June 2nd Weekend Events

Saturday

Pet Valu Grand Opening

   Normally, a store’s opening event wouldn’t make it to the blog but this one involves kitties, damn it. 
About once every two months, I’m overcome with the urge to adopt a cat and then spend far too much time loitering in front of the adoptable’s cages, dangling a life that will never be in front of them.
   This is what I was doing when the very polite cashier suggested that I come on by this Saturday for the Ottawa Humane Society’s on-site Cat Adoption. There’s going to be refreshments, a raffle, and 25% off on beds, bowls, toys, and other cat-cessories to make it just a little bit harder to justify not getting a cat.

   Also, there are going to be greyhounds from Greyhound Supporters of the NCR there! Have you seen a greyhound in the flesh? They have the legs of a striding deer. The space between the paw and the ankle of a greyhound’s back leg is as long as my forearm. I was petting one once and my hands couldn’t fully cover its snout. They’re amazing. Go gawk.

PetValu, 1460 Merivale Road. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 613-225-4440.

www.petvalu.com

Dan's Birthday (or, $5.00 Extreme Caesars)

   It’s Dan Featherstone’s birthday party! We can’t be sure which one because he hasn’t listed his year of birth on his Facebook like some sort of predator.

 

   He is in the top seven of my most favourite people and top favourite patio-beer companion! Come down to James Street pub to say Happy Birthday! 
James Street Pub, 390 Bank Street. Open until 2 a.m. 613-565-4700.

www.heartandcrown.ca/

Legends in the Making

   Canadian Dave Merheje and Ugandan-Canadian Arthur Simeon are hitting the stage at Ottawa Little Theatre for a night of comedy. The description on the website says that the show “is probably going to make you laugh so much you’ll clap at least once.”  which is the least interesting and half-hearted description ever. On the side of water bottles it says “ingredients: water” and that gets me more revved up than that stupid synopsis. Yick.

   These two comedians are the storytelling kind which is objectively the best kind.

Part of the proceeds will go to the Canadian Friends of Pearl Children. 

Ottawa Little Theatre, 400 King Edward Avenue. $25.00. 8 p.m. 613-233-8948

www.ottawalittletheatre.com

Capital City Derby Dolls vs Kingston's Rogue Warriors

and just because I'm learning to love 'em so darn much, here's a repeat listing. Let's

see if we can make them famous.

Jack Charron Arena, 10 McKitrick Drive. $7.00 in advance, $10.0 at the door. 7 p.m.

http://www.facebook.com/CapitalCityDerbyDolls

DIY tutorial –Lace Pattern Paint

   The capital’s a little sleepy this weekend so, to keep you busy and feeling productive on this rainy weekend, here’s one way to freshen up a household item (I found this project here and there are so many other awesome ones).

   I chose our coffee table as a birthday gift probably two years ago. I picked out a black one because our television is black and I wanted a coordinated look.

   Decorating doesn’t come easily to me.

Having a black table has been hell so I decided to paint the whole thing white and make a lace-patterned design. Here’s how:

Things you’ll need:

·         Decoratable item (table, picture frame, bookshelf shelves, journal, etc)

·         Lace (enough to cover item completely)

·         Spray paint

·         Scissors

·         Tape

·         Beer

Measure out the lace and put it aside in a dust-free space

After painting the whole object in your base paint (two to three coats of spray) tape off the edges that you don’t want any secondary colour to touch. Tightly secure the lace to the object.

Spray your secondary colour as evenly or unevenly as you like over the lace, being careful not to angle the trajectory too low (or you’ll lose that lacey look)

After 20 minutes (just in case), peel off the tape and swiftly pull away the lace. Check out the sweet pattern.

Apply a finish and get back to using the object how you please.

March 10 - The Mud Oven: moms, paint, and a curious lack of mud *UPDATED*

     

    In the spirit that (hopefully) perpetuates this blog, I visited one of the events from the past weekend.  I give The Mud Oven experience a rating of nine out of nine unbroken mugs.

    The Mud Oven was the second event in a row where adults were vastly outnumbered by sticky children. I suppose this is a normal weekend for The Mud Oven as they only kept a handful of adult aprons (I got to wear a purple polka-dot apron that came to just below my belly button; I looked really, really cool).

    Though one might assume that a small shop full of mini-humans, shelves of ceramic, and an unending supply of paint means chaos for any who shall enter. However, the lock-down on organisation the Mud Oveners have makes me want to set my day planner on fire. They have a tall shelf set up with all they have available to paint, a library of reference material (that seriously lacked a National Geographic magazine; my unguided interpretation of the Vhavenda tribe's breasts was terrible), and tablets that show the various stages of a paint colour's opacity as you layer. 

    It can take hours to paint one mug (it took us three).My take-away advice is to bring someone you are comfortable sitting in silence with. I was very lucky to go with someone who is at-ease in quiet moments and incredibly honest when acknowledging them. Still, we arrived and got settled in a cloud of our own chattiness. 

 

    As we got more and more into our respective artwork, our chatter died down, eventually ceasing, and whole half-hours would sneak by with hardly a peep between us. After some time, my private bubble of concentration would let a little of the environment leak in and I 'd remember that I had company, seemingly at the same time as my mug-buddy. We'd start chatting again, though remained eager to get back to work and abandoned conversation-continuity as soon as our brushes started moving again. 

 

  
We left our work in their shop for them to glaze it and fire in their kiln, ready for pick up by Friday. Don't let the kid-phobic review deter you; those skinny-armed little tykes are downright civilised compared to their parents:

   

UDPATE

Mug's home!

 

March 10-11 (bonus Friday)

Friday

“I Am A Feminist, But...”

Although bra-burning is terribly outdated, (not to mention uneconomical) this evening-celebration of International Women's Week is a modern hoopla of sisterly solidarity.
There'll be a talk-show-panel style discussion on the feminist year in review, a short film called 'Sh*t Feminists Say' (probably inspired by this, this, and this), a (vaguely described) contest, and the Fourth Annual Femmy Awards.

There will also be a cash bar (my second favourite kind of bar) so you'll still be able to get a little drunk and say something sexy to a feminist.

Library and Archives, 395 Wellington St. $9.00. 6pm
click for website

Saturday

30^th Annual St Patrick's Day Parade

The Ottawa Irish Festival starts March 8^th but is kicking off this Saturday by snaking a line of Irish-enthusiasts down Bank Street.

There will be (or at least discussion about) Irish-themed music, poetry, history, song, dance, theatre, language, and sport.

The Ottawa Food Bank will be collecting so bring your non perishables.
If it's anything like I expect it to be  it ought to be a rousin' good time.

Laurier Ave West + Elgin to Landsdowne Park. 11am - 1pm. 613-591-9194.

www.irishsocietyncr.com

Sunday

Live Entertainment and Pancake Breakfast

In keeping with the theme of Impending St Patty's Day, St Brigid's (of St Brigid's cross) Centre for the Arts is hosting a delicious breakfast and live entertainment. Volunteer musicians from the Irish community will be a-serenading while you wolf down pancakes, fruit, ham, homefries,and coffee.

You can also pick up a loaf of Soda Bread and stop by Irish Eyes gift shop to get all your gear for St Patty's day.

St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts, 310 St. Patrick St, $5.00. 10am - 12pm

www.saintbrigidsccentre.com

All Weekend

The 18^th Annual Travel and Vacation Show

A consumer travel show with the added benefits of a Trade Show. If this is anything like the Sexapalooza trade show, there'll be $40 purex glass phalli.

Ottawa Convention Centre, 55 Colonel By Drive. $10.00. 10am – 5pm

www.travelandvacationshow.ca 

The Mud Oven

They're a paint-your-own ceramics studio! You pick a vessel (mugs, bowls, vases, tea pots, frames, goblets, candleholders, and more), design and paint it, and leave it with the staff to glaze and fire for you to pick up in a few days.

My friend, struggling to come up with a gift idea, called to ask for a ceramic-painting-companion. I have since been paralysed by all the possibilities a blank canvas holds.

My ideas so far:

Reservations are recommended and party packages available.

The Mud Oven. 1065 Bank St. Saturday and Sunday 10am – 6pm. 613-730-0814

www.mudoven.com