Latest Puzzle

My first completed puzzle for this year!

Started on Feb 11, 2018 

"Should I really do this?"

February 22, 2018

Struggling after 10 days. Was only working on the puzzle an average of 1.5 hours a day

 10 days later. February 28, 2018

A snowy, cold weekend made everything faster. Looks exciting now.

March 4, 2018   - 10:30 AM

March 4, 2018 - 2:30 PM

I considered this a challenging puzzle because there were so many colors with very slight 

variations in tones.

Puzzle details : Hasbro brand. 1500 pcs. Artist : Laurel Burch. Ocean Songs.

My Christmas Puzzles

Christmas puzzles currently displayed on our walls.

My original Christmas puzzle is now properly framed. 

Done 2014.

A quick and easy one completed November this year.

A not so quick and easy 1000 piece also completed this year.

Trivia : Look closely and you will notice four missing pieces. I was ready to send a letter to the manufacturer to complain. But before I mailed my letter and while cleaning - I found the 4 missing pieces in the box!!

My original "village" puzzle completed in 2015.

Trivia 2 : There is 1 more puzzle I completed this year which is still waiting to be framed.

It's December!!!

... and it is Christmas village time once again!!

 

Royal Botanical Garden - Nature by LEGO

From May 20 - August 20 of this year the Royal Botanical Garden in Hamilton had a LEGO exhibit titled "Nature Connects". It featured 14 sculptures made up of more than 300,000 Lego bricks by New York artist Sean Kenney. Just a few of the beautiful and informative sculptures.

Look at the squirrels!!

This monarch butterfly and flower used around 60,500 Lego bricks.

Lego bricks to create this farmer = 34,340

While this lily is made up of around 32,500 bricks.

These kids were simply amazed.

Farmer having lunch.

A chick is hiding under Momma!

Simply amazing!

August 19, 2017
Royal Botanical Garden

Small Pleasures

Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.

~ H. Jackson Brown

The quote is so meant for me at this point. I am trying my hands on having some greens at home again. I have always told myself I can not grow plants and that they just die on me. Lately however I begun to buy cheap houseplants. I even water my officemate's greenery.

It is no longer the season for plants (soon these greens will be "hibernating) but I still have big thoughts for my succulents and herbs to thrive and grow. No matter what, I am taking pleasure in them for now.

TIFF 2017

Short break from all those Summer Trip 2017 postings. 

Here the 5 Toronto International Film Festival movies I watched this year. Yes 5 is a low number and in the 11 years I have been watching movies during the festival this is one of our leanest years. We decided on the early part of the game we are not taking days off and will only have weekends to watch. For that reason alone - we limited our movies. 

So here goes the movies and reviews from different movie critics (why should do it when others can do it better). 

The Motive (Country : Spain)

Hubby and I watched this movie. We both liked it. 7/10
Subject was very close to my heart - writing.

Click here for a REVIEW from Hollywood Reporter. 

Rainbow - A Private Affair (Country - Italy)

Friend Cindy and I watched this one and gave it a 3 out of 10. A total failure.

Click here for a REVIEW from Hollywood Reporter.

Downsizing ( Country - USA, Special Presentation)

All 3 (hubby, son and me) liked the movie. 7/10
Hong Chau was brilliant in here, stole the show!

Click here for a REVIEW from Keith Loves Movies.

The Third Murder (Country - Japan)

All 3 (hubby, son and me) liked the movie. 7/10
It was like a John Grisham novel.

Click here for a REVIEW from IndieWire.

Short Cuts 05 was one presentation we watched. Shortcuts 05 was not actually a movie but 7 short films under the Short Cuts Program of TIFF. We rarely miss presentations from Short Cuts because we get to see 6-7 short films from different filmmakers and countries. It is always a treat.

And so another season has come and gone. This year did not feel like a TIFF year for me. I did not volunteer, I only got to see 5 presentations, I did not take a day off from work to line up and have small talk with other film buffs. This year however we had 2 "guests" in the form of the Gonzales couple. Them watching 2 movies at TIFF was not planned and was so spontaneous but they said they want to do it again next year. Sounds interesting!!



Toronto International Film Festival - Sept 7-17, 2017

Ellis Wilson - Flower Vendor

This puzzle was started in 2015 but when the son came to live with us in 2016 - it remained untouched for a year.

 January 26, 2017

January 29. 2017

 February 1, 2017

February 13, 2017

Finished puzzle - Flower Vendor by Ellis Wilson (1900-1977), 28" x 36" - 1500 pieces.

Original painting - oil on canvass, from the Museum of African American Art.

The Christmas Officeville

Extending my Christmas village craziness to the office. Much as I wanted to do more but I held off as the other staff were not as crazy as me.

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred,

and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit,

become a child again at Christmas-time.”

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

Other Christmas Corners

I have always been writing about my Christmas villages and other activities during this season. Yet, I have not written how our simple abode is transformed during the holidays.

Thanks to the hubby who cooperated with the cleaning/purging activities before the transformation started. Having space gave me the freedom to display some of the Christmas decors I was not able to use last year.

The Christmas village is of course the centre of all these  --- but the other nooks and crannies of our small place had special treatment too.

 Nutcrackers, Christmas trees, Santa and train by the main door.

Carolers at the corner.

 Completed jigsaw puzzles finally framed and hanged. 

Top - completed 2015. Below completed 2014.

 

The Nativity sets.

Christmas trees everywhere.

I love whimsical Christmas trees!

Christmas stockings and matching wreaths.

Finally, the stars made of capiz shells all the way from the Philippines.

All these would be good reference by next year.
Merry Christmas everyone!!

EmaRene 2016 Christmas Village - Last Revision

For this final change, I moved most of the smaller houses to the rear.

Viewed up front. Lighted.

Right view.

Left view.

Front view lighted with camera flash.

And let me not forget the neighboring villages. Located in other nearby shelves.

 Barangay Alang-alang, where I grew up.

  Sitio Pulpugan for my sister's place in Consolacion, Cebu.

 Barangay Celdran - for my old Iligan place.

 Sitio Pamutan - a place in Cebu City.

 Scarborough, Ontario - my home.