Aren Morris

Fine Arts Specialist, Facilitator, Writer, Mom & Wife

Aren can be found working with schools to create space for students to explore fine arts, facilitating the 'Creating Space' retreats, while also embracing her role as a wife of fifteen years and mother to two young boys.

Aren is wholehearted about channelling creativity in all that she does as an arts specialist, writer, and especially as a mother where she takes great care and energy in helping to create an atmosphere for her children to grow and discover who they are.

She also happens to carry a fantastic ability to ground herself in the present moment and find words and concepts to share that bring awareness, creative ideas and insight to the surface of all that she does and to everyone she interacts with.

MORE AREN

WEBSITES

https://sites.google.com/gnspes.ca/fineartspecialists-halifaxwest/

https://www.facebook.com/creatingspaceretreats/

INSTAGRAM

https://www.instagram.com/finearts_haliwestfos/

Rebecca Thomas

Poet & Activist

Rebecca can be found focusing on trying to improve the lives of others by using her words in forms such as poetry, children’s books, advising, strategy development, and diversity inclusion practices, while also staying present in her own identity as a Mi’kmaq person.

Rebecca gives incredible insight on taking account of ones own bias, privilege and world view and is able to marry that eye opening insight with an incredible amount of wisdom in how to harness it for growth and connection with others.

She also happens to maintain a rooted presence that allows for tenderness and grace to be present as she carefully discerns her words and the words of others.

More Rebecca

Twitter
@beccaleat

Facebook

Rebecca Lea Thomas

Artists In Residence

Rebecca Thomas - Matoax

Amy Chandler 

Hand Embroidery Artist 

Amy can be found creating whimsical, colourful and high quality embroidery pieces while also making space for herself and others who deal with mental illness by sharing her own life and  methods of coping by ‘crafting it out’.

Amy is inspired by and finds deep satisfaction in creating a home that is reflective of her creativity, is cozy and brings her and those who inhabit her space, joy.

She also happens to lighten up the spaces she inhabits with a bright and tender atmosphere that brings us closer as people and encourages us to be tender with ourselves. 

MORE AMY 

Website / Shop

https://www.etsy.com/shop/friday55

Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/friday55/

Kayla Short

Lifestyle Blogger

Kayla can be found documenting her journey on her personal social media platforms, exploring the corners of Halifax and beyond while also sharing with others that staying true to who you are both inwardly and outwardly is not only of value, but possible.

Kayla is grounded by finding a well rounded wholeness in life and maintains that wholeness in everything she shares allowing us to take part in the discovery of self, others and the world around us.

She also happens to have a lovely way of skimming past the surface and taking you into the deep of life that is full of insight and celebration.

More Kayla

Website

http://shortpresents.com

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/shortpresents/

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCewIEH9yFK_li-5J_Ev3Gyw

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/shortpresents

Ruth McMullen

Founder, Podcast Host of Optimistically Depressed & Team Member of The Halifax Social Network team

Ruth can be found making impactful sound waves on her podcast ‘Optimistically Depressed’, working with the Halifax Social Network team to create community, while also being present for those she loves and cares about.

Ruth is deeply passionate about creating space for and bringing the internal journey into the light so we can all feel a little less alone.

She also happens to have a way of speaking directly into your soul that makes you feel heard, understood and cherished.

MORE RUTH

Website:
https://optimisticallydepressed.com

Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/show/3f0CQ0HWvGeUeArY4Y7MsX

Personal Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ruthhailstone/

Optimistically Depressed Insta:
https://www.instagram.com/optimisticallydepressed/

Halifax Social Network Insta:
https://www.instagram.com/halifaxsocialnetwork/

Over the years Jeremy & I have enjoyed giving these boards as wedding presents. Watershed Wood Designs is a local business that creates beautiful pieces with laser etching.

Every time we buy a board for a married-couple-to-be we are more than a bit envious, which led us to use this valentines as the excuse to buy one for ourselves!

*insert #happyasclams <—- need I say more?

For us, living on the coast (Bedford Basin) & calling our little home “Little Shore Loft”, this sailboat design was all too fitting.

Here is how we used our board for the first time:

Various cheeses we found at Petes Frootique in Bedford, along with a few truffles from Newfoundland Chocolate

the sailboat etching is our personal fav….

With a family wedding up and coming and being the Maid of Honour, it's a privilege to be able to help celebrate the traditional wedding events & have fun while doing it! 

Overview of the evening:

Wine Tasting at Obladee

Was informative as it was enjoyable.  The woman who walked us through the tasting was informed as she was pleasant to listen to.  It was fun to learn more about what rosé wines were available in our province and also a deeper red from out of town.  The Brides favourite was between the 'L'Acadie Vineyards Vintage Cuvée Rosé' and the 'Cherubino Pedestal Cabernet Merlot'.  My favourite, due to the hot summer and my yearning for Autumn, the 'Cherubino Pedestal Cabernet Merlot'.

Dinner at Lot Six

The Bride & I were both ravenous by then for their hamburger and a glass of red.  The combination was amazing.  Highly recommend their atmosphere and menu. 

Dancing

In-between dinner and dancing we went to a bridesmaids house in located in the city to primp some more before taxying downtown to dance.  (what better way to end the evening than to dance?)

We were planning on going to a newer more retro dance club called 'Vinyl' which plays all the older eighties music and has throwback eighties dance atmosphere, but in the lead up to this event we found out they closed for the duration of the summer.  We opted for the safe bet in The Pacifico.

I have always enjoyed the Pacifico for it's happy & safe atmosphere.  It allows for everyone to have fun while not permitting any rowdiness, which when hosting a bride is exactly what we want.  Safe & fun! 

Let the hair fly!!! 

or, as we found that warm night, put your hair up in a bun & continue dancing....

We tied the night up with late night pizza followed with a brunch the next morning.

It was so exciting to realize as we cheered our mimosas we were getting to the home stretch of celebrating this wedding. 

October is just around the corner!!!! 

A very small market haul in May.  A flat of eggs, jar of honey & sausages.

For anyone who knows us well, they know we adore going to the Seaport Farmers Market as much as we can.  Normally, this looks like every second weekend, but not always can we make it that often. 

Why do we love it?

It's local.

Their are many markets in HRM.  For us, the Seaport Market became a habit, and we love knowing we are buying from local vendors to improve our own local economy.  It means we have a relationship with the woman who sells us our eggs and we know that guy who sells Susie's Cupcakes (a local bakery)  while we drool over them every time. 

It's culture

We are exposed to the many cultures our port city is blessed to have within it's core.  The German bakers, the asian cuisine and the Indian spices are just a few.  Mixed with that all to well known maritime food and music. 

It's fresh

Knowing I am buying from farms that bring their produce in from various places over Nova Scotia gives me a peace of mind and also an amazement over how differently they taste in comparison with the grocery stores imports.  Even something as simple as an egg from a local free range farm tastes completely different than from super store. 

It's community

Even though many of the people we knew who lived in the downtown core have since moved away , we still find it amazing the people from our lives we bump into.  The market has a way of creating enjoyment for everyone's tastes buds and ultimately, I love how connected I feel to my city every time we go. 

VARIOUS CAPTURES at the Market.

Very much pregnant. 

Winter/Spring Haul 2017

Winter 2017

Over the weekend I attended the Women in Film and Television Atlantics (WIFT-AT) yearly conference 'Women Making Waves' at the Lord Nelson Hotel in Halifax.  

I attended last years' due to being accepting into the New Waves Program where WIFT-AT accepts emerging and exploring film-makers into a five class workshop series.  Needless to say, I LOVED it.

Since the New Waves program I have been working to hone and focus my writing into the performing arts (learning screenplay writing and culture etc) and it was exciting to attend this years conference knowing that my projects and visions were even more aligned with the industry.

 Re-connecting with peers, hearing from other creators and celebrating the work that comes out of women who are aiming to collaborate, work, and essentially make a difference through their medium of passion was the refresh I so desperately needed.

It was hugely inspiring to be able to hear from Carmillas co-creator Steph Ouaknine, Mohwak Girls Creator and director Tracy Deer, Ava creator and director Sadaf Foroughi and 'Bens at Home' creator and director Mars Horodyski about how they created, were impassioned to pursue their work and how they pushed through to get them where they are today.

This weekend I learned these things:

1. Keep showing up for your work and always put it out there.

2. What you are passionate about has a niche.

3. Find that niche and hone it.

4. Work with those whom you click with.

5. Know why you do it. 

6. Anyone who attempts truth telling is extrodinarily brave.

I am so thankful for the journey I am on and the opportunities I have along the way that connect me with passionate women, remind me of why I do what I do and keep my feet planted on the ground. 

In this video I talk about how I need to start incorporate the weather into my plans more.