and restore...

well so, where to begin? we've been busy.
+ aren has been working on four short films and one feature (see this post). the shorts are very involved as he is not just editing. the team (director, writer, editor and producer) collaborate to create the best film possible. two of the shorts have been shot so he's editing the days away, making the most the footage he receives. there are also a few upcoming potential projects that he will detail in the future.
+ as for me, i've been working on seven things at once. it's funny with freelance work; it's either feast or famine (eh, liz and bev?). here's my list (keep in mind that my part in all of these took place in the space of a week and a half): costume design for two shorts (yes, the ones aren is editing. what?! it just worked out that way), costume design for a dance show called the end, finishing garments for the bravofact film i have working on for the last year and working part time at a costume rental house for halloween.
+ i also just found out that i have been selected to participate in the four at the winch program with toronto dance theatre. it's a program that offers production support (dancers, rehearsal and performance venues, technical, design, marketing and finicial) to four emerging choreographers. this is the first year that tdt has selected two emerging costume designers to participate in the creation of the new works. now, some may ask if i qualify as an emerging designer. while i have had the good fortune of working with some of canada's top vancouver based choreographers, i am new to the toronto and eastern canadian scene. so i qualify under that caveat. i am very excited about this opportunity to collaborate with new choreographers and the ability to create within a supportive, risk taking environment. i start in december. which means that i will not be coming back to vancouver to work on the theatre show in january (sorry liz). i wish i could have done both and i look forward to working with the theatre company in the future. it's going to be an amazing show. if you have felt a dearth of great theatre in your life, this is show for you.
+ we also had a visitor, kate! it was great to catch up and hang out with an old friend. we also hung out with jaime, laura, kelly and a variety of other montreal peeps. all photos courtesy of kate and her ingenious flash filters.






+ it was aren's birthday. aren and i went out for delicious sushi (it does exist in toronto! it's rare and expensive) and then met up with kate et al. good times.
+ after working three weeks straight without a day off, we decided enough was enough and went to niagara falls for the day. it was a of a dramatic day, filled with highs and lows (woke up late, aren's license expired requiring me to drive much to both of our chagrin, couldn't figure out how to get on the gardiner/queen elizabeth expressway, found free parking all day in nigara falls, went to nightmare's scary house [eek! it was pitch black and claustrophobic], ate one of the best veggie burgers i've had in awhile at montana's cook house [i was impressed that they had cloth napkins], bought eggs, pumpkins and apple cider from roadside stands, the loooong drive home, attempted to parallel park on richmond st, aren finished the job, watched marie antoinette and were underwhelmed [sofia coppola is good at eye candy but doesn't really do a great job of telling a story. i think i am done with her]. niagara falls is a little weird. giant hotels are right next to the falls. strangely, the american side seems much less commercial than canadian side. it's hard to tell how big the falls are in the photos. the look out is just above the falls and they seem a little small. i can imagine it would be different if you were in a boat or at the foot of the falls (sadly, the maid of the mist was closed for the season). the rest of the town is like a mini disney land. 4D theatres, strange fairground rides, ice cream stands and canadiana junk everywhere, trying to entice you to hand over gobs of money. we weren't. overall, a good day with moments of extreme torture.















i think that covers it. it's incredibly windy here and i think i shall go out and enjoy the blusteryness.