A Very Crafty Birthday, Indeed

For the second day in a row, I woke up this morning to discover I’m 33 years old.

Yesterday, my first day at 33, I woke up at 6AM like a kid on Christmas morning if that kid happens to celebrate Christmas and also happens to be really jacked up about what the day might hold.

I won’t recount the whole day, but I’ll sum up by saying I spent it with new crafty friends, including Faythe Levine, the woman who made Handmade Nation, the film around which the crafty people of Vancouver made an excuse to celebrate for two days.

I was lucky to have Faythe stay at our house, as it meant I got to spend a good long time with her. She’s fun and fascinating and, it turns out, a wonderfully chill and creative shopping date. We spent hours on Main Street, and I’ll miss her the next time I shop there.

Andrea and Rob of Lotus Events put on an incredible show for the film screening at the Rio Theatre last night. Fourteen local crafters set up shop and the stage was filled with people until the lights dimmed for Rob to introduce Faythe and the movie. I’d already seen the film, but I was surprised to enjoy it even more the second time around. Maybe it was because I was sitting in a packed, hometown audience.

I’ve fallen a little more in love with Vancouver after spending so much time with other local crafters. It felt odd when I realized last night as we headed home that I wasn’t the one who’d be heading to the airport in the morning, leaving new friends and good times behind (with the exception, obviously, of Faythe, whom I’m trying very hard not to annoy through email now because I miss her already). It was the perfect end to the perfect birthday to realize I was staying right here, with all these new friends just a bus ride away. I hope the electric vibe and good conversation continue well into the future. Coffee date, anyone?