles of fun to connect with and follow super-cool ladybloggers like Nubby, Gala, Star, Gilda, Dooce, and Winona. Follow me here!

* Fabulous eclectic interiors. Grace at Design*Sponge never lets me down with her Sneak Peek series. Check out these two, which I TOTALLY adore.

* Bakery. The savvy Erin of Design for Mankind has started a fab new website called Bakery, dedicated to "baking" new businesses. For anyone who wants to start promoting themselves, their products, or their services, Bakery is a terrific resource. (Check out Bakery's brand new blog - I just know it'll be full of super fab tips and inspiration!)

* Model Francesca Mill. How adorable is this girl? Her look is totally cute, yet slightly alien. Kind of like a punky grown-up Cindy-Lou Who.
* Being offered a position in the one-year music missions trip! Project ROCKSTAR is a go! After a few months of auditioning and applying, The lovely people at CTI Music Ministries have offered me a vocalist position on their 2009/2010 team, and I am BEYOND excited! This means come August, I will be moving out of my Toronto apartment, quitting my job, and starting a year of travelling around the USA and abroad to sing, share how freakin' awesome God is, and connect with people from all over the world. I have a lot of fundraising to do between now and August, but the coolest thing is how already God is making things work...I've already received an incredibly generous financial donation from a friend, and just yesterday got offered a job opportunity that will pay me almost double what I make now, and will allow me to save much, much, much more money for this trip. I'm super giddy about how things are all working out, and it completely feels like it's meant to happen, and this is the right thing for me to be doing. Yaaaaay!

Happy Thursday, kittens! What's making you happy this week?

Creative Inspiration :: Careenin

2009-02-24T08:36:00.000-05:00

A few photographs from the ultra-talented Careenin for your Tuesday inspiration. Her work is mysterious, intriguing, and a little moody. And it makes me really, really, want to get film for my SLR camera and take snaps of myself from the neck down.

Via Design for Mankind

Happy Tuesday! Found any great photographers on Flickr lately? Please share, I would love to see who's inspiring you!

Things I Love Thursday :: February 19, 2009

2009-02-19T22:09:00.012-05:00

* Dark metallic purple fingernails. Now that my nails are finally long enough to paint again (here's to maybe finally kicking the nail-biting habit after 25 years!) they're boasting a mad wicked purple paint job. Purr.

* Loose and messy artist's sketchbooks. Like this one. Makes me want to whip out my paints and pens and scribble more...

* Going from $20k/year to $90k/year. "Ten years ago, I was working in a lumber yard. I asked myself, “What do I want my life to be like in five years? I knew two things: that five years would pass, and that if I didn’t do anything different my life would still be the same (ie, I’d still be poor)." Read more on the always awesome I Will Teach You to be Rich.

* Collaborating with other artists and designers. I'm friends with some of the lovely peeps involved with London's Open House Arts Collective, a super talented group of musicians and artists that are working together to promote local talent. These ambitious young guys and gals host shows in an awesome old Victorian house, organize music festivals, design and produce album art (with their very own letterpress!), and are totally buzzing in the London indie music scene. I love their creativity and passion, so while they're helping me print and produce the packaging for the 3-song EP I'm currently recording, I'm putting my technical AutoCAD skills to use and helping them design and format a custom die template for CD packaging. Go team!

Photo by Helo Blue Sky*

* The secret to being insanely creative. Read it. Remember it. Live it.

Happy Thursday! Give someone a kiss, and tell them what you love today.

Creative Inspiration :: Ghost Bees

2009-02-17T08:45:00.000-05:00

Ghost Bees are twin sisters Romy and Sari Lightman, and their music is strangely, eerily, quirkily awesome. I had the privilege of seeing them Sunday night at a super intimate house show put on by my friends of the Open House Arts Collective in London and was blown away by Ghost Bees' unique harmonies and storytelling lyrics. Listen here and be charmed.

Photo by Patrick Callbeck (but I have some photos too, coming soon!)

Happy Tuesday! Three cheers for stellar Canadian musicians.

Things I Love Thursday :: February 12, 2009

2009-02-12T09:19:00.005-05:00

* Legos that look like New York City. One more thing that fuels my desire to go back. Now all I need is some money, and some time off work...

* Rainbow-coloured Converse sneakers. I only have black, sigh. But they're totally rad, so until I can acquire one pair in every colour, they will continue to rock my world!

Via Design*Sponge

* Dressing up for a Valentine's slowdance party tonight (eek, fun!). I've got a cute grey dress with a black belt, black skinny pants, black flat boots...and lots of sparkly pink and purple heart-shaped stickers to stick EVERYWHERE. I'm like some sort of mischievous Valentine's fairy bestowing glittery hearts on everyone!

* The Come Up to My Room show at Toronto's Gladstone hotel (which I missed!). Note to self: stop thinking about going, and actually go next year.

* Being linked by a blogger I like (thanks Mary!).

Happy Thursday my loves! What makes your heart pitter-patter this Valentine's week?

Creative Inspiration :: Michele Maule

2009-02-10T08:25:00.001-05:00

Michele Maule makes wonderful mixed media art, featuring lots of things I love...loose black linework, smeared white paint, torn book pages, bicycles, and vintage gadgets. Be still, my beating heart. Michele has a super cute Esty shop, and blog too!

Via Decor8

Happy Tuesday! Have you found any artists that make you swoon? Share in the comments!

Things I Love Thursday :: February 5, 2009

2009-02-05T09:03:00.000-05:00

* Lounging in my pajamas. After a super busy couple of weeks, having a day off to relax in bed with plaid flannel pants while listening to Coeur de Pirate and watching big fluffy snowflakes fall is total bliss.

Photo by Lux Profundi

* Nubby's 5 rules to Keep it Simple. My favourite? There is no secret to being successful. It’s about consciously living your life every day and setting concrete goals.

* The Zen of Real Food: Keeping Eating Simple. (Can you tell I've been super busy and craving some simplicity in my life?) This Zen Habits article totally inspired me, and my shopping cart last week was filled with yummy basics - apples, goat cheese, fresh veggies, tofu, a mulitgrain baguette, and butter. Soooo delish.

* This pic from Le Love. Adorable shirtless rockstar boys? Yes please.
* These pics too. I seem to be on a black and white kick this week. Just feels so raw and romantic.

Happy Thursday! What do you love? Share in the comments!

Creative Inspiration :: Kristybee

2009-02-03T10:25:00.010-05:00

Kristybee's gorgeous photography radiates light, warmth, and happiness. Today I'm going to avoid looking outside at the dull grey sky, and instead gaze at these photos.

Via Decor8. Holly finds the best artists, seriously.

Check out Kristybee's Etsy and Flickr. (And for extra creative awesomeness, listen to Coeur de Pirate while looking at her pics. I believe it to be the perfect combination of music and art!)

Happy Tuesday, my loves!

A Note From Miss Lesley

2009-01-30T22:50:00.007-05:00

This Twitter screenshot says it all...
Sorry for the mild hiatus this week. (On the plus side, tonight I learned how to take screenshots! I'm sure this will come in immensely handy in the future.)

Happy Thursday, you lovely people. I'm going to sleep now. KISSES!

Creative Inspiration :: Favourite Things

2009-01-27T11:36:00.008-05:00

Favourite Things is a weekly Polaroid collaboration between the fabulous photographers Susannah Conway and Alicia Bock. Without prior discussion, they each take a photo and post them together every Monday. Somehow, the photos always work together beautifully. Great creative minds think alike, I guess!

Via Decor8

Happy Tuesday! Go take a picture of something pretty today, okay?

PS. After much longing and wishing and dreaming, I just inherited a stellar vintage Polaroid One-Step camera from my dad (yay!). The challenge now is to find the elusive and scarce SX-70 film. Any suggestions, my dear readers?

Photo by J.Gardiner

Princess Lesley's Mascara Deathmatch WINNER!

2009-01-23T13:37:00.008-05:00

Have I told you guys how awesome you are? When I posted the mascara "after" photo last week in Princess Lesley's Mascara Deathmatch I could hardly tell a difference between the two eyes, and I was expecting a whole bunch of slightly confused and enraged comments like, "Lesley, you're CRAZY for asking us to choose, both damn eyes look the same, woman!". Instead, I was quite entertained to read your very enthusiastic votes (RIGHT! LEFT!) and entertaining reasoning behind your choices. You're a bunch of champions, you are.

And without further adieu, let's see which mascara is the winner, and taker of my heart.
The left eye, Sir L'Oreal, put up a good fight with 8 votes...but the right eye, Sir Rimmel, edged out a win with 9 votes! My tried and true mascara won the battle by just a smidge, and he will be my prince and we will live happily ever after.

Thinking of trying either brand? Here's my thoughts...the Rimmel has great staying power and makes lashes long and thick, but yes, there are sometimes teeny weenie clumps. (Bear in mind that the tube I was using was several months old, while the L'Oreal one was brand sparkly new.) The L'Oreal definitely made my lashes longer, but not as thick. Since it actually wraps your lashes in little snuggly mascara tubes which slide off with lots of water, I found that snow and rain would cause a bit of black stuff to fall off and settle under my eyes. Based on the results of the deathmatch, I've decided that I'm sticking with my Rimmel Glam Eyes, for the price, performance, and gorgeous packaging.

And of course, there's still a giveaway to thank you for your discerning eye and ever-important votes! Which lucky prince or princess wins the mascara to try for his/herself? Why, that would be the lovely Lainey! (Send me an email with your details, sugar!)

Happy Friday! Have a fantastic weekend. I'm currently eating a Red Velvet cupcake...I suggest you do the same!

PS. Live in Canada and want to try the Double Extend mascara yourself? Send me an email and I'll hook you up with a $5 coupon. Yaaaaay!

Things I Love Thursday :: January 22, 2009

2009-01-22T08:22:00.002-05:00

* Birds Are Scary by Randel Plowman. I've written about Randel's collage a day project before, but this one piece is so unlike the rest of his work, and just makes me giggle. (PS. Randel: I completely agree. Birds ARE scary.)

* Connecting with awesomely supportive people. The pros and cons of this music missions trip that I'm applying for (aka. Lesley's Rockstar Adventure!) have been weighing on my mind and heart, and a coffee date with my incredible pastor last night really inspired me and brought some clarity on where I want to go physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually over the next few years of my wickedly adventurous life. (Big shout out, thanks, and love to you, Dave!)

* Design*Sponge's New York City Guide. Like I need another reason to want to go back to New York! Grace has compiled several guides to NYC's best art, design, shopping, eats, and hotels. Click to read about some unique and lovely destinations in Manhattan Part 1: Harlem, Manhattan Part 2: The Meatpacking District, and Brooklyn. And then let's book a flight and meet up to explore my favourite city, shall we?

* The home of designer Beci Orpin. Another goodie from Design*Sponge! An interior that's quirky, cute, and bursting with character - but still feels calm and organized. This is the kind of delicate balance I'm striving for in my own humble little abode.
* Sex God by Rob Bell. Great title, huh? Rob Bell's a pastor from Michigan, and he's written some awesome books on Christianity, relationships, and intimacy. I found this read so inspiring, fulfilling, and encouraging. Plus, carrying around a book with the title SEX GOD is kind of awesome.

Happy Thursday! What do you love?

Creative Inspiration :: Garance Dore

2009-01-20T23:29:00.008-05:00

I've been an admirer of The SartoriaList for quite a while, but only recently discovered French street-style photographer Garance Dore. In addition to her effortlessly stylish real-life fashion photographs and beautiful editorial shoots, Garance has a lovely ink and pen illustration technique. I believe her work to be just all-around awesome. (And ohhhh my goodness! I'm in love with this interior shot! A black and white colour scheme with casually propped picture frames, beautifully worn hardwood floors, and a retro chair is just...perfection.)
Happy Tuesday! If you're starting to feel the midweek (and midwinter!) blahs, I suggest lighting some candles and lounging around in your cutest underpants like the model above. Couldn't hurt, right?

Product Review :: Princess Lesley's Mascara Deathmatch!

2009-01-16T13:58:00.000-05:00

Photo by Sew Cute

Once upon a time there was a girl named Princess Lesley who was faithful to her Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara. Lesley and Rimmel had spent much of the last year together, and this elegantly-packaged cosmetic, her "mascara in shining armour", made her lashes long, lush, and girly-fabulous.

Then one day, a company called Matchstick sent her a tempting goody bag filled with smoky grey eyeshadows, black liquid eyeliner, cosmetic brushes, and a new type of mascara, L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes. Princess Lesley didn't know what to think - the new mascara looked so flashy and high-tech, but her current mascara was doing the job just fine, thankyouverymuch. Beauty tubes? Mascara that coats your lashes with teeny tiny tubes of black eyelashy goodness? Whaaaa?

So she did what any princess would do in this situation...DEATHMATCH FOR HER LOVE!
She called a duel between Rimmel and L'Oreal, and the entire kingdom (psst...that's you!) was invited to watch and vote on who was a more worthy competitor. Gather 'round and let's watch them duke it out for the Princess' love and affection!

Take a good look at the battlefield before the fight (and by "battlefield", I really mean "Princess Lesley's face without mascara"). Where are her majesty's eyelashes? Who knows. This is why she loves her Rimmel products so much.And now for the duel! With eyeshadow flying, eyeliner being drawn in expertly steady lines, Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara on one eye, and L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes on the other, the kingdom can decide which set of eyelashes are more long and luscious, and therefore which mascara is worthy of the love of a princess. Ready, kingdom? Take a good look:Cast your vote for the winning peeper in the comments (left? Or right?), and the winning tube of Princess Lesley's Mascara Deathmatch will be decided next Friday. To sweeten the pot, each and every charming voter will be entered into a draw to win a tube of L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara so you can try it out for yourself, and potentially create your own fairy tale of cosmetic absurdity! Start commenting - you have a week to vote, enter, and win!

Happy Friday, from Princess Lesley!

Things I Love Thursday :: January 15, 2009

2009-01-15T21:58:00.011-05:00

Hey look kids, it's Links I Love Thursday! Click and have fun.

* The Lazy Manifesto. I love Zen Habits - always packed full of practical (and often counter-cultural) advice to simplify your life. Don't we all need that nowadays? (Myself included, since I feel like I have no time to get anything done lately!)

* The Lesser Remembered Icons of the Past. Read Mary's fab article and get inspired to bring a little quirky Hollywood style to your wardrobe - think influences of Zooey Deschanel, Amelie, and Evan Rachel Wood.

* Nubby's graphic design primer. Packed so full of links to graphic design resources, inspiration, books, and blogs that I haven't even had time to click 'em all! (Hmm...maybe I should re-read The Lazy Manifesto to free up some time to do that?)

* This photo collage, titled The Meaning Of Love. So pretty. (Read her blog too, it's pretty!)

* Virtual interior designer for the iPod. Ummm...WHAT? Sounds like the coolest app EVER for a designer like myself! Just waiting to decide if it's worth the $9.99 price tag... (Via Decor8)

Happy Thursday! There will be no This Week in Pictures tomorrow. Why? Because I didn't do anything this week except work, and a week's worth of work pictures are boring. Trust me. Instead, I've got a product review on a nifty new mascara, and I'm counting on YOU to decide if it's awesome or not. Also...there's going to be a giveaway! Huzzah!

Creative Inspiration :: Le Love

2009-01-13T22:09:00.007-05:00

This week, try and do this one thing. Live what you love, okay? And then check out Le Love for more photo inspiration to bring a smile to your face and happiness to your heart.

Image from Le Love

Happy Tuesday! Big love this week to you all.

This Week in Pictures :: January 9, 2009

2009-01-09T21:41:00.018-05:00

Considering it's been a few weeks since I've posted This Week in Pictures, this is really a whole lot of weeks in pictures. Let's recap from a little before Christmas to now, shall we? Ready...GO! Pre-Christmas I enjoyed a super yummy Chai Latte from my new favourite Toronto coffee spot, Lit Espresso Bar.
High on my caffeine buzz, I spent many hours sprawled on my floor with art supplies and blank Moleskine notebooks making a handful of Christmas presents for my favourite peeps. Some polka dot wrapping paper, colourful gift bags, and my hot pink tree rounded out the pre-Christmas fun.
On Christmas morning, we found a potato shaped like a heart! The HeartPotato made me smile, and I had to take a picture of it before it got tragically (but deliciously!) cut up into our breakfast homefries.
Over the holidays I was coerced into playing RockBand with my friends, a game I enjoy for only about 10 minutes. Then I get seriously bored, since everyone else can apparently rock out for hours and I'm done after I sing the very few songs that I actually like. This time was different...I discovered that you can create your own characters! AND THEN YOU CAN DRESS THEM! (Eek!) I spent much longer virtually outfitting my character than actually playing the game. But I'm quite happy with my wavy purple bob, Madonna piercing (yup, it's there!), vintage floral dress, orange beaded necklace, dark teal leggings, slouchy leather boots, and wickedly mysterious eye mask. She's my rockstar alter-ego.
At the end of December I headed out on a train to Montreal to celebrate the new year at my friend Cody's fab industrial loft. We spent 3 days drinking coffee, checking out art galleries in Old Montreal, lounging around the loft, having sleeping bag fights in our pajamas (I won!), and enjoying some time with some swell friends.On the morning of January 1, I whipped open my laptop to take my first picture of the year. So, friends, here I am in all my New Year's glory, in bed after a late night, with no makeup, messy hair, and some really sweet bearded guy making me giggle.
After recuperating from the celebrations the gang headed downtown to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to check out their Warhol Live exhibition. I'm a big Andy Warhol fan, and they had a massive and incredibly diverse collection of his pieces on display, including paintings, silkscreens, sketchbooks, furniture, films, and album art for legendary bands like The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Deborah Harry, and John Lennon . If you get the chance to see this collection, go!
Hmmm, I think I'm forgetting something awesome that happened over the past few weeks. Oh right...THE ARRIVAL OF MY SPARKLY NEW COMPUTER! Internet friends, meet Lesley's MacBook. MacBook, meet the internet. (And sorry, internet friends, about the obnoxious yellow tone in these pics. My camera apparently doesn't like having a big glowing orb in the frame and it messes with the white balance.)
Happy Friday my dears! How was your week?

Things I Love Thursday :: January 8, 2009

2009-01-08T08:30:00.000-05:00

* My new white MacBook. After months of research and shopping around for which PC to buy, then finally buying one, freaking out (because I can't stand Windows Vista!), and returning it, I finally succumbed to the fact that all I really wanted was a Mac. I just love 'em! So on Boxing Day I came home to find a shiny white MacBook waiting at my front door. And...I'm in love! I think we'll have a very happy future together, this Mac and I. But she needs a name. Any suggestions?

Photo by Anothersunshine

* Skype. Now that I have a laptop equipped with a webcam and microphone, the world of online communication is finally open to me. My first Skype call was from Australia last night, and it was wonderful to see the face of my lovely friend Stacy whom I haven't seen for months. I hope I'll be getting more calls from my friends in THE FUTURE!

* Christian Lacroix for Evian. Yup, fancy-schmancy Evian water got a fancy-schmancy fashion house to design a pret-a-porter glass bottle for Winter 2008. And I must admit...it's very pretty. So pretty that I bought it. (But this girl's on a tight budget, so I waited until it went on sale and scored it for a mere $3. Sweet!)

* A new year with new potential. Oh, I love the hopefulness that comes when the calendar rolls over to a new year! While I'm not a big fan of "resolutions" per se, I love the idea of setting goals for myself to accomplish over the next 12 months. A few of my 2009 to-do's:

Image from New Resolution

* Consciously purchase less, and save up for the beautiful things I couldn't otherwise afford

* Spend time each week with God, and write in my prayer journal regularly
* Create a 10-year plan with life and career goals from age 25-35
* Take on one freelance interior design project every month
* Create and produce 3 new products to sell in my Etsy shop
* Make one new piece of art every month
* Record a 5-song cd

Happy Thursday! How's your new year shaping up so far, my loves?

Creative Inspiration :: Kareem Rizk

2009-01-07T12:33:00.010-05:00

Happy New Year! And holy blog hiatus, batman! With the craziness of holiday visits and traveling to Montreal for a few days I've left you lovely people with nothing new to read for the last two weeks. But guess what? I'M BACK (a day late, whoops!), AND I MISSED YOU!

So let's start this new year off right with some awesome retro-inspired collage art by Kareem Rizk. (He's also got an Etsy shop! Yay!)
Happy Wednesday!

Things I Love Thursday :: Christmas Edition!

2008-12-25T10:35:00.009-05:00

* Christmas 2008 by Shawn Clarke and Alexis Marsh. These two musical wizards (and lovely friends of mine) teamed up to make a charming little holiday album. Click here to listen!

* President's Choice Chocolate Fudge Crackle Peppermint Ice Cream. OH MY GOSH. Vanilla + chocolate + chocolate chunks + peppermint = AWESOME! Go buy some. You'll thank me later, promise.

* The Cherry Blossom Girl's winter photos. So festive, whimsical, and pretty. Almost makes me want to go outside and play in the 48" deep snow in the yard...almost.

Happy Thursday, and Merry Christmas my favourite kittens!