February 14, 2012
Toronto, ON

Mes Cheries,

Happy Valentines Day! I'm back in bed, watching the X-files and drinking coffee with my Valentine. Who has dog breath. She's still asleep, but any moment now Ursa la Sweetland will decide it's time to get up and walk around the corner to the dog park, where I'm destined to throw her little blue ball over and over again. But for now, she's snoozing and I'm the early riser, awakened by my dream in which I was writing a song! It's a melody I was working on already, but now I know where the story takes place... And it's only a matter of time before I figure out what happens.

It's been a lazy few days in Sweetland. I came down with a touch of the plague this weekend, and I suppose it's no wonder. For the last six weeks I've been such an impressively high-functioning workbunny. My efforts culminated at the Sweet Soirée Valentine's Cabaret show I hosted last week at The Cameron House. To say it was an incredible evening would be an understatement. Every performer was so unique and amazing. And I think we all left feeling significantly sexier, and decidedly more romantic...  Not to mention, I got to tell the mysterious tale of  St. Valentine, doctor and priest, with his magical eye ointments and abject martyrdoms. All to the tune of a Captain Dirt & The Skirt song we'll be recording for our upcoming new album!

I did a good amount of proper historical research in the name of my Valentine's story (not that it affected what actually came out of my mouth) and learned there were 14 saints named Valentine in all. A coincidental number perhaps... We know for a fact that one of them was executed on February 14th, 270 AD and buried on the Via Flaminia near Rome. But that's all we know. The rest of the tall tales that have surfaced over the ages, are most like just that. It was the Roman pagan festival Lupercalia, celebrated on the 15th of February, that was linked with romance. During this festival young single men would draw a small piece paper with the name of a woman, who would be their destined partner for a courtship game. So once again, the merging of pagan traditions with Christian names has given us our modern-day holiday. Poor St. Valentine was removed from the Roman Calendar of Saints in '69 (dude) as they claimed there was no historical proof of his sainthood. But it's possible he had just gotten a little too sexy for his hair shirt.

And speaking of sexy, as we speak agent Scully had been tied up and unceremoniously thrown into the trunk of a car. I think she's about to meet her maker. Or at least, some aliens. Sadly there is no romance in her near future, as her and agent Mulder don't make out till season 9. But I'll get there soon enough. As there is no plague in the world that cannot be cured with the judicious application of hot toddies and an X-files marathon. This is pretty much my plan for the rest of the day.

Love love love,

Sweetland. ♥

 The last rose of the season from my Aphrodite garden!
It now hangs above my bed. For good luck...

February 6, 2012
Toronto ON

Coming very soon to The Cameron House ... The Sweetest event of the year!

A Sweet Soirée -Valentine`s Cabaret- Thursday, February 9th
Hosted by Kristin Sweetland
Starring: Jess McAvoy, Evalyn Parry, David Newland, Scarlett Jane (Andrea Ramolo & Cindy Doire.) And of course, Lyndell Montgomery and the return of Captain Dirt & The Skirt!

More details on my tour page, or click image to enlarge.

See you there...

xo
La Sweet

January 19, 2012 
Dalkeith, ON

Well it sure is winter here in Farm Heaven. The winter we, in the big city, thought might never come... I found it. It was at the end of a long road, down a dirt road, all along. And I was pleased to find it quite happy to see me. With that particular brand of bitter cold that freezes your nosehairs, seizes your lungs, and illuminates a sky bursting with stars. Crystal clear. Like no other time of year.

That being said, I have not strayed far from the wood stove. Just perhaps to turn on my amp and put the kettle on. Cup of tea, and kitten on loan from Captain Dirt complete the picture. All with a rock 'n' roll soundtrack. Like seriously. The Captain and I have have been plugging in, and turning way up. Good thing we have no neighbours here in Farm Heaven.

It's actually good it's been far too cold to frolic out of doors for long. Or I'd go out on Operation Snowshoe, taking strange photos, and chasing strange animals, all the livelong day. This way I stay home and focused on all the things I want to create before I leave. There are new tunes and grand plans in spades! And not just musical, also photographic. I've been playing with my brand new studio lights. I know, très fancy. For Ms. camera in the back pocket climbing a tree, it's a whole new world, baby.  Give me a little time to figure it out, then call me if you want your Sweetlandish portrait taken...

Time to throw another log on the fire!

xo
Svetlana Ice Princess

P.S. I saw a wolf.

More wintry wonderland... here.

January 3, 2012
Toronto, ON

Happy New Year, People!

It's a good one already. I was planning on staying home New Year's Eve with my faux fire, fuzzy slippers and guitar... Would have sipped some superb sparkling rosé and penned an inspirational blog post with words like "resolution" and "apocalypse" and "unapologetically glamorous." However, in the end I decided to venture out in to the world of the festive. I put on my hot new riding pants, some obligatory bling, and hopped on a slow streetcar all the way across town... After numerous obstacles, throngs of revellers, wailing fire trucks, and the full-throated squeals of inebriated youth, I arrived just time to ring in 2012! At first, surrounded by very new friends, and later on, some very old ones. A fine balance of camaraderie I hope will be a theme in the year to come. There is so much I want to accomplish in the next 365 days. It quite boggles the mind. And although it's usually my tendency to err on the side of the lone wolf, I know this time I cannot do it all alone.

So don't be surprised if you hear from me soon...

Speaking of resolutions and the apocalypse, I'm forced to at least briefly address the glorious infamy of 2012 and welcome the Mayan calendrical milestone that is upon us! I obviously don't believe the world is going to end in December of this year. I would sooner subscribe to theory of the metaphorical end, the "coming enlightenment" of the "Age of Aquarius" or whatever. However, I don't entirely believe that either. I do think we are evolving magnificently as a species. And although life as we know it can change in the blink of a perfectly painted eyelash, transformation is usually far more subtle. Let it be a threshold that we cross. A golden sparkling threshold portal to even better days ahead.

That all being said, I have made a decision to live this year as if it were in fact my last. Because truly, if you knew it was going to be the last year of your life, would you behave differently? Live more fiercely, love more fearlessly? I reckon I may. And because there is so much I want to do in my imaginary last year, I have already gotten started. Can't wait to share my new artistic projects with you all in 2012! I promise to keep you all posted on the new album, and the Adventures in Sweetland book news! We are moving forward on all fronts. And it feels so good.

I'll be entering artistic hibernation soon for a good long spell. But there are a few fabulous upcoming shows in the Toronto area you should NOT MISS! First, another rock 'n' roll adventure with the superhot "Ladies in Waiting" at Not My Dog on January 23rd. Then, on February 9th at The Cameron House, I'm so excited to present A Sweet Soirée - Valentine's Cabaret, hosted by yours Sweetlandishly and starring Jess McAvoy, Evalyn Parry, David Newland, Andrea Ramolo & Cindy Doire. Not to mention Lyndell Montgomery and the return of Captain Dirt & The Skirt! For more info on all shows please visit my tour page.

The End,

(for now...)

x
K

Everybody loves an apocalyptic basketball court 

and a heinous Christmas sweater!
More freezing cold photos coming soon!

December 18, 2011
Toronto, ON

Dear Santa,

I know I usually write sooner, but for some reason I'm just not in the Christmas spirit yet. And not in a bad way. I'm surely no Sweetlandish Scrooge. But more in the kind of way you might be if you were mysteriously adrift on a barge south of the equator, or perhaps a raft. Actually, I pick barge. And somehow you seem to have lost track of the days... What month is it again? Can you pass me the sunscreen? Actually, I think I may be adrift all alone. With my fishing pole and my trunk of booty. There are distant islands to be discovered, and pirate ships to be plundered.

And not a single flake of snow in sight.

Usually around this time I'd be asking for something tall, dark and handsome carrying a chilled bottle of Dom Perignon ('76, if you have it.) Or a mountain of money to record my new album, or a pair of shiny red snowshoes... But this year I want something else.

All I want for Christmas is NOT world peace, true love, or my two front teeth. I just want a fantastic and successful year ahead. May all my many projects come to glorious fruition in 2012! And may all of yours.

Sugarplums,

xo

Sweetland

P.S. If I'm not quite in the holiday spirit yet, I will be soon enough! Playing a festive show tomorrow night at Not My Dog with Jadea Kelly, Andrea Ramolo & Cindy Doire, and Roger Marin... Wassail!

Somebody's getting a postcard... 

December 1, 2011
Toronto, ON

Gentle Readers,

It is I, your delinquent Sweetypie with tales from far and wide. Or perhaps, just tall tales. You decide. My sincere apologies for the delay in updates lately. I plead intensely artistically focused, and impressively social! You would be proud. And you did miss an important thing or two while I was busy being so busy. But here's the Coles Notes version. I played incredible shows with the likes of Micah Barnes, Jess McAvoy, Andrea Ramolo and Cindy Doire (more to come on all fronts!) As well, I hosted a slough of highly attractive house guests, rocked Halloween like only a drowned sailor girl can, cooked innumerable feasts, practiced loads of guitar, digitized my entire music collection, read my Sherlock Holmes like a good girl, ran through forests with happy poodles, wished upon a star, celebrated 11-11-11, and placed a beautiful model ship in my office window as a symbol... My ship has come in. Seriously.

So, the big news in Sweetland is one of epic proportions. Aurevoir Ruby the Van! You were the best horse ever. 7 1/2 years, 300,000 kms, and a whole world of adventures later... we say goodbye. Now I get to introduce the world to LADYSHIP.  All sexy soccer mom spy on the outside, and Venusian palace of delight on the inside (photos of her glory to come!) Together, we shall conquer the continent. Spring tour can't come too soon.

And until then I sure have my work cut out for me. A couple new albums, a book of my photography, new videos, and a motherload of flamenco dance classes later, we'll be good to go. It also looks like I'm going to be sitting in on guitar (studio and live) with some pretty amazing artists in the coming months and year. More info on axe-slinging sideperson Sweetland coming soon. We all know that sometimes I just want to wear a wig, stand in a dark corner, and play some serious guitar.

And so be it. 

Hope you can make it out to an upcoming show!

Lots of love from the big city,

x
K

P.S. I promise to write soon. And check your mailbox for postcards!

A handsome ship on the horizon!
More fall photos here.

October 18, 2011
Toronto, ON

I'm Home Sweetland Home after an epic weekend at the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals conference in Niagara Falls. I've been to tons of these kinds of events in the past, but I confess, this was one of the best. It was so good to see so many of the people I dearly love in one place! It's always overwhelming in the most cathartic and heart-warming of ways. Highlights included Thursday night dinner with James Keelaghan, one of my favourite people on the planet, big hugs from the beautiful Tannis Slimmon, mysterious moments with Mr. Mystery himself, Bill Bourne, and finally getting to meet the newest addition to the Trevor Mills/Selena Burgess family, baby Abigail! Not to mention, the glorious gala dinner and awards ceremony to honour Trevor's papa Paul Mills for all he has given to our community over the years. The highlight of said ceremony for me (besides being flanked at my table on either side by a handsome man-sandwich) was the brilliant film by another of my favourite gentlemen, Monsieur Andy Frank. I don't think I ever leave the gala dinner with a dry eye, good thing my mascara is badass waterproof.

On the first night, I initiated myself with a big adventure down to the falls (which are not a Wonder of the World for no good reason.)  It took me ages to get there, street after street, kitchy hotel after hotel, over a bridge, down a hill and straight into the mist. By the time I pointed homeward I was soaking head-to-toe, wind-blown and seriously high on negative ions. I decided to take a shortcut back, which somehow led me to me scale a muddy cliff (in my Sweetlandish heels!) right up onto some train tracks, over a fence and into a churchyard cemetery. I definitely earned the new photo I took for my eternal Adventures in Sweetland series... so perfectly Halloween.

Then, the universe saw fit to deliver me a strange challenge, as I woke up on Friday morning with absolutely no voice!  I guess the soggy evening's adventure the night before was a bit much for my currently delicate constitution. So I whispered, mimed, smiled and nodded my way through the rest of the conference. I was trooper and still played two of my three showcases. Good thing I have an arsenal of instrumentals, and am pretty effing entertaining... even when I can't sing.

Musically, I enjoyed hearing the lovely Ann Vriend for the first time, as well as new pals Cindy Doire and Andrea Ramolo. Attended a great showcase by dear friend (and newlywed) David Newland, and so wished I could have sung along to the sweet sounds of Jessie Dee and Jacquie B... On the last night of the conference we gave'r till dawn with an all-night jam in the Tunesmith Room hosted by David Ross Macdonald. Somehow it all degenerated into an early morning dance party on the balcony. We drank bourbon out of the bottle and a trumpet played the 2001 Space Odyssey theme as the sun rose over Niagara Falls...

Sigh.

So I'm back at Casa Sweetlandia resting up until further notice. My folks just came by and dropped off Ursa the Sweetland family beast while they're off vacationing somewhere warm. Puppy snuggles are very healing, and the good news is, I just opened my mouth and sound came out! Hallelujah.

Love, honey, and high notes,

x
K

Boo! More photos from my recent adventures here.