Poo Poo Paper

Trademarked from www.poopoopaper.com

Soo...I know we must go to extreme measures sometimes for the environment's sake. There are many changes we've been making in our lives already - such as shopping with re-usable bags, drinking out of metal bottles, and using less paper. We even go as far as wearing cloth made from bamboo charcoal or coconut fibres.

And then there's using poo poo paper.

A company called poopoopaper.com makes eco-friendly paper out of elephant . In case you're wondering, this image of the poo poo is from their website.

The company takes dried elephant poo, which is high in long fibres from the elephants' bamboo and grass diet, and wash it in water. When nothing but the fibres are left, they take that and boil it in high temperature water for sanitation purposes.

After the sanitation process, the fibres are mixed with dyes as well as fibres from the banana and pineapple trees. These other materials help to strengthen the paper.

Once that's done, patties for the paper pulp are made and then spread over large mesh screens. The screens are then laid up against tree trunks to sun dry. When they are done, the poo poo paper is ready to use.


Guys - this paper is hand-made, completely natural, and eco-friendly. It barely uses any energy besides boiling water and the sun, and no chemical perservatives. Not a single tree is cut for the sake of these sheets.

You can't get much more environmentally friendly than that - and yet one wonders. What will it be like to write on poo?


For those of you interested, poo poo paper products are available in the Opus art store at Granville Island, as well as through some of the products from Boulevard Advertising.

www.bankers.ca - a supplier for Boulevard Advertising

Succulent

In 1601, somewhere a word was born from the Latin root word suculentus - having juice, or from sucus - juice, sap.

I can't help but wonder - who said it first? What man or woman, and with what kind of food, made he or she describe something as succulent?

Now, of course, we can't turn back. It has become a standard. What do you think of when I say succulent? Is it a rack of lamb? Is it a tender steak? Corn?

I'm not sure what I can use the word to describe - if there are any limits. I know that on Saturday I am going to be having a very succulent dish of sablefish - my favorite type of cooked fish.

Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria), or butterfish in the USA and black cod /coalfish in Canada, is one of the West Coast's most valuable species of fish. Its texture is at a buttery medium, flakey, and its taste is sweet and light.

My sablefish dinner will take place on Saturday at Monk McQueens - their usual sablefish dish is $31 on the regular menu. For Dine Out, $38 gets you the fish plus an appie and dessert.

Can't wait!

Monk McQueens - Vancouver, BC

Pining after Colours

I spent a good chunk of my time looking up the internet for coloured TP.

Yes, I want the coloured toilet paper paper badly. I know there are concerns out there regarding the dye that goes into coloured toilet papers. There are fears that the colour will come off - that it's not "waterproof", so to say. There are fears that the dyes could irritate the skin as well.

But really, a responsible manufacturer would use dyes that have been clinically approved. If you do have sensitive skin though, I understand your concern. In North America, we rarely, if ever, see coloured toilet paper precisely because of these concerns. Even so, coloured tp is very popular in Europe still and prevalent in Asia, where white toilet paper is rare.

I found two websites that sold coloured toilet paper. One, Renova Online, offers bright designer colours that match with bold and modern interior designed bathrooms. There's tp in black, fuschia, red, orange, lime green....the list goes on. But man, these tp are pricey! Apparently a gift pack of 3 rolls (which happens to come in an awesome looking container that looks as if it might hold a bottle of Brandy) costs as much as $40 US, before shipping.



The other site (frenchtoiletpaper.com) offers colours that much more tame. They sound as if they can appear in your grandmother's bathroom - soothing colours like Green Apple, French Vanilla, Jelly Bean, Orange Cream, or Grapefruit. Heck, with names like that, who wouldn't want to rub Tangerine Sorbet all over your bum?



They're a bit more reasonable in terms of pricing - 6 rolls for $16 USD. Shipping is $10 US for every 6 roll pack. These are coming all the way from France, so they do take a while to ship!


Now, you may have wondered why this obsession with coloured tp. Yesterday I was in London Drugs (LD from here on in) and I came across Kleenex in pink and blue. I haven't seen colored paper since I was in China, and I always thought it was a shame. They can cheer up any day, especially these days, when the fog is unceasing and the sunlight barely there.

The splash of colour can bring a smile to your face. When I was a kid visiting China, I was delighted by the pink and the blue and yellow. People carried the rainbow tp home in clear bags, they made a serious day a little more lighthearted. I mean, how can you stay mad at someone or be upset about something when you're lugging a rainbow with you?

Of course I bought the pink and blue. At $3 a box, it was a rip-off. But still, I bought them, and now when I look over at my dining table there's a puff of pink to greet my evenings.

Tiles upon Tiles of Fun

A friend showed me this website about a Japanese designer who took a certain art form to a retail level. Using science, mathematics and art, he created these awesome designs that you can play around with for hours.

Each square in these tiles can be rotated in any which way and still fit the rest of the tiles flawlessly. Every time you play with it, you get a different and unique wall design.

The Japanese designer, Asao Tokolo, came from a background of teaching in the Tokyo Institute of Computer Science. I think I can understand how the perfect harmony and beauty of science can lead to art. Afterall, what God made is artwork beyond compare. We can only marvel at his perfect pieces of work.

To read the full article on the tiles, visit this link.

For those of who tried to leave a comment on my page before but couldn't, I'm sorry - I've got the problem fixed now. You don't have to be a member of anything to leave a message.

So please feel free!

Thanks!

Great Deals - EXPIRES JAN. 12th!

Hey all,

Check out these great deals from Saks online - right now it's up to 80% off and free shipping to Canada! They can also bill you in Canadian using the exchange rate at the time of purchase so you know how much you're spending.

Example:

Design History - Cashmere Tunic Sweater. Original Price: $363.35. Sale Price: $72.67 CAD



See more at www.saksfifthavenue.com

Big Ideas

I was reading Lisa's blog (http://sololisaynadamas.blogspot.com) and was inspired by her comments on giving up Big Love.

Do I have an earth-shattering resolution?

I think I've passed a lot of my earth shattering moments alone in my room. I wish I have a record of them - The Things That Are Broken and The Things That Are Made. I just feel, after these things happen, that words cannot express what I newly am, and to try would be futile.

Now that I do try to recall, I find that I can't. It's as if the old is gone and I know nothing else. What are my views on love? There was an epic battle about the power of love, about the nature of love. I surprise myself all the time. I actually gave up real love. For what? People tell me it's for a different sort of love. I feel as though I've been given a lobotomy.

I feel like I've fought some fantastical beasts and now I've tamed even my enemies within to be on my side. So perhaps growing up means to become more integrated. Almost like a video game - you unlock characters to fight with you. But first, you must overcome them.

Happy Birthday!

**Van Dusen Gardens Festival of Lights - Photo by Gayle Mavor - firsthandfreelance.blogspot.com

A great thank you to all who made it out for my birthday - despite the snowfall warning. Also thank you for all who gave me a present. Much appreciated.

I got many nice gifts to year: a bracelet from Mimosa with a locket and a Hello Kitty encrusted in gems, a jingling cascading necklace of silver balls from Tristan, a set of lovely Vanilla scented bath products from The Body Shop, a soft and luxurious robe from La Vie En Rose, a matching set of earrings to my Betsey Johnson necklace, a bottle of Hypnotiq, and also a nail art kit that's bound to keep me occupied for a long time to come.

Tonight we had dinner at the Shaughnessy Restaurant, in the midst of Vancouver's VanDusen Gardens. Tomorrow is their last night for the festival of lights. The snow made everything look magical but the lights were awesome. They glowed the more because of the pure white snow.

For dinner I had seafood canelloni and some salad.

Yesterday I had a day of private celebration as well - shopping, eating, and a movie. The perfect combination. I watched Twilight, and am fascinated to know what it's like compared to my favorite vampire lore - Interview With a Vampire.

I read the one and am about to read the other. I will tell you how they compare as soon as I am done with them. I'll tell you all about the intrigue as well behind what I find so fascinating about the vampire stories.

As it is 3 in the morning I'll continue the rest of the blog stuff tomorrow. Needless to say, I've given thought to what I should write for turning 25. But I won't write it right now......

Happy New Year - Happy Birthday!

Happy New Year!

I wonder how all your holidays went. I know for most of us this year, the holidays sort of just crept up on us. I mean, we saw the Christmas cards go on sale, we saw the stores don their baubles and fake snow and heard the Christmas music spew out of every speaker. Still, we were caught by surprise: last minute presents, last minute parties, last minute change in plans. And although New Year did not so much surprise us, we were more or less ambushed by it. It was hiding behind all the snow.

This New Year I went to my Church for an annual sleepover. We had food and games and a great time. How can you not, with 20 people sleeping in a giant room together? However, we nearly didn't make it. It was not until late yesterday that we confirmed we were all going to brave the weather and try to make it still. Since before Christmas, our pipes have frozen over and no water was available. Even the toilets weren't working. Despite it all, we still had hope for the sleepover. We made no other plans. In fact, we were going to go anyway even if the toilets didn't work. How? Don't ask. Everything turned out well in the end, however, and we had a blast. But the amount of faith we had was very encouraging, reminding me of a quote I like from Facing the Giants:

"Mr. Bridges: I heard of a story of two farmers praying to God for rain to come. Both prayed but only one prepared the land. Who do you think trusted God more to send the rain?"

We had faith - and we made it through. If you want something - be prepared to receive it. Don't wait until it's happening, otherwise, you really are counting on yourself to lose. Sometimes, having hope is half the battle. This New Year I passed in prayer with Pastor's "7-up" message in mind, to "Wake Up, Dress Up, Shut Up, Look Up, Reach Up, and Lift Up". Yes - I have already forgotten 1 "Up", but don't worry, I'll get it back soon.

This Christmas was another example of being the prepared farmer: The day before our Christmas Sunday service we were preparing for our program and heard that a storm was approaching. Chances are 90% that we may not be able to continue our program; which consisted of our adult choir singing a series of cantatas and the youth putting together live still scenes displaying the visual representations for each song. I was in charge of costumes and missing two outfits on Saturday. Even so, on Sunday morning I got up at 8am to finish the two outfits and waited. Word came - our service was still on, and we had a great show. Where God is concerned, I never doubted that the show will go on.

Now that Christmas and New Year are over, next up is my birthday! My sister gave me this necklace that I've been pining for. I got it for a friend for Christmas and since then haven't been able to shut up about it. It's from Betsy Johnson's Tea Time collection. Betsy Johnson's jewelery is known for its intricate details. It's versatile - the pendant can be removed as a keychain. There's a fork, a spoon, and cup. There's bows and pearls, gold and jewels. It's fun, it's 3 things in 1! Here it is...





On another note: some good deals to check out at Aldo right now. Holiday bags that you should check out: these are all on sale for as cheap as $15. And FREE SHIPPING! I picked these ones because I was looking for something casual, cheap, and with holiday spirit.




Check out other great products - lots of stuff on sale online.

***

MUSIC - This Christmas I also discovered a great vocalist that I just can't get enough of. She is an Irish singer, and part of the renowned Celtic Woman group. Her name is Meav Ni Mhaolchatha. Whenever you want to reflect or relax or for Holiday purposes want to listen to some great choral music, give her a thought. Her soprano voice is clear, full bodied, strong and soothing at the same time. Two of her songs that I like include: One I Love and Danny Boy. Check it out on youtube...

Danny Boy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW9sPAT7Hog

One I Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LcL49jw4vA&feature=related


And lastly - food.

Tonight my family went out for some Chinese food to celebrate my birthday. What did I have?
I had some awesome dishes that are not Kung Pao chicken nor sweet and sour pork. I had de-shelled prawns with honey walnuts in a sweet white sauce, champagne pork chops, clams in hot spicy sake, beans with olives and shredded pork, spicy eggplant in smooth tofu, and salt and pepper chicken.

Sounds strange, but good. My favorite tonight - the clams in hot wine. It's not just hot, it's spicy, but the wine warms the stomach without being alcoholic. Perfect for a cold winter's night.

That's all for now - I wish you all Happy Holidays!