Where Have I Gone?

Hello lovely friends!

👋😃

In 2016, I began this #Kawaii365 blog, which was a huge player in my career as a (now copyrighted) cartoonist. Together, we've experienced all kinds of posts referencing "cute pop culture" and I even suggested posts called:

-Review Wednesdays
-Feature Fridays
-and Are They Kawaii?
-as well as Retro Kawaii

I want to tell you all that it was a lot of fun, and I met some amazing people along this artistic and cultural journey.  I gained confidence, learned a lot, and gained new skills.  I learned what it means to truly appreciate fans...

Now, it's April 2020 and it seems I've fallen off the face of the Earth since the last post in September of last year, and I wanted to explain why, and where I've gone.

This pains me to be say... but the reason I stopped producing so many of these 'kawaii blog posts' is because they've caused me to be called a spammer, and started getting removed by facebook 😭

Yes, facebook. I don't know if someone reported me, or if it was an algorithm thing, but several months' worth of cute art and culture posts were removed, just like that.  I was shocked.  I was angry.  I was devestated.  And not only do I lament the loss of the posts themselves, but I got several accusatory messages from facebook, saying I "went against their community standards."   So... cute art isn't up to their standards then.

So this made me realize, if no one can see my posts anyway, why put my heart & soul into creating them?  So I stopped.

In the meantime, I have become copyrighted in the creation of the Zoo'd Animal Hybrid Friends, a kawaii-cute bunch of 'weird friends' who live on a planet discovered by a mad scientist, who put them there to protect them.  Please see the video below for more info:

Thank you to everyone who has shown support on this artistic and fun journey.  You all mean a lot to me. Blessings xoxo

Review of Cute Candy Food

Hello everyone (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

It's been awhile (a month) since I've posted here with you guys, and a lot has happened. I've had some recent ideas for individual blog posts, but then I got an idea to do a nice combined one for you instead ^_^


Valentine's Day

I'm going to start with the gifts Rob got me for our 11th Valentine's Day together - he found a pink Hello Kitty which has hearts right in her fur!  And he also got me a pre-Easter one as well, since it's undeniably cute that she's holding a egg-shaped bunny.

You can see pretty well my whole collection at @hello_sweet_kitty

My Birthday

So as you know, I celebrated my 31st birthday on Monday, February 25th (I'm a sun Pisces) and Rob surprised me with a really cool Stranger Things bag. One of my work pals showed me photos of this cute bag because she knows I am obsessed with this show. So then I dragged Rob to EB Games to show him the bag, only to come away disappointed by the higher price. Then, a couple weeks later, he presented it to me as a birthday gift! 

If you are curious, at first glance it's "all the characters", but upon closer inspection, you can see it's a variety of Eleven's different looks. The ones from Hawkin's Lab when she's got her head shaved and lab equipment attached to her. There is the famous blonde wig look - including later without the wig when she's caught stealing Eggos. Then there is the "farm girl" look when she first meets her long-lost sister, followed by the cooler "Bitchin'" look they give her. And last but not least, the Snow Ball Dance look, when she dances with Mike - so romantic! 

A Busy Month

As you can see by the picture below, February has been a pretty busy month! 

This is one of four calendars available on my Etsy Shop - Now only 99 cents CAD

I was doing everything from attending tax workshops at RDC and practicing pictures for Art Battle, to painting an Adirondack chair for a fundraising event for Red Deer's own CentreFest, and attempting to create two characters for Nuit Blanche (sadly, they were not able to make it). 

Art Battle February 26, 2019

part of the Adirondack chair project (2019)

Paul the Polar Bear (Polly the Penguin not pictured). Designed for Nuit Blanche.

Miniature painting I created while practicing for Art Battle. I used acrylics, with small brushes on a "velvety" black plastic piece, about 4 inches by 1.75 inches.

Cute Candy Food Review

I bet by now, you were thinking the title was some sort of click bait… haha I didn't troll you. I really AM reviewing some cute candy burgers and hot dogs.  Rob & I went on a date this month to Heritage Lanes bowling alley, which has a pretty cool arcade! 

(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ

So we played some games and earned some tickets, and had enough to get these 2 widdle (little) hot dogs and 2 widdle burgers - *SQUUEEEE*

My husband asked if they were even edible - after all, they do sort of look like erasers. They seem to be called efrutti as a brand name. I've never seen that confectionary brand before, but it's pretty decent.  On a personal level, I'm not a huge fan of chewy candies (I prefer chocolates, or suckable things on sticks like lollipops, though I am partial to sour keys).  So my review of these is objective.

I opened one of the hotdogs - right away, the "wiener" came out of the bun. I'm not sure if it was designed to be taken apart, but I actually liked that. It made it fun. The "bun" felt very soft & smooth, which was nice. It also had a pleasant fragrance. I didn't eat the bun, but did eat the wiener part and found it too chewy for my taste.  Though it did taste okay.  I think for those who are fans of chewy candies, these would be a real treat! 

(●´ω｀●)

Kawaii Fridge Magnets for Sale

And these popular, funny, cute and downright silly magnets are for sale again. In the past, both on Etsy and at The Market here in Red Deer, I've sold them individually for $2 each.

Then, around Christmas this last year, I was selling the five-packs for $5 each (making each magnet 50% off). 

Now, I have a few packs left and they are going for $2/pack!! That's over half price! 

All 5 magnets - designed and crafted by me - are for you, for only $2 CAD.  This deal isn't currently on Etsy, but we can meet in person if you live in Red Deer and I'll give them to you that way, OR if you're not in Red Deer, email me your mailing address and you can eTransfer me at darylannderoche@gmail.com  

They make great gifts, workplace or school locker decorations, or just fun magnets for your fridge at home. Who doesn't love a little giggle to brighten their day? 

Thank you everyone for being here with me today!

xoxo, Daryl J. 

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Feature Friday for ShanShan Mato

Hi everyone 😄


Okay so, first a little back story here. I know it's been a long time since I've done a Feature Friday for y'all. 

The reason I am doing one now, is because of a super-kawaii YouTube channel I came across, while doing research on a project for a special someone's birthday...

In researching how to make an exploding gift box (don't worry - the fun, non-violent paper craft), I found this amazing young lady's channel, called:

More specifically, after a family member/in-law showed me that she'd made one of these, filled like a scrapbook with 'animated' pictures (small photo albums with moving parts), I became intrigued with learning how to do this.

And even more specifically, I want to turn printed photos into 'waterfall cards', so this video was very educational, as well as entertaining to watch:

And now, as for what makes this video/channel so kawaii? I don't even know where to start! It's the perfect embodiment of 'innocent and girly'. 

There's the hearts in the box she made (out of special paper stock), and the gentle rainbows, all the pink stuff, the cute cartoon girl at the beginning, and the charming lullaby that plays like a music box.

😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘

So I must say, that watching someone make so much out of thick paper, reminds me of last year's #OrigamiChallenge that ran on this blog.  Though I am not overly adept at making much more than a paper plane or kid's fortune teller, it is still an art form I respect. And if you're a paper-crafter, by all means, share photos of your work on social media with the tags #kawaii365 and #OrigamiChallenge (works best when you share directly to the fb group Kawaii365). Chances are high that you'll even get your awesome work featured in a future blog post!




Remember to check out the latest post from Zoo'd Animal Hybrid Friends! 




That's all for now, Have a great weekend!
xoxo,
Daryl J.

Double Feature Friday!

Hello lovely friends ≧◡≦

First of all, I'd like to sincerely thank you guys for your patience with me. When this blog began in the Summer of 2016 (about 2 years ago now), I had basically promised to be more 'present' with you... to keep you entertained, as you come back to this cute blog again & again, to enjoy more stuff.

And yet, as a 30-year-old person, adulting has kept me so busy, that sadly, this blog - my baby! - often seems to take a back burner and that's not cool. So as I squeeze in time (even before bed or early in the morning before work), I appreciate that you still come back here, even when it's been weeks since the last post. Thank you!


Okay so, Feature Fridays were a really big thing here on this blog for some time, and one of my favorite things for quite awhile, was to reach out to others in the 'kawaii' community, whether they be fellow artists, musicians, bloggers, fashion moguls, YouTubers or super fans of the culture.

My life is going to get even busier than usual, since soon I'm taking a cartooning course at the college to improve my skills for the Zoo'd Animal Hybrid Friends. So this will be one of the last Feature Fridays for awhile... and because my 'to-do' book has become back-logged, I'm doubling this one.

First up is a super cute YouTube channel I found accidentally awhile back, and she goes by Nightcore Stern. This channel is so nice because she adds a 'cute' element to classic pop songs, by speeding them up and adding some fun K-Pop style overlays, and if you're okay with very high soprano voices, then you'll also appreciate this. The thing that really gets me happy about this channel, is the cute anime-looking characters that are used as the background visuals for each song/video. Here is an example:

And in the interest of keeping things quick here, our next runner-up is a cute travel site called 'Our Kawaii Tokyo'. I like it because - though I haven't yet had a chance to visit Japan - this site is informative and sweet, with ideas on things to do when visiting. It's run by two girls named Ashley and Kaila, based in Japan and in the Philippines. Definitely worth checking out!

From the Our Kawai Tokyo blog

Thank you for checking out this fun post, and watch for more coming soon! Even when you don't see anything new from me in awhile, be sure that this blog - and you - are always on my mind! 

(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ

Daryl J.

The Art of Kaizen

Today I learned about something new. Well, it's not new in the world - just new in my world. It's a Japanese philosophy called Kaizen, which means "change for better". It can be translated closely to the English "improvement", but goes a bit deeper than that.

The notion here is to become the best version of ourselves possible. The. BEST. Version. Possible. 

This philosophy means first and foremost, to give up bad habits, the ones that cause our bodies harm, such as junk food, smoking, and others like alcohol, etc. Or at least enjoy them in moderation.

Then, give up negative thinking; give up paranoia, past hurts, and assumptions that harm our minds and our souls. Meditate. Pray. Do yoga. Find whatever gets you to your deeper self. It's totally okay to talk with a therapist, they can be super helpful. 

Then develop self-discipline. Learn to say no to what you don't need (or to whom you don't need to serve), and strive to stay true to your own convictions. Become a self-advocate for what you need, while balancing it with the needs of others. Don't be lazy in anything that you do, even if you're alone. Don't give in to temptations to take shortcuts.

Let go of people who suck you of your resources, and let go of things you cannot change. Keep a journal to make this process easier. Find what does & doesn't work for you. Establish healthy boundaries and spend time with other mentally healthy people, who are positive.

Learn to accept your shortcomings. All of them - these beautiful flaws are charming and what make you an awesome, perfectly imperfect human being. It's when we stop letting our self-doubts and fears of what others think, that we truly grow and flourish.

Read up on mindfulness meditation and growth mindsets - you'll be glad you did.

Now look to healthy habits for your body again - are you getting enough sleep? Make that a priority. Take 10 sips of water every 20 minutes to half an hour at work. Yes you will have to pee a lot for the first while, but then your body gets used to it. 

Pre-make healthy meals at home on a Sunday evening, portion them into freezable containers and store them in your freezer for quick but healthy meals for every night of the week!

This Kaizen is a life-long process, with no set end date, and unsurprisingly, is adopted by high-end and incredibly successful businessmen in Japan. And very likely also adopted by athletes and priests and all of the revered people there.

♈♉♊♋♌♍♎♏♐♑♒♓

Now here is the funny thing: I just recently read about this mindset and lifestyle, of developing into one's best self over time, and yet I feel it's already been happening in my life. 

I was picked on as a child and, without going into a lot of detail about my personal life growing up, I had extremely low self esteem and a low sense of self-worth. I felt I had no real place in this world, and this feeling got carried well into my 20s (I'm now almost 30 years old). As a teen, I was already watching shows like Dr. Phil and occasionally seeing counsellors through school. This was soothing as well as fascinating, and I began researching cognitive behavioral therapy as a tool to help people with various mental illnesses, which led to research on neuroplasticity and well, I've been keeping personal journals for years, and this is leading to a LOT of self-improvement (Kaizen) without even knowing a name for it.

My confidence has increased, mainly because I understand myself and my neurology a lot better. I still enjoy watching Dr. Phil because he's tough but gentle, and explains people's brains on the show. Now I am better with personal boundaries and keeping a safe distance from those who overwhelm my emotions, so I don't end up drained. It feels good to blossom as a person, and find my place in this world, as:

An artist.  A friend.  A therapist (when needed).  A writer, a thinker.  A communicator.

It's a way of life that's highly recommended to you guys, the readers 😍

What Do You Want?

Hi sweeties!

First of all, don't take offense at the title, because it's meant in a positive tone. Literally guys, I'd like to know: What do you want with this blog now that we're already so far in the new year?

It's now 2018 and this blog has been running for approximately a year & a half already. We've had fun challenges, such as:



And: 

The challenges had prizes, such as a coloring sheet (drawn by me), or even your own image featured here on this blog!!

We also had a major giveaway in Christmas 2016, won by Silvia D. 

And in addition, we've got cute games and quizzes here for you to enjoy!

Last March/April we had a fun contest where those who correctly guessed a visual pun [from a popular Disney movie], won a cute coloring page. Can you try to guess?

In addition, for quite some time throughout 2017, this blog was running Review Wednesdays, where we'd do a video or photo shoot of some kawaii cute items. I am honestly planning to bring these back to this blog, now that I've recovered from the flu and am less busy since the Holidays are over... for now.

We also used to have a very fun part of this blog, called Feature Fridays. Currently, this blog is calling for submissions - it's free to be featured once, as long as some of these guidelines are met:

⭐ You're a kawaii artist, fashion mogul, YouTuber, blogger, or fan of the culture ⭐

We also still like to occasionally review characters or pop culture that may be considered 'kawaii', and weigh in on whether or not it counts.

So please, as a loyal reader of this blog, if you have any suggestions for NEW fun stuff for 2018, please direct ideas to darylannderoche@gmail.com 

Thank you,

Daryl J. of

A New Type of Feature This Friday

Konnichiwa (hello) lovely friends 😊

It's the evening of Friday, October 20th. It's been sort of a bad day (Rob & I both had a stressful day at work, and our dresser broke while I was putting away laundry). It feels like Friday the 13th showed up a week late, lol.

Anyway, normally there was a time that each Friday, we'd enjoy meeting someone in the kawaii community, and learning more about them and what they do. That was a really big thing here when I was doing the daily Kawaii365 art project. I'd actively get in touch with Etsy shop owners, cute YouTubers, and fellow bloggers and they'd happily get featured here.

Then, on July 10 of this year, the #Kawaii365 daily art project (inspired by Noah Scalin's "Unstuck" book which I'm still doing projects in), the project came to it's completion, and it felt like a big part of my life had changed. Was missing, even.

Now, 3 months and 10 days later, I am again in the den, enjoying the seclusion and 'zen' after a day at my retail job, and then doing housework. I'm just relaxing at the laptop, as I think of all of you - the adorable and sweet readers - and reminisce over the days when this was my regular routine.

As I look around the den here, I see the newspaper clipping on the wall from when I got featured in the Red Deer Express for this project. That felt amazing. I was also blessed to have an interview with someone from RD News Now. So awesome. A favorite Hello Kitty plushie is sat to my left, and there are many more beloved 'pets' on the shelves behind me. I look to the right and see one of my favorite colored-in pictures framed on the wall. And of course, my pride & joy - the Art Diploma I earned in 2009. I look up and see a small collection of kawaii items I've collected for reviews.

Again, I'd love to thank you all for being there, for reading, enjoying and sharing this blog. You all deserve to be featured, just for being so awesome! Feel free to drop a 'Hello' in the comments 😊

In case you are wondering, yes I still do art. Last night, Rob & I went to a local pub here called Bo's, for a night of Art Battle, in which I was one of the painters - and I made this:

It looks a little sloppy because I painted the entire thing in 20 minutes' time (that's one of the rules of participating in Art Battle; it's 3x 20-minute rounds to determine the winning painter based on audience voting). 

Being an artist is a fundamental part of who I am; when this daily kawaii art project ended, I felt truly lost for awhile, and then I began creating a new series of characters called Zoo'd Animal Hybrid Friends, which are 12 zany kawaii animals based on hybrids made of 2 different animals, each.

Pandaroo in a costume, feeling slightly humiliated...

And, if you love me and wish to show support of this newer endeavor, you are more than welcome to check out my Patreon page (which is like GoFundMe or Kickstarter).









And in keeping with the hints for my upcoming Halloween costume, I'd like to gently remind you guys that...


Halloween is 11days away from now...

Fourth Powerpuff Girl

OMG! I grew up watching the original Cartoon Network show, and always identified with the innocent and easily-scared Bubbles.

And of course this show did try for a reboot recently, to less popularity then it used to have. So to build up some hype, the creators are going to be introducing a new PowerPuff girl on September 17th of this year.


Originally I was going to save the PowerPuff Girls blog post for a segment of 'Are They Kawaii?' but it is going to be in today's Feature Friday instead 😄


If you already know your 'girls', then you know the main character is the redheaded Blossom, sisters with rough-and-tumble tomboy Buttercup and babyish Bubbles. And you know they're all elementary-aged little girls with super powers, thanks to their mad scientist 'dad' Professor Utonium, who accidentally spilled a mysterious chemical into the potion used to make them. So naturally, bad guys come to their town so they can fight them.

And it's recently created an internet explosion that, on September 17 of this year, they are introducing a fourth PowerPuff girl named Bliss. Not much is known about her at this point, though she was shown briefly in a screen shot with her new sisters. She appears to be post-pubescent; taller than them, and with wide hips. She has brown skin (so implied to be a different race?) and turquoise hair, which is super kawaii-cute!

Anyway, I look forward to finding out more about her from the 5-part movie series with background information on this new character and her origins.

Let us know what you think in the comments section. And, if you enjoy controversy, YouTube is currently loaded with some very opinionated videos on this topic.

So have a great weekend, lots of love!
xoxo Daryl J.

Want to get featured on this blog?

Get Featured On A Blog

Hello sweet friend, how are you?

Good. How would you like to get featured right here on this kawaii blog?

You'll get more eyes (and fans!) on your channel, shop, product, service or fan page 😁

⭐Do you enjoy Cosplay? Pastel Goth/Lolita? Harujuku fashion?

⭐Are you an artisan who runs an Etsy shop or other eCommerce for your kawaii merchandise?

⭐Have you got a YouTube channel dedicated to kawaii lifestyle/beauty tutorials/music or collections?

⭐Do you actively collect anything of Sanrio™ or other cute items?

⭐Have you watched anime or read manga, and enjoyed/understood it? Do you like to watch with subtitles?

⭐Do you have a crush on Japan and fun Tokyo culture?

⭐Are you a blogger of kawaii lifestyle, such as visiting and reviewing cute/weird cafés?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you are a great fit to be part of this blog! Just submit your ideas to Daryl J. (that's me!) at Email and we can collaborate! 

Looking forward to working with you!

xoxo

*Please note: there is no business transaction involved. This means that you get featured, free of charge, and it helps build your portfolio. It's a win-win situation. Spamming will get reported (just a fair warning from a friendly girl).

A New Kind of Review (Wednesday)

Hello, konnichiwa friends!

(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ

Today is another Review Wednesday (for August 9), and though I usually review a cute toy or fun snack, we're changing things up a bit this week.

As you might already know, I recently began a new line of kawaii animal characters called Zoo'd. They are hybrids of 2 animals morphed together. And there are 12 of these characters in total 😃

The idea for them started out as one of the #Kawaii365 projects:

These were the rough edits, before I drew them digitally.


And at the time, I wasn't actively planning to create 9 more. I started out posting them on RedBubble, and then when they gained positive traction, I felt inspired to take it further...

So then I sat down with my 'biz binder' (literally a zipper binder full of all things related to Etsy, adult coloring, this blog, artist's finance, and other design stuff) and created all 12 of these cute animal hybrids. Somehow, I already 'knew' who they are. Each one has a distinct personality and background story. If someone asked me who they were based on, I wouldn't even consciously know.

One of the next steps, to finish off the daily art projects on this blog, was to start a brand new blog for the above characters. You know, so they'd have a space to call their own. 

So a few weeks ago, that's what I did. You can read their character profiles (and more) right here

And what is the point of a blog for them, if they didn't also have their own facebook group?


So in addition to the free desktop wallpaper above (designed for a 4:3 ratio but can be resized after you save it to your computer or mobile device), these characters are going to have a coloring and activity book coming soon to my Etsy shop (will share when complete) and even a web comic.

And, someday if enough fans show enough love and support, we may even have these turned into plushies via Jazwings! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧


Now let us know in the comments below, or on the facebook group - who is your favorite?

Want to get featured on this blog?

⭐Do you create anything considered 'Kawaii'?

⭐Are you a Harajuku fashion or Cosplay blogger?

⭐Do you just love Hello Kitty, Rilakkuma, or another cute character?

For a long time, we've enjoyed doing weekly features on this blog every Friday. However, it's been awhile since I've been in contact with someone who wants to be featured. You can be the next star!

Just email me at darylannderoche@gmail.com 😙

First Feature Friday (Since End of Kawaii365 Project)

Hello friends!

Still coming to terms here - it is still surreal that 365 art projects flew by over a year. It literally made me a bigger, more talented/skilled and open-minded person.

And it's an honor to share that joy with you (✿◠‿◠)

Before we meet today's (July 14's) #FeatureFriday cutie, here is another 'brag'. I also got featured with Red Deer Express. This city has amazing news media outlets and people! So glad to have moved here in 2015. Aside from the obvious getting married, it's the best thing Rob & I have done (and getting this condo too).

http://www.reddeerexpress.com/entertainment/red-deer-artist-creates-365-projects-for-365-days/

Sharing this story isn't so much about bragging, as it is about reaching out to other artists and creatives, and encouraging y'all to follow your dreams. Don't worry what others tell you, or think of your goals. Believe in yourself, and just try it. You may be pleasantly surprised by what happens!

And today it is an honor to meet Tomoto from Kyoto, Japan. She graduated from Kyoto Art University Visual Design Department and is a freelance illustrator, known for kawaii-style food & animal scenes.

Impressively, she has a lot of corporate clients, ranging from Sanrio to Panasonic (my husband's very favorite electronics brand, BTW). In her spare time, she runs a cute blog by cute cartoon Panda, 'Berry' (who lives in Macaron Town).

Her blog is called 'Sweet Life' and is primarily focused around desserts! Yay!

 Berry the bear holding up a big chocolate heart for Valentine's Day of 2017. I really appreciate that she has a regular character. So sweet!

Have a look at this cute 'foodie couple':

Awwww!!!!

Thank you for taking a moment to enjoy some cuteness from fellow kawaii artists - and seriously, who doesn't love cookies, donuts, ice cream, cake and fruit? (before you say 'Diabetics', these items *do come sugar-free).

Rob & I will be enjoying Sylvan Lake together this weekend - wishing you all the best!

xoxo

Daryl J.

So What Now?

Konnichiwa friends!


As you know on July 10 of this year, the Kawaii365 art project came to an official end. I can't lie, it is a little depressing. I feel that because I got so used to it (it only takes 2 months to form a habit, and this was 6x that). The feeling of self-expression and trying new crafts or drawing styles, became a little bit addictive (●´ω｀●)

However, there is a great feeling of pride, gratitude and excitement. It's still surreal how fast the year went, as how far this 'cute art' project was able to go. I cannot take full credit, since a lot of it came from collaboration. There are too many names to list, but if you're reading this, then you know who you are. Whether you hired me for an art program or event, commission work, or helped me network by sharing samples of my art - I appreciate you (✿◠‿◠)

So there have been people asking: 'What are you going to do with the blog now?' And that's a great question. I'd still love to do a 'Are The Kawaii?/Review Wednesday/Feature Friday' (every second day) schedule on this blog. Yesterday, we didn't do one since we're still in 'wrap-up' mode.

However, I will do my best to have a Feature Friday available for you guys tomorrow! Connecting with others in the kawaii, arts and blogging community is one of my favorite things 💗

Also, every 3rd month or so, I like to 'challenges' with regards to Japanese art or culture. See the KaraokeChallenge and KigurumiChallenge.

Currently, we are doing an OrigamiChallenge - you are encouraged to make some paper art and then share it on your social media, while tagging this blog so we can find you and share your work.

The above are some samples of the origami I've tried so far. Thanks to Chrissy from Paper Kawaii, I am learning new ones too. Yay!

So stay tuned on this blog - there will be upcoming posts, including horoscopes (like this one). I'd also like to try some Japanese and Korean beauty products and routines - so let me know if you have any suggestions!


And, speaking of features, check out this one from Red Deer News Now:

http://rdnewsnow.com/article/544797/year-long-art-project-brings-out-best-local-woman

I never want to let this kind of coverage go to my head - it is the people of Red Deer (and others I've met via this blog) who made this possible! Thank you! xoxo

And just so you know, today, July 13, is National Fry Day! If you live in the USA, please enjoy some free (or cheaper price) French fries today!