Suelle Stewart Creative

08/26/2024

Happy National Dog Day. Tank is enjoying his summer at the lake.

10/23/2023

It seems I haven't posted anything for awhile. This house build is sucking the life out of me. I think we hired the slowest contractor in Nova Scotia. Even the company who built the house (it's panelized and shipped to the lot) has said they can't believe how long it is taking. Customers, who have built after us, are now occupying their homes. The excuses are deflective at best. I really thought I would be moved in before winter. I don't believe this house will ever be complete. It's frustrating. There is something about the construction industry that instills distrust, complacency, and frustration. Do you know of anyone who has truly had a good experience with tradespeople? Some day I hope to share photos of a complete home ready for occupancy.

08/30/2023

Just an update on the house that is taking forever to build. We have the bones of a house and garage. We still don't have a completion date as weather continues to delay construction. Of course, I would be remiss if I did not offer a few content ideas around home construction:
1. A step-by-step construction guide to walk potential clients through the process. This will not include the name of a good marriage counsellor. 😉
2. Green building practices. We are trying to incorporate some green technology in our home to make it more efficient. We have installed a hydronic heating system(radiant in-floor heat), an Energy Recovery Ventilator to help balance humidity, and heat pumps as a secondary heat source and as AC in the summer.
3. Design trends and inspirations. Our design aesthetic is focused on aging in place. That, and I'm short so I want to be able to reach stuff in the kitchen.
4. Budgeting and cost management. This can be a challenging topic as stuff happens to increase the cost and suck the life out of your budget.
5. Case studies and success stories. Some day, in the near future, we hope to have a success story. This project is big only because of the cost to develop the property on rock. When I say rock, it's a type of rock - blue rock - that is damned near impossible to break. Blue Rocks is also a picturesque community not to far from here. I'll have to go and take some pictures.

I can only hope hurricane season is minimal this year. We've had enough weather delays in the past weeks. We will have a lovely view... once the porta-potty is gone.

08/07/2023

It's the last day of a long weekend. I hope you were able to enjoy a nice, relaxing mini vacation. I took this picture at a friend's place at Shawnigan Lake in June but it fits a long weekend vibe.

06/29/2023

I know I haven't posted here much lately. This is why. Finally, construction on our house has begun. This has been a very slow process. I don't expect it to pick up anytime soon as rain is in the forecast for the next two weeks. I am told once the slab is poured framing should be quick. This is because the house is technically built and sitting in storage. We purchased our house from Interhabs. They build homes in a controlled environment and deliver it in panelized sections. I am hoping to be in it sometime in September.

05/31/2023

OK, I admit, I don't like gardening. What I do like, and appreciate, is the hard work and dedication others put into their gardens. If you want to have a peek behind the 'fence', you can tiptoe through some stunning gardens this Sunday. Click to find out how you can get your tickets.

Garden Tour Fundraiser This year Garden Tour is June 4 from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. This self-directed walking tour will take you through 7 of the Valley’s most gorgeous gardens. Our ever-popular tea garden returns this year, along with artists and musical entertainment. Tickets are $25 and include t...

04/26/2023

It's amazing how many businesses still don't have their Google Business Profile set up(me being one but I have an excuse...still waiting on my house to be built). It's really not that hard and it will help you to get found. It's also free so what are you waiting for?

We'll show you how to create a Google Business Profile with easy step-by-step instructions. Plus — how to opimize your profile for maximum visibility.

04/17/2023

As a board member, we are looking forward to embarking on Project Impact. The proposed expansion will offer many things to the community: more space for exhibitions, a space for community groups to meet, and a featured tourist attraction for Shawnigan Lake. We look forward to your support.

Join thousands of community organizations - big and small - who raise more funds for their worthy causes with Rafflebox.

03/07/2023

I read this post on LinkedIn, which led me to article in The New Yorker (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/03/06/the-end-of-the-english-major). Universities are scaling back on their Humanities studies.

I understand the frustration of having a B.A., with a major in Germanic Studies. I find those of us who pursue Arts degrees are met with derision by those who pursue a more technical field or by trades people. A B.A. is useless by their definition.

But my degree consists of more than language and literature. Everyone is expected to include credits outside of the major. I have credits in Calculus, Statistics, Organizational Behaviour, Economics, and Law. I also took Greek & Roman Studies, and a course in Musical Appreciation(a course I would never have thought I would take or enjoy). My degree exposed me to different points of view. Learning a new language taught me to appreciate the nuances of interpretation.

My degree helped me to narrow my field. I earned a Diploma in Public Relations, something that fascinates to this day. I went on on to learn more about web design and digital marketing.

My B.A. allowed me to build both soft and hard skills. Would I rather write something than do Calculus? Hell yes! I still have nightmares about Calculus but I do appreciate those who can turn math into a language of its own.

Don't discount the Humanities; there is value in any learning.

https://bit.ly/3yghONU

02/15/2023

There has been a lot of talk about ChapGPT(and similar AI related programs). I haven't done a deep dive into it yet but intend to do so. What else is there to do in a cabin in the woods, in winter, away from civilization??

I suspect this is just the beginning for content creation and marketing. There are many implications to such a product but if you have access to a tool to help you create better, or more, engaging content, will you use it?

We asked ChatGPT some hard questions about content marketing. And the AI text-creation tool didn’t disappoint. Read on to see what it had to say (and what we said behind its back.)

01/26/2023

I am hunkered down whilst a wicked, winter storm howls outside. Thankfully, it's rain and not snow but I still expect a power outage sometime today.

I am also reviewing board notes in preparation of a meeting tonight. For many years, I've been a volunteer in one capacity or another. Initially, I volunteer with a local non-profit to get to know more about my community and the people passionate about helping the community. Once I get settled here in Nova Scotia, I will seek out another volunteer opportunity.

If you are with non-profit struggling to build its brand - yes, brand is important - here are some tips to help strengthen your brand identity.

Get your community excited about your nonprofit by using these top nonprofit branding strategies and techniques.

01/02/2023

Happy New Year everyone. I am hoping to get things settled in 2023. I might even get a physical address. Life is a challenge when you have no civic address. For some of us, a new year brings an updated credit card. Today, I engage in the exercise of updating my information on a variety of sites. It's a time suck, I won't lie. I know I'll miss something; I always do. So for those of you needing to update your digital life, I raise a toast to you because there is, at least, one call to customer service because something didn't work.