Pictures that make me smile. Part 8 (Paris Edition)

An artist has no home in Europe except in Paris. 

-Friedrich Nietzsche

(all pics from pinterest)

So... it's been a little over a year since my husband and I visited Paris and I need to go back.

In fact, I am trying to figure out if it is feasible to live there short term sometime within the next year and a half...

We just bought a house so you may be thinking... bad timing...

BUT

I don't think so.  

You see, a house can be rented out. 

 Even sold if need be (though it wouldn't).

The reason it would need to happen within the next year and a half is that the only thing that would likely keep my husband and I from taking on an adventure such as this would be having a baby....which we'd like to do in the nearish future.

Anyways... this is my short Paris rant.

Pics of my new hair soon to come ;)

~***The Madonna Inn***~ A Kitschy Oasis...

I don't remember where and when I came across the existence of this magnificent hotel

BUT

I remember that when I did, I fell in love!

The 

MADONNA INN

is in San Luis Obispo, California. 

It has 110 extremely unique rooms.

 

It was built between 1958 and 1960 

and I think it's clear from the photos that has retained it's retro charmed quite perfectly.

All of the rooms are decorated with different themes. 

 

And I think it's fair to say that when they excecuted these themes originally, they must have been following the mentality of

 

"GO BIG OR GO HOME"

I hadn't really had a strong desire to visit California over other more desirable vacation destinations...

BUT NOW!

I totally want to make a tradition of going there every year so that we can stay in a different room every time.

The kitschy quality is undeniable.

I'm not sure it would ever get old.

I am completely captivated by their amazing over-the-top dinning room.

The weird thing is, I featured a picture of this dinning room in a previous 

"Pictures that make me Smile" post.

It was the Pink Edition.

And I had no idea where or what the pic was of.  I just came across it on weheartit.

Then I stumbled onto this lovely hotel on a completely separate occasion.  As I was browsing the pics I thought "Hey....this looks familiar"

I hope the owners never sell this place.  

I have a feeling that an outsider would change it drastically to modernize it.

I think it should stay exactly how it is.

Frozen in time.

That is, of course, what makes it so appealing!
Well.... to me at least :)

We could all use a vacation without all of the "modern conveniences" anyways.

I've always wished that I was born in 1950s.

So getting to stay in a "time warp", so to speak, would be like a dream come true :)

The Magic of Museums (Ottawa Edition)

I have been thinking a lot lately about whether or not moving away from Ottawa would be a good thing.

It is not because I don't like Ottawa.

It is just because of the lack of opportunity within the Arts here.

In the process of this inner debate I have come to realize that, since I have lived here my whole life, there are many things about Ottawa that I take for granted.

One of those things is the abundance of amazing museums we have here.

One of my earliest favourite museums is actually not in Ottawa, but Gatineau.

But one of the privileges of living here is that it is only a hop, skip and a bridge crossing away!

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION

I remember thoroughly enjoying my trips to the Museum of Civilization as a child and I still do as an adult.  I remember driving up in the school bus and being captured by the swirls and waves of the architecture. 

I remember loving the mock villages and the crazy school bus that you could go into...

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I remember being in awe of the massive Totem Poles and canoes...

I remember seeing amazingly visual movies at the imax...

(via wikipedia)

The museum was designed by Douglas Cardinal, a famous North American Native architect educated at the University of British Columbia, and the University of Texas at Austin.

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF NATURE

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As a child I was totally enamoured by the Museum of Nature...
I mean it looks like a Castle!
Come on! :)  What kid could resist?

I remember on one field trip (I was maybe eight) either our teacher or one of the museum staff had told our class that there was a ghost that haunted the musem and that if we left a pen and paper in our backpacks (which were left in storage while we had our tour) we might find a note from the ghost in there.

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I thought to myself....."that is soooo awesome! I hope the ghost leaves me a message!" when a more natural response for a kid would be...haunted?  Thats scary...I hope I don't get a note...
When I think back now, sometimes its painfully obvious that even as a child I liked weird and sometimes darker things.... (ghosts, graveyards, etc...)

I realize that makes me sound weird....

NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA

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The National Gallery feels like home to me.
Being that I am an Artist, I visit very frequently...

Snapshot I took Canada Day 2010

I loooove the spider sculpture "Mamam" by Louise Bourgeois that guards her babies in the front.

view of Parliament from inside 2nd floor on a rainy day

The architecture, the views, the art.....all amazing.  

I recently got married and if I wasn't going a more rustic theme, I would have loved to have my reception at the Gallery.

If you live in Ottawa and you have yet to visit any of these magical places, 

PLEASE DO SO!!!

Since my Hubby and I are going to be slightly house poor this summer, I think we'll try something different.

This year I am going to sight see in my own city, because there are so may great sights that we never make an effort to see when we're here all the time.

I will be a visitor in my own city.

YAY :)

Pictures that make me smile. Part 6

~~~~*JUST DAYDREAMING*~~~~

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AS ALWAYS.