Lenora, Lenora, how does your garden grow? Patio garden progress and a little crafty DIY

Hello my little sun-lovin' bunnies!

I've been enjoying everyone's feedback and interaction in regards to my garden project, so I thought I'd share another update!

After a few more set backs- including a very vindictive stray cat who dug up  all the pots that were big enough for him to fit into, our garden is growing wonderfully and I am just so proud!

As you can see, I expanded the garden down the stairs...

We've had to add extra trellace and LOTS of bamboo skewers to deter the darn cat from digging, so the greenery isn't the prettiest to look at right now. We'd rather the skewers to using chemicals to deter him.
Our plants are dong great- especially our spinach and various pepper plants. We also have lots of new seedlings started in our little greenhouse (that does not have it's green-house-y plastic covering on for these photos- it was too hot!)

You may have noticed a few little jars in these photos- they are my latest little DYI.

I made outdoor photo jars!

I adore them! Not only are they cute, interesting little additions to our patio, they are a great way to use up some of the empty glass jars that have been taking over our pantry!

I just put some marbles and faux pearl beads into some empty glass jars, put in an old photo (from a haul of old 1890s-1950s photos from a farming family I picked up at a fleamartket), closed the jar tightly and decorated with some twine.  I made one that hangs with wire,  and one that says "welcome" for the front step.  Very happy with them!

How is everyone's garden growing?

xox
Lenora

Happy Solstice!

Hello my darling bunnies, and happy Summer Solstice!

Whether you celebrate the Solstice or not, you  have to admit today is a beautiful day here on the East Coast! The longest day of the year, the warmest, and a day to give thanks. It is also a day to  pass along blessings and well-wishes to others.


For me, the Summer Solstice is very special.  I have my yearly semi-Pagan traditions I have practiced since I was a child. They have been adapted from various old Wiccan/Pagan practices, made my own, and ever-evolving over the years. 


I spent the morning tending my garden as usual, and spending time with the baby chickadees , who have learned that I am a friend, and will sit with me while I have my morning tea. Afterwards, I gathered a few items together that are dear to me- photographs of family, friends, and my lover, feathers from my darling pet birds (present and past), crystals given to me by my mother when I was a teenager, etc. I set them outside with me for good juju , so to speak... to honor them, to keep them with me in love while I celebrated the coming of summer. 

I then sat down with some paper, a pen, and some string. I spent the next hour reflecting and giving thanks for the beautiful things in my life, and began to write down little "Dear Universe" notes... 
These little notes gave blessings to loved ones, troubled ones, and lost ones, and were tied to our elm tree. 


Little red notes dancing in the wind, asking for compassion for all. Asking for those who have empty bellies and empty hearts to be full, and satiated. Wishing those close, and far, progress, adventure, and happiness.

 These notes will stay until they are blown away, or the 1st rain. For me, summer has officially started.

Tonight, I'm having friends over for a few drinks on the patio, so share the love!

Do any of you have any summer rituals? Either spiritual or not?  Is it simply not summer until you've gone to the cottage? Berry picking?

XO
Lenora

Project Urban Garden/ Urban Tiki Oasis progress.

Hello  my happy little spring-time bunnies!

Project Urban Garden/ Tiki Oasis continues at the Le Noire residence. Slowly but surely we've been building up our collection of veggie and fruit plants, and decorating here and there.

Last week, craving more privacy, I decided to improvise a system for removable curtains at the entrance / staircase to our patio.

 I used twine and zip ties to attach some 2-foot bamboo poles to the deck, drilled in some screw hoops at the top, where I could hang a curtain rod. I wanted a system where I could easily remove the curtains and take them inside- so I used extra thick gauged jewelry wire as a curtain rod to hang from the loops. Upon finding out the hooks I bought were too big for the loops...I improvised some more, and used clip-on earing parts. It's like Swiss Family Robinson over here- everything is improvised and re-purposed!

The curtains allow for a bit more privacy from our neighbors to the right- and my galpal Kaycie and I took full advantage last Sunday . We pulled out some pillows and blankets and made a big loungey bed to bask in the sun, read, drink mojitos and girl-talk. The hustle and bustle of downtown seemed miles away. It was lovely!

Today is rainy and grey, but I've been poking around outside regardless. I needed the cheering up, since our town is currently a-blaze with scandal. A local university who has in place blatantly discriminatory anti-homosexual rules is receiving public funding. Over $150,000 a year of PUBLIC money. My heart is broken that my city is supporting these bigots. You can read more about it HERE.  I am a the media coordinator of our local LGBT non-profit, so I've been flamed with endless requests for interviews, comments, etc. Public response has been mostly to cut the funding, but a few people I once respected have turned out to be homophobic wankers, so my heart is a bit broken. To cheer myself up today, I picked up some trellaces, climbing ivy, and a few more seedlings .

The green beans and sweet snap peas are highly boobytrapped with bamboo skewers to keep out a pesky, fat , clever little squirrel. So far, no more furry bastard .

The Ivy will hopefully climb up this trelace for extra privacy.

The climbing spinach is growing wonderfully. It is edible and decorative. Very excited to see how it turns out.

More green beans, herbs, and tomato plants. Bush bean seedlings are staying warm n toasty under the mini pop-up greenhouse.

Our tacky pink plastic flamingos continue to be a great pigeon-repellent. You can see our one and only sky-scrapper in in the background, blurry, behind my neighbor's roof.

All in all, I'm very happy with the progress. The trees in our back yard are almost full-bloom with leaves now, the chickadees and finches are all having babies , and the caterpillars are at a minimum this year. We are wonderfully blessed to have such a cozy and lush little oasis right in the heart of downtown, and we plan on taking full advantage and enjoying it as much as possible!

How are your gardens growing?

xoxo
Lenora

Our little urban garden

Hello my darling bunnies!

Nick and I have decided this year to try and take advantage of our outdoor space, and we've started an urban patio garden! We live smack-dab downtown, and are very lucky not  only to have a patio, but one large enough, with enough sunlight to be able to have plants. 

We started modestly, with a few containers of radish, kale and peppers. This is my 1st attempt at gardening, and as my experience has grown, so has our garden. 

These 1st few pictures are from May 1st. I improvised a cheap solution for more privacy by stapling up some bamboo mats. 

I've been doing my morning yoga and enjoying my morning tea out on the deck when the weather permits- it has been lovely!

These photos are from today. As you can see I've pretty much tripled our plants, and everything is growing amazingly! I just planted a whole second set of radish,green bean, and kale.  I started everything from seeds (except the dill , cilantro and mint, which I purchased as young seedlings) 

Our garden currently contains:

-kale (in the large black tubs)

-three kinds of tomatoes (also in the big black tubs)

-lots and lots of bush beans and sweet snap peas

-three kinds of mint, oregano, dill, cilantro.

-a dozen or more jalapeno and cayenne pepper plants

-green pepper

-climbing spinach

-green onion

-radish

-raspberry

-strawberry 

I'm really proud of the progress so far! Not bad for a 1st timer without a yard, I have to say! The biggest challenge so far has been keeping out a particularly clever and fat squirrel. Those downtown squirrels are damn smart, not even cayenne pepper sprinkled about has been deterring him.  


You'll also notice my big tacky pink flamingos- not only do I love them for the kitsch factor , they've been keeping away the pigeons! 



I also have been bringing the babies outside in their travel cage, to enjoy the sun. They've been making friends with the chickadees and yellow finches who visit our feeders


Is anyone else planting a garden this year? 



xo
Lenora

30 before 30

Hello bunnies!

Lately,I've been seeing quite a few " 30 before 30" lists pop up all over the internet, and you know, they are a pretty good idea. I've decided to jump on the bandwagon.

I'm 26, turning 27 in August, so the clock is ticking. Here we go!

1-Sunbathe totally nude ( as opposed to just topless as I've been doing)
2-Get published (Be it a book, a regular article in a newspaper or magazine, etc)
3-Volunteer more (preferably with LGBTQ youth)
4-Double my under-the-needle time in terms of tattoos (Currently at 42 hours. I'd like some sexy thigh tattoos next!)
5-Conquer my fear of medical needles and medical procedures, so I can get tests/ etc done without panic attacks
6-Travel more- especially overseas. Particularly, Spain , Italy and France
7-Learn to make french macarons
8-Sing in front of a crowd in a non-drunken-karaoke fashion
9-Learn to play the ukulele
10-Perform more burlesque
11-Hone my sewing skills, and design some dresses instead of just altering existing ones.
12-Read more books
13-Do more yoga
14-Grow and can my own food ( working on that one right now!)
15-Give more talks on body-positivity, self-confidence, etc .
16-Host more diner parties
17-Get a bike, and effin' use it.
18-Attend more music festivals ( Red Hot n Blue, HotRod Hootenanny, etc)
19- Learn to drive a classic car ( pre 1960s Chevy, Ford or Caddy!)
20-Learn to knit
21-Help my partner get an education, be it with taking on another job to support us both for awhile, or moving somewhere school is better/more affordable. Possibly Montreal.
22-Practice/ Use my French more- I was raised bilingual but I'm very self conscious of my French. Gotta use it, or I'll loose it.
23-Visit family in other parts of the world.
24-Donate more to deserving charities
25-Camp out in the desert (preferably in Arizona.) Drive Route 66!
26-Visit California to see Mel, visit the Museum of Death, and experience Santa Monica and LA
27-Continue to conquer my anxiety, and enjoy my first winter without crippling depression and hermit-dom
28-Hopefully grow some more damn natural eyebrow (after an unfortunate waxing incident when I was 19, I have very little natural eyebrow, hence them being drawn on.)
29-Get more birdies, preferably a conure!
30-Turn 30 gracefully and un-ashamed. Life will not end for me at 30 as I've always stressed about.. Growing older will not make me less of a woman. Wrinkles will not make me less attractive. I will embrace the wisdom and knowledge I will accumulate, and enjoy every minute.


How about you guys? What are some things you young folks would like to do before you're 30? Hell, how about 40 before you're 40? 50 before you're 50? Write a post, share the link, I'd love to know!!

Xo Lenora

Self portrait- April 26th.- Embracing a more natural me

Lately, ever since I’ve come back from Cuba, I’ve been sporting a much more natural look. This is my natural hair, air -dried outside in the sun. Bare skin, nothing but eyebrows. A few months ago, I would have never posted this photo… but I’m so much more comfortable in my own skin lately. 

I joke that I’m turning into a hippie, but, embracing my natural beauty on my own terms has been really freeing. Don’t get me wrong, I still love being a glamour-puss, and getting all dolled up for a night on the town- but the difference is, I don’t feel like I have to put on that “show” every day, anymore, and that has been such a great thing to feel and discover.

My look has always defined me, and as I grow, I’m much more comfortable expressing all sides of me to the world, and lately, that is a much more toned-down Lenora. 

On a side note, I owe this awesome mane of mermaid hair to shampooing rarely (1-2 times a week), and using THIS stuff. 

xo

Lenora

My Big, Fat, Cuban Vacation- Final Day, Final reflection.

My apologies for the delay in writing the final entry in this series. I've been so busy!  Here is the last entry in my journal from my trip.

April 7th,


3pm

"Sitting at the lobby bar, with a final mojito by my side. I've checked out, stashed my bags, and plan to enjoy the next few hours until I board the bus to the airport. 


All in all, I am happy with this trip. I am proud of myself for doing this alone,  fighting to stay positive, and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I had no idea I had so much to learn and overcome, and every single day was a complete blessing. 


My mind wanders back to the beautiful water out on the boat yesterday, and how wonderfully calm and happy I felt. I will always hold those memories close, and draw on them when I need to be reminded of just how magical life can be. 


At some point today, I plan to re-read all of what I have written this week. This is something I've always struggled with, re-reading any journals. I think I am finally in a place of strength and comfort to be able to properly self-reflect without fear or shame. In all my years of writing and recording my thoughts, I've always struggled with the idea of re-visiting my thoughts. I never have the strength to re-immerse myself in whatever emotions I had expressed, out of fear, maybe, of feeling those feelings all over again. I cannot go through life trying to avoid suffering. Suffering is a natural and needed part of life. Living without suffering isn't truly existing, and I've learned, this week, just how much I have been holding back from living my damn life. I have to let go of fear. 


I now begin to wonder how to change my life for the better when I return home. Small steps, of course. Continue on a healthy mental path by allowing less negativity into my life, and continuing with my healthy eating habits.  I am so invested in the idea of a total life over-haul , down to breathing new life and love into my relationship with Nick, to spending more time with friends and those I care about. As I said when I first touched my pen to this journal, I know I'm going to fly back home a new woman."

After a rollercoaster of a week, I was happy to be heading home. My heart and soul felt satiated. The trip home was pleasant, despite a cancelled flight due to a snow storm- but this allowed me to stay at a lovely hotel in Toronto, and continue to enjoy my triumph of eating alone without anxiety. Such a silly , small thing to mention, but the next morning in Toronto, I woke up to have breakfast in the restaurant across the street, and I didn't bring any distractions with me what so ever. No phone, no book... I enjoyed my meal and all the goings-on around me. Small victories!

When I booked this trip, I knew I needed to throw myself into the fire, and experience something raw. I had no idea what I would learn and experience. As I write this now, from bed , on a rainy evening...I almost cannot believe that I experienced such a true adventure.

I truly feel reborn, and have taken my life by the balls. I have been on the constant go since I came home- getting out of the house, trying new things, making new friends, accepting new challenges; it is pure bliss. Friends and loved ones have commented on a certain "glow" I seem to be radiating - and I tell them : " It is happiness. It is freedom".

We are currently planting an urban garden on our back patio. Kale, tomatoes, peppers, radish, strawberry, raspberry, green beans, snap peas, spinach...all started from seeds, and already sprouting wonderfully. I am slowly transforming the patio into an urban oasis; a safe space for me to sit, read, and enjoy the life growing all around me. After  a week confessing my sins and fears to the ocean- I feel so much more connected to nature and the Universe. I cannot quite describe the feeling. I am turning that new connection into a hobby. Seeing life grow all around me, and tending and caring for it as it slowly grows from the ground has been really profound.

Just minutes before I sat down to write this final entry- I was packing my suitcase yet again. In one week's time, I will be hoping another plane, back to Cuba. This time, to Santa Clara, and this time, with my wonderful partner, Nick, by my side. We found an amazing deal,  Nick had vacation time to use up, and I wanted to go on another adventure and hopefully discover new things, this time with my boyfriend. We didn't think twice about booking. I have given Nick The Art of Happiness to read on the trip- I want us to be on the same page. I want him to get a taste of the freedom I achieved just a few short weeks ago.

Sure, maybe taking a 3rd  trip in just a few months may seem lavish or irresponsible, but we are both at a time in our lives where we can afford both financially and time-wise, to take these trips. Who knows when we will have these opportunities again, so we are truly living in the moment.

Without drawing this entry out too long , in summary...I very much feel like  the woman writing these words to you today is an entirely happier, healthier, rejuvenated, human...I am humbled and grateful for the experience and all that I learned, and I feel SO EXCITED to be living my life in new ways. Every day is such a blessing, and I'm so ecstatic to finally realize this.

I want to thank all of you who've been reading along, and all those who've reached out with your emails, messages, and phone calls. The response has been unbelievable. To those who've said I've inspired you to take new steps- you have no idea how unbelievably touched I am that I could make any difference , even a tiny one, in your life or outlook. Thank you all, from the very bottom of my heart.

Here's to a new adventure, each and every day.

Xoxo Lenora