Wednesday, May 27, 2009

my husband and his laptop - they're inseparable

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©2009 Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

brand new website

I recently re-designed my illustration website. I loved my old one, but because I built it myself and I'm not a web/coding person, it didn't load fast enough. My husband is really good at making websites so I came up with a simple design and he built it for me. We've been slowly tweaking it and I think its first incarnation is complete. Check it out here, and please let me know if you experience any trouble with it.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

sketchbook - crying child

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©2009 Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli

Friday, May 22, 2009

playing with watercolor again

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©2009 Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli

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©2009 Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli

Monday, May 18, 2009

what are we looking at?

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©2009 Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli

Sunday, May 17, 2009

couch surfing

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There is a really great networking site for travelers called CouchSurfing.com . Basically, it allows you to find people who want to meet and interact with travelers while providing them with a free place to sleep. My husband and I thought it would be a great way to meet people since we'll soon be traveling in Europe. We both love to learn and are really interested in culture and history and feel that the best way to get that is to meet some locals.

We signed up last fall and so far we've only hosted other people, we have yet to couch surf ourselves. But it's been great - one positive experience after another. We met a really nice guy from Winnipeg, a lovely couple from France and another one from the Czech Republic.

We had dinner with the Czech couple, Eva and Tom, Friday evening and they were so kind and interesting. They even brought us wine from their vineyard in the Czech Republic. I look forward to seeing them again when we go to Europe.

Friday, May 15, 2009

a little girl from my sketchbook

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©2009 Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli

Have a great long weekend!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

sketchbook - roses & cupcakes

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©2009 Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli

I have 2 things to say about this page from my sketchbook:

• I have been trying to draw a rose for years and they always look terrible. FINALLY, I drew a rose that actually looks like a rose.

• I've already packed up most of my art supplies, including my sparkles. But someday, I'm going to put sparkles on those cupcakes.

good stuff

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Today was my 29th birthday, and for the most part it was a lovely day.
• I had a laid back day at work (it's always nice when that happens)
• wore my favorite gray dress for the first time this spring
• came home to balloons, sparklers and a message written in chalk on the sidewalk and the street in front of our house
• enjoyed a meal of sushi, miso soup and green tea ice cream
• held hands with my sweetheart

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

sketchbook - action

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©2009 Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli

woo hoo! our visas arrived!

Our visas came by courier today. After all the fuss, our applications were approved and we got them faster than I expected - it's been exactly 7 business days since we did our biometrics and sent our package to Ottawa via Express Post. I was so worried that we'd be denied for something small that we might have misinterpreted or overlooked. I feel a huge sense of relief, like I can relax a bit now.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

sketchbook - beehive

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©2009 Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli

Friday, May 8, 2009

sketchbook

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©2009 Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli

Thursday, May 7, 2009

more confusion in our quest for UK visas

My husband and I just returned from a quick trip to the city of Edmonton to have biometrics done as part of the UK visa application process. We thought we finally had everything figured out and under control, but we had a few more surprises in store for us...

#1 - Be warned, the address for the Edmonton VAC (Visa Application Center) that is provided on their website is wrong. That address belongs to a Sub-Way restaurant that is being remodeled. The VAC is actually around the corner from where it says it is, hidden inside the Central High building.

#2 - The application form asks for one visa photo. You actually need 2 photos.

#3 - Although there is absolutely no mention is this anywhere, if you are traveling with your spouse, you must include your marriage certificate with your application.

#4 - There is also no mention of this, but if you have had a previous passport and it is still in your possession, you must also include it.

Our application is now on it's way to the British High Commission in Ottawa. There's nothing left to do but wait.