Sa-weet!

 [ happy, happy! ]

So, I guess all of my fretting over interview attire and cutting my Ottawa vacay short were not in vain! I landed the job! OK, it's not official yet - still waiting on the offer letter and am in the middle of negotiating a post-Fashion Week start date ('cause I'm covering it for blogTO!!), but it's probably safe to break the news. And, really, I've been unemployed/freelance/self-employed for a whole YEAR, so obviously it's big news that I'm dying to share (and I'm bad at secrets).

So, back to the 9-to-5. I wasn't entirely convinced, at first, that I wanted to work a full time office job, but it sunk in as a necessity over the holidays, and now? Now, I'm excited about it. Pencil skirts! Office coffee! Co-worker chatter! A sense of purpose? Yeah, I've had some lows lately, and I think that the working-from-home thing, combined with being pretty broke was getting to me. I'm the designated breadwinner for the next couple of years, while Sweet Thing makes their steady climb to music fame (*fingers crossed*) and the Mister starts bringing in some dough.

 

[ Alex soundchecks somewhere far from here. He'll be back. Photo c/o Sweet Thing ]

The challenge - and I'm ready for it - will be balance. I want to ride the momentum of Dudley & Bea and keep working at it in my spare time. I'd love to keep writing, too (Alex is somewhere out in the world frowning right now). It's ambitious, but I'm pretty adept at multi-tasking. Idle hands are not my friends.

This good news opened another door: since I'm no longer bogged down with job hunting, and I don't start work right away, I can spare a few days to hit the road with the boys on their mini tour south! First stop? New York! I'm hitching a ride and then staying for a bit to visit one of my bestest girls (a one-time Canadian transplant high-ranking in my favourite-people-ever list).

 [ getting in trouble in NYC is the most fun with Tabor ]

The guys will continue on to play some Austin, TX shows during SXSW. This little jaunt comes on the heels of their latest cross-country tour with Down With Webster. They play their final show tonight at Massey Hall in TO! So, Alex is back in the city after being away from me for 3 weeks, but I can't see him yet. I've been trumped by soundcheck. The truth: I took too long to get ready and missed a little window. He'll be on his way home very, very soon, though. FINALLY!

I have a feeling that this will be a good year for the band (and maybe bad for me, if that includes a lot of touring). It will all pay off, though. Right? Right? They just played Much Music AND Breakfast Television. Leah just heard Change of Seasons on a Disney program. We also heard it landed a spot on 18 to Life although I've yet to hear it. The little song that could.

2011 is looking up. My mom was right. "You'll be fine."

A week in the life.

[ Sweet Thing on MTV Live! ]

I've been neglectful, I know. But unless I lugged a laptop around (yeah, still actually need to OWN a laptop. I want this.), I wouldn't have had a second of alone-time with a computer this week. Busy, busy!

And it's not just my job #1 that's taking up so much time (Best-Wife-Ever/Sweet-Thing-"Reporter") Nope. I'm working on deadlines galore. 

I've decided to apply for a craft show that happens in December. It's just the kick-in-the-butt I need to get my little pet business off the ground. The deadline is Wednesday. Plus, I was up until all hours of the night last night finishing up by Best Perogies post for BlogTO. It should go up on the site this week. I might need a break from these "Best Ofs"; they're making me fat. 

And today, I'm temping at GBC, filling in for Alex, who accepted the role before band biz came up (they were performing at XM this aft!). See: busy!

I'm really too excited to be back creating! I've made two dog coats that look AWESOME (pics soon) and need to stay up late tonight to whip up some mock-up leashes, collars and dog cookies.  Oh, and an interim website and banner for my Etsy shop. I anticipate all-nighters. (You know I love the pain, though. Read: happily self-destructive.)

Of course, I have still made time to follow Sweet Thing excitement. In the past week and a half, they performed live on MTV Live and opened for Down With Webster at the CNE! (p.s. So I think they're a bit Frosh-Dude - not my thing -  but I still can't get DWW's "Your Man" outta my head. These boys have some catchy little grooves and man do they put on a SHOW! Impressive.)

Here are some highlights!

MTV Live performance... (yes, of course I was there)

w/DWW at the CNE...

Lots of new fans! Look at all the cameras! So, we were way in the back (no interest in having elbow fights with 3000 pre-teens). Do you have better/closer pics or videos from this show? Message me! I'd love to see and share them!

My baby on the big screen! Yeah! See the guy in the foreground? He was a SUPER fan and too cute! Dude, who are you? Send me your videos - I know you filmed most of the show. Your friend also wanted a pic with me and Alex (ha! my first fan photo :) - I'd love to see it!

Me and my adorable dance-date!

Owen doles out autographs...

... and so does Alex!

Post show, and looky-looky who we found. Mr. Gavin Brown.

We didn't stick around for much of the set, but Down With Webster was killing it! I tried to snap good photos of the show from our backstage vantage point, but their ridiculous entourage was blocking my view (see photo left). Instead, I took this one from the merch table. (Hmmm, when will Sweet Thing have an entourage of this magnitude? Only a matter of time.)

Argh, this is clearly a distraction from crafting and I must get back to it. My husband is MIA (mysterious disappearance post-XM show) so I should really take advantage of the quiet house. (Quiet, minus the constant squirrel-patrol barking in the backyard.)

Ta-ta!