Summer Daze

Summer has come to mean sunny, splashy days at the pool or beach with my little Teddy. It’s been a different feeling this summer, being a no-haired egghead, and feeling the swimsuit pain of 6 months of emotional eating, body changes and low self esteem. My hair is growing back ever so slowly. I think it’s filled enough to almost look like I’ve coloured my head with grey charcoal – it’s still patchy and baby duckling-like. It’s so hard to be patient, particularly when I get tired of being looked at on the street or at the public pool, especially. But I’ve found that nothing feels better than splashing in, head under, floating and bobbing around in underwater silence, the cool water covering my head. After a few false starts of wearing my turban into the pool, then trying a mesh baseball cap, I finally went freedom zone no hat. It felt wonderfully freeing to do LAPS. It felt amazing, gliding through water, my front stroke in wobbly, crappy form, but still just going for it, feeling my muscles working, supporting me.

A mostly scorchingly hot July meant it was pretty much too hot to bake … my baking motivation is kind of low anyway… but sunshine makes the prettiest shadows!

Chomp chomp! I made a cute watermelon pizza with fresh fruit “topping”! It was fun to eat it like this, and when I pulled it out of the fridge after photographing it, it still looked so pretty, inviting and colourful. If only I could train my mind to think that ice cream tasted BAD. I know I’ve been hard on myself for all the emotional eating/weight gain – but I’m trying to turn it around… eat less crap, exercise more…

This gorgeous handmade triangle bento box! Part of the magical Shako Club bento box I received as part of a community art project.

I made macaron shells a few weeks ago that were misery-making bombs – cracked tops, no feet! I made them into “almond meringue cookie open faced sandwiches” with ruffly buttercream and fresh raspberries, ha. I dunno what I did wrong. I’ll need to make them dozens more times to get the hang of it.

Cute pink swirled cupcakes I made for my niece’s 4th birthday!

Teddy going zen The Matrix cake guy on me.

My little family at the Powell Street Festival – my favourite festival in Vancouver! Doing my Fugazi/ “Grunge Smurf” look with a black cotton toque. Summer is an odd, very hot time to be wearing a toque, I can tell ya that much. I figure since the hair on my sideburns and top front of my head has grown in a bit, maybe it just looks like I’m a seriously punk mama? We were at the park by our house the other night after going out for pizza and the Trans March rolled through – I felt right at home, visually –  I’ve been feeling so gender bendered, physically – it was actually very nice.

Kaki gori – Japanese finely shaved ice! I could eat this every day. I am obsessed with ice.

We made it camping for one night! Wildcard last minute decision, we packed up and headed to Golden Ears Provincial Park just outside of Vancouver and camped among tall trees and the beautiful Alouette Lake.

Hot beach day at Centennial Beach in Tsawassen. I love this photo as it looks like Teddy has tiny little people living on his head… I’ll leave you with this nice interview Creators Vancouver did with me. Elizabeth asked me lots of nice, interested questions – as well as this, which I’ll ask you too: What advice would you offer to others looking to pursue creative working lives? Hoping you’re all having an excellent summer, cake pals! xo Lyndsay