Exploring Museum London

This was our first time checking out Museum London in the busy city of London, Ontario. It's about a two hour drive (pending on traffic) from Windsor. 

It is also home to more than 5,500 artworks and nearly 50,000 historical artifacts. The gallery has 3 floors of exhibits, including a quaint cafe on the main level and gift shop. 

These particular exhibits showcased were thought-provoking and quite visually stunning. I love the way a few of these were curated to not only display art but tell such important stories that impact our identities and lives today.  

👉"All Around Me, All Around You" - Bernice Vincent

👉The Elusive Dancer - Marcio Melo

👉"you don't understand, sharing is the law, the land owns itself" 

-James Nicholas and Sandra Semchuk

👉Cloudburst - Billy Bert Young. 

👉Word Search - Jamelie Hassan

👉Tropi-X Exhibit: "Proteja oque nos resta" 

which translates to "Protect what we have left" - Bruno Smoky

These were a few of my favourites and you can find more information about them at the link below. 

Many more exhibits are coming and it would be fun to go back for another day of exploration.

💜 Visit Museum London

The Giggle Mat Adventures

Breathing life into our new project The Giggle Mat Adventures.

Dizzy & Mr. Purpleman will be visiting new places and meeting new people!

💜Find out more about Dizzy & Mr. Purpleman

💜Follow us on Facebook: The Giggle Mat Adventures

Keepin' It Real: Q&A with Art By Nabes

Santa's Little Problem

Copyright: Art by Nabes

When writer, Neil Gaiman said “The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before” he was right.  I know that when I tap into my creative soul, something really awakens and over the years, I tend to not only see, but also feel that when others share their passionate pursuits with me.

It was perfect timing to meet Nabes, a Canadian Graffiti Writer/Cartoon Illustrator, who is inspired by the nostalgic '80s and '90s generations. 

Copyright: Art by Nabes

1. Let’s begin with, the nickname “Nabes.”  Tell me about that.

I got it years ago. New neighbours had moved in next door and they were about 10years older than me. They built a mini ramp in their carport and I went over there to introduce myself (and to skate) and they started to call me “Nabes” short for the neighbour kid. This nickname stuck.

💠

2. Your passion for creating is evident in your portfolio, from your incredible digital work, sketches and vibrant mural designs! I absolutely love the “Movie Buff” print, as my husband and I watch so many movies together.  Are there inspiring moments to trigger these images?

I had this conversation with a friend the other day, and he called me “Peter Pan”.

It’s totally true! I don’t want to grow up. I am inspired by cartoons, and my late father was the biggest kid I knew!

I tend to see things in more of a playful manner, and when I’m drawing, hiking, hanging out, or whatever it is, I think to myself “how can I make this more fun?”.

So it’s just fun that inspires me - like a big kid!

💠

3. I really loved watching the time-lapsed mural art videos that you’ve created.  What’s the most challenging aspect of doing mural art and what’s the most enjoyable thing about it?

The most challenging aspect would be the time. Some clients want to know how long a mural will take. I give them a rough estimate, but it’s still hard to call as there can be hiccups along the way, especially if it’s a larger mural. 

The most enjoyable thing would be the creation itself. There’s really only a few things in life that give me joy - art, fitness and nature.

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4. It’s awesome that you are Canadian. I read that you live up in BC. The beauty of the landscape there must be art in itself.  Have you travelled to other places in Canada or even outside the Canadian borders? Also, is there a dream destination where you’d love to showcase your art pieces?

I’ve been all over the lower part of BC and some of the Rockies (I used to live there). I have family in Winnipeg, a bit in Toronto and some in the west coast of the USA, the UK and even New Zealand. I’m a dual citizen, so when I can I go back to the UK, I see my family & friends paint a lot more murals there and some of Europe.

I’d love to be apart of any mural festival anywhere in the world. I’d also love to be featured in “Juxtapose” magazine and also the “Art Basel” in Miami, that would be really cool.

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5. What are some of your goals for the upcoming 2022 year?  

I’m thinking about releasing a video series on illustration and setup/marketing of a POD shop (print on demand). I want aspiring artists to see the steps I’ve done to be successful and apply it to their own businesses.

I’m also looking to release a children’s colouring book or story book or even a colouring book for adults.

I also want to purchase a new motor bike, I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie as well.

Check out the vast art collection from Art by Nabes!

💜www.artbynabes.com

Just Horsing Around

Our final stop was Lexington, Kentucky.

The Gratz Park Inn, as stated on their website is “Nestled in the heart of Kentucky horse and bourbon country..” Arriving, what an adorable place! From the outside, you can see it is very welcoming with well-maintained flowers and shrubbery, under a large awning.

The Gratz Park Inn. All photos by Melissa Arditti

Walking inside, it is quite beautiful with a historical feel, as you can see from the photos.

There are many rooms and suites to choose from too. Unfortunately, our first room impression was not very desirable as the staff must have missed the memo to only have guests enter when it is fully cleaned. However, the front desk clerk apologized for the inconvenience and proceeded to show us to another room, which was exceptionally clean and exactly what I was hoping for.

You can book a room here: www.gratzparkinn.com

After we got settled, it was off to the famous Kentucky Horse Park, where we would be enjoying a 3-hr tour (insert Gilligan’s Island music here…) run by Shaun Washington of the Unique Horse Farm Tours. (VERY outdated, but Shaun assured us that a new website was coming soon)

This is honestly the best tour you want to go on, as he is truly one of a kind. He’s quite the comedian with loads of information on every destination. His stories may seem long-winded, but you can’t help but listen intently and have a smile on your face. Are all the tales real? Who knows, but frankly, who cares. He is entertaining and has a heart of gold. Shaun has a wonderful relationship with the horse owners too and so your tour does not just involve just looking out a window. You get to be up close and personal with the horses. You can also pick up the shuttle bus right at the Horse Park, which is quite convenient.

I knew that horse racing was a lucrative business, but most of these horses are worth over a million dollars or more!! I will also say that I have never seen horses so well taken care of. I was a little hesitant to go on this tour and see sad horses that are obviously malnourished and just trapped inside the horse barn all day and night. Thankfully, as we were taken to many homes, I think they live better than most people! I suppose that it necessary, especially when people risk their homes and livelihood, hoping that their horse will win first place. Oh and before the animal activists boycott my post, these particular horses are NOT confined to their stables. They get to roam around in the gorgeous fields.

The amount of superstition is also quite interesting. All these figurines were put on top of the stables for good luck and to also ward off uninvited spirits. I was hoping to see a gargoyle as they are known to “ward off evil spirits” but no such luck.

After the tour, we were pretty tired and ready for dinner. Just around the corner was Le Deauville French Bistro. Supposedly this was one of the best restaurants in the area, so we were anticipating French cuisine extraordinare! Yeah right…

I will be totally honest, I was not impressed. The food was decent, but the service left a bad taste in my mouth. Again, food is not the be all and end all when in comes to dining, it is also the SERVICE. So why I am complaining? Well let’s see, we were not told the specials at all. Every other table was and so did we have cooties? Did we still smell like we got off of a horse farm tour? I did freshen up. Our waiter was not attentive and barely talked to us. When I asked about a few items on the menu, it was like I was bothering him. Another annoyance was the woman offering bread. She was running back and forth to each table and also on the outside patio. I would have expected a calmer environment, not a bread race. Keep in mind, even though the bread was fantastic, we were the last to get any. The prices were not modest either, but we came at the right time, since they were doing a similar concept that we have here called Eat Your City Restaurant Week, with a special “3-course Prix Fix” menu.

As we sat waiting for our food, we noticed a complete different treatment of other patrons, especially the ones who were obviously regulars and did the pretentious French “double kiss” with the owner.

We sat there feeling uncomfortable, but too hungry to really go elsewhere, we decided to stay and hope that the night would get better. The last thing you want to do is go into a restaurant and be treated like you barely exist.

After our food came, the owner dropped by our table and had a short conversation with my dad, asking where we were from, how the food was, and that he was getting a new chef soon from Montreal.

Here’s our food. Nice presentation and tasty entrees, but nothing to really write home about.

I enjoyed my cauliflower soup. It wasn’t heavy, but very light and so I finished the whole bowl.

Unfortunately, there was nothing exceptionally great about my pasta primevera. It actually tasted like a glorified Kraft Dinner, just using a higher quality of cheese. The vegetables were crispy but the pasta was under-cooked. Al dente is an understatement here.

 My mom enjoyed her Salmon Crusted with Herbs, Celery Purée, Mixed Garden Vegetables  with Tarragon Sauce. It was cooked well and flavourful.

My dad had a starter of Paté Maison with French Pickles and Mustard. This was probably the best part of the entire meal, as he said it was the one of the best he had ever had.

Desserts were disappointing. Overly sweet creme bruelee and the mousse tasted similar to what I’ve purchased in store by Dr. Oetker.

I would not return here or recommend this place at all. Perhaps others have had positive experiences, which is great, but for us, it was a real letdown after all the wonderful dining and hospitality we had throughout our trip up until this point. www.ledeauvillebistro.com

There was so much more to do in Lexington, but we had a long drive back home the next day. So after dinner, we managed to get our energy back for about an hour or so and take a brisk walk in the downtown area and back to the hotel.  We also joined the crowd watching some of the entertainment playing downtown.

I just want to say that I hope all my readers have enjoyed the articles that I have posted about our wonderful summer Great Circle Tour and this has given you an idea of where you might want to visit on your next little getaway, whether for just a weekend, or a longer stay.

While we were travelling, I honestly lost track of time. I didn’t realize what day it was, nor did I really care. I checked my email and posted a few photos here and there on Facebook. We were out every day seeing new places and meeting all kinds of unique people. The United States is HUGE and I am truly blessed that I was able to not only have my dream come true and visit Duke Lemur Center in Durham, North Carolina, but to have the opportunity to see so many other places (Mount Airy “Mayberry”, Biltmore Castle, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, Akron Art Museum, Akron Civic Theatre, etc…) interact with all kinds of unique people, eat incredible food, and enjoy that added touch of Southern hospitality.

As 2014 starts winding down, I am excited about planning our next trip for 2015!

A Trip To The Biltmore Estate

What does Last of the Mohicans and The Odd Life of Timothy Green have in common? Scenes from both of these movies were shot at George Vanderbilt’s grandiose home; Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, North Carolina. If you’re unfamiliar with this location, you will certainly have your eyes opened to one of the most luxurious destination spots in the United States, that many celebrities have stayed at, including, President Obama.

Biltmore “Inn” was our next stop, and where we’d be hanging our hats for the next two days. We would be living like the Vanderbilt’s, or close enough with the 5-star hospitality, incredible award-winning cuisine, and jaw-dropping scenery at the Castle and the various other gems that make up Biltmore Estate.

No,  this is NOT  the Castle but the back of their hotel on the grounds if you can believe  it.  Just in case you might be confused.

The backyard of Biltmore Inn. All photos by: Melissa Arditti

Some interesting facts about the Estate as a whole:

• It is on 8000 acres of land (The House  is 175,000 square ft).
• Biltmore employs over 2000 workers/ 60 are just for landscaping.
• It is the 2nd largest employer in all of Asheville.
• They raise angus cattle, sheep, free-range chickens, etc.
• Biltmore has over 10,000 visitors per day at Christmas time, and generates over 1.2 million visitors per year.
• Daily operations feature several sustainable and clean energy practices, such as using solar power, planting a 60-acre canola field whose seeds will be harvested and pressed into a food-grade cooking oil and using vegetable oil as a bio diesel fuel for powering equipment used on the estate — now that is innovative thinking.

As my dad went to check in, I went around to take some photos of the stunning lobby. From the photo you can see the detailed oriental rugs, over-sized iron wrought chandelier, and vibrant flowers/plants that really welcome you into the Inn. There are also doors that lead out to a beautiful veranda that faces the Blue Ridge Mountains and the French Broad River.

This view was heavenly.

Before heading up to our room, I spotted an abundance of fresh apples by the front desk and so as the saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away! It was a nice healthy and refreshing snack. The little things that I notice. ;)

The Inn has 213 rooms and 9 suites to choose from. Here is a photo of our room, including a luxurious bathroom.

Speaking of concierge service, a quick story. After double checking that I had everything in my luggage for the trip, I soon realized that I didn’t pack my razor! I wanted to wear a dress that day and so I called the front desk in a bit of a panic. This was the conversation:

Front Desk: “Good morning Ms. Arditti, how may I assist you today?”
Me: “Do you have any razors that I could have, I forgot mine.”
Front Desk: “Of course. Is there a specific kind and how many would you like?”
Me: “Anything you have is great. 2 would be fine, if that’s not a problem.”
Front Desk: “No problem at all. I’ll send someone right up. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Me: “No that would be all, thank you very much.”
Front Desk: “Have a great day.”
Me: You too.

I literally put down the phone and walked toward my luggage to get my hairbrush when I heard a gentle knock at the door. I was pretty shocked at how quickly my request was granted. I have never experienced service like that before, so it certainly started the day off on the right foot. It may seem trivial, but to me, it is the little things that truly make a good hotel stay.

Another first for me was the complimentary nightly turn-down service with chocolates that the Inn offers each of their guests. After a long day walking around in the sunshine, it was nice to walk into our room and know that it was freshly cleaned and I didn’t have to fight with the covers (every hotel seems to tuck them in so tightly) I just slid right in and was ready for a restful sleep.

Plan your next stay here

Lifelong Dream Comes True At Duke Lemur Center

 Getting ready for an exciting day at the Duke Lemur Center
All photos by: Melissa Arditti

Our next destination was Duke Lemur Center in Durham, NC. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was about going here. I was counting down the hours and watching the sky because rain was in the forecast, and I wasn’t sure exactly how the touring process would go.

As you can see, I took a photo of my dad’s GPS as we arrived. It was easy to get there from our hotel (Staybridge), approximately 10 minutes or so, with moderate traffic.

There was ample signage, so we always knew that we were heading the right way.

The closer we got, the more giddy I became. Breathe….breathe….. This was my first trip to Durham ever and of course, my first time ever getting a tour of the Duke Lemur Center.

After getting out of the car and taking a swig of water, I saw this wonderful art sign. It had all my favourite prosimians! Can you name them all?

So the schedule for the day was “Painting with Lemurs” and then a private “Lemurs Live” tour. Our tour guide, Chris, was still on lunch, so my parents and I walked around the gift shop area and I had a chance to meet Robin Smith, the Communications Specialist at DLC who provided me with a boatload of information for this article.

The gift shop had so much to choose from, it was hard to just pick a few things. However, I got an adorable sifaka plushy, cute ears to match the tail that I have back home, and a postcard of a group of ringtail lemurs for my collection.

Before the painting component started, I was asked to pick the colours that I wanted the lemurs to paint with, which was fun. I chose a bright purple, pink and sparkly blue.

Here you can see the video of the lemurs painting, father and daughter. We were not allowed inside, so I apologize if you cannot see clearly. However, I will describe more in detail what went on and show more photos.

A number of canvases were placed on the ground and paint (all non-toxic water colour so it is perfectly safe) was spread around. The lemurs when they were ready would jump all around, making a “portrait” piece with their cute little feet and even their noses. As an on-going reward for all their energy spent, the lemurkeeper gave craisins galore. You can see how happy these little lemurs were getting spoiled.

The most amazing thing about “Painting with Lemurs” is that the lemurs get to show their creative sides, and work on their visual-spatial and cognitive processing skills. If you think all they do is leap around in a cage all day, think again. Duke Lemur Center provides stimulating activities on a regular basis for our wonderful primates and with 12 dedicated lemurkeepers on staff, no lemur ever feels neglected.

Some other interesting news is that mouse lemurs are becoming a top area of research into figuring out the aging brain in humans and the symptoms of Alzheimers. Pretty fascinating.

The cost of feeding 250 primates that are at Duke Center is quite expensive, as they are fed usually twice daily. The DLC organic garden is a terrific way to keep costs lower and to provide lemurs with balanced and nutrient-rich food, like kale, romaine lettuce and a variety of fruits. Sifakas sure love their dose of kale! The downside though is that not everything is accessible year-round and in certain weather conditions, it could put a drain on resources. The DLC work very hard to ensure the lemurs get a proper diet by choosing a mixture of conventional and organic produce. I would really like to see a large farm near by donate an acre or two for the Center. It would be a great way to bring the community of Durham together and to preserve the lemurs, as we all know that they are at such a high extinction rate.

After the lemurs were done painting, these were the finished products:

Continuing our tour on-foot, we visited a number of lemurs. Please note that we weren't allowed to touch the lemurs at all. As you can see from the sign, DLC has protocols for each tour to ensure the utmost safety of any visitor.

All the lemurs were quite well-behaved. Some have different temperaments, but the sifakas seemed the most out-going. This one appeared to be mimicking Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” song. Hehehe…

Despite not being able to bond more without the bars between us, we still had an amazing opportunity to have an in-depth tour around the facility and met all our lemur friends and even some nocturnal ones too. I did my best taking photos through the cages for your viewing pleasure below.  Just take a look at their eyes! Enough to make me melt.

If you'd like more information, you can go to their "Meet the Lemurs" page.

Another great initiative is taking place in Madagascar, as DLC has offices there. With a growing population of over 22 million now, lemurs are being hunted and their habitats are getting destroyed. Soon, they will become extinct. There is a dire need to educate the residents of Madagascar about environmental, agricultural and especially family planning issues. Progress is slow, but changes are happening and this really gives hope. It is not a question of “us vs them,” it is about co-existing in a non-threatening manner, valuing primates as they are the key to a lot of important research for human insight, and respecting their homes. Lemurs are truly fortunate to have a safe haven like Duke Lemur Center, where they are taken care of and there is a lesser chance of harm.

After learning more about what Duke Lemur Center offers and how dedicated the staff and volunteers are, it was important to make a small contribution. I know it will go towards the upkeep of the garden, research and development, animal and medical care for the lemurs, all the on-going activities and more. Every dollar counts, so if inclined to, make a donation here.

Travelling from Windsor to Durham, North Carolina was quite an excursion, but one that brings tears to my eyes when I think about it.

To book your tour and learn more about the Duke Lemur Center, please visit their website.

Thanks to Robin Smith, Communications Specialist and Niki Barnett, Education Programs Manager for their combined efforts in arranging these tours and making our time so special. Oh and thank you to Chris, our wealth of knowledge educational specialist/tour guide. I would highly recommend him to anyone.