February 8th, 2010
Every time I have to transport my beloved shiny MacBook Pro I cringe at the thought of putting it into a laptop bag. Cause we all know that scratches and shiny metals don’t play well together! I’ve been searching high and low for a perfect case that combines style and usability, and did I ever find it! This handmade BookBook hardback leather case from Twelve South is simply amazing! It fuses my love for old vintage books and a smart design to hide my ‘lappy’ in. Now for the hard part of picking a colour!
Also,
Dear Santa, (Hey, what can I can say, I start my Christmas wish lists early)
I’d also like to have this black chair and a good photography book to go with my BookBook black case! Can’t forget the Horsy light either! I swear, I’ll be good this year!
Thanks!
- Horse Lamp – Moooi
- Creature – Andrew Zuckerman
- Smoke Chair – Moooi
Tags: book, BookBook, chair, furniture, horse, lamp, light
Posted in Design | No Comments »
February 3rd, 2010
- This week turned out busier than I expected and time escaped me once again. Running around for work, trips to Kingston, more work, and random unplanned events threw me off schedule. And let me tell you, I LOVE my schedule! Love when everything is organized and up-to-date, things run smoothly this way. Oh well, ‘last week of January’ you won, I admit! Will play catch up this week.
- Here are the two words that I would have never put together in the same sentence before: SNOW and FUN. From today on, I believe that snow, cold, and fun can sometimes work together. Drum roll, please! I WENT SNOWBOARDING for the second time ever (last time was just incredibly bad and painful). From super bunny hills to a bit bigger bunny hills, and even intermediate level ones, it was awesome! Snowboarding was #4 on my “don’t make me do it” list, and I was really dreading it. However, last minute invitations, and power of good persuasion worked it’s magic, and I went. Not to say that that I didn’t stay up for a few hours the night before thinking of how horrible it’ll be. But, I was wrong. The day was amazing, even with all the falls, bumps, and bruises! I was sooooo missing out!
And that would be me, all geared up! Thanks to Ian for the iPhone photo!
Mental note *get an iPhone*
Tags: snow, snowboarding
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January 27th, 2010
- After a few failed attempts to acquire a gym membership and getting fed up with ridiculous prices, limitations, and contracts, I settled for p90x! I have only three words to describe this intense workout: pain, Pain, and PAIN. However, it’s a good kind of pain, the kind where you know you had a good workout. But I did get the “I can’t really walk down the stairs” too! Still working through the list of all the videos. So far my favourite is Ab ripper X, but that’s probably because it’s the only one I can really keep up with and doesn’t make me swear profusely (in my head of course) by the end of it. The last two exercises of the series are kind of tough but I’ll get there. Plyometrics was just ridiculous, got me panting and sweating right after the warm up and I quit 20 minutes before the end. It also made my legs into stiff non-moving devices that were barely able to go up and down the stairs for the following three days. “Chest and Back”, “Shoulders and Arms” are doable, the intensity can be controlled so it works. I thought I’d never say this, but Yoga is next to impossible! Looks easy, yes, but after doing Warriors for the first 50 minutes, my still sore legs could not take it. Fast forwarded the video a bit and the stuff that followed… yeah, it’s not happening any time soon. Not to say that I’m quitting, it’ll just take time, lots and lots of time. Found a whole new level of respect for all the Yoga lovers! It’s hard! I’d rather do three hours of Ab ripper!
- I have the weirdest dreams. Obviously I can’t remember most of them, but some just stick. This one in particular made absolutely no sense, well it did, but the situation was completely out of ordinary. There was some kind of prelude, but all I can sense now is that the day wasn’t going well. The part that I do remember, started with me dropping off the car for maintenance and to change the brake pads. When it was time to pick it up, I noticed two mechanics smoking in my parked car, so I was all about “How did you get into the car, and why would you smoke inside?” They do have my keys and it’s nicer to sit when you’re having a cigarette… apparently. They left my car and I went indoors to pay. The brake pads cost a laughable $12.50 and they made me wait for a while to fill out some papers. It was getting late and I was in a hurry to get home. I came out, just to find my car on a flat-bed tow truck leaving the parking lot. So all panicked, I went to my spot and read the sign about ‘emergency road’ no parking from 12am-7am. The time was 12:05am. The mechanics parked my car there… and the car next to mine was still standing because it was in the Park Anytime spot. So after already a bad day, I ended up being stranded on some deserted parking lot, a good walk from home. At which point I woke up in a very crummy mood and tried really hard to fall back asleep so I could fix the dream. Not cool brain, not cool!
- On the art side of things, I made a few of these prints with different saying, and this is the only one I remembered to take photos of! Now that it finally belongs to my friend, I can show it off.
Tags: art, dream, p90x, prints, random, workout
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January 25th, 2010
I have a mini fascination with farms and life on a country side. I’d like to imagine that it’s a very relaxed, slow pace lifestyle without cell phones, internet, traffic, and general craziness of the city. Although, I’d be unable to survive on a farm without the internet… So, I’m imagining my farm with the internet! While I’m getting more into whole foods, organics, and watching all the chemicals consumed with food, farms come up more often. I’m turning into a modern day ‘hippie wanna-be’ and supporting local farmers and their hard work to produce good food! I think there are significant changes on the horizon from mass produced, tasteless, chemical filled greens and meats to healthier, better quietly ones. Come on Canada, you can do it! The inspiration for this post came from books on food, documentaries, and a new season of Project Runway : ). Potato sack cocktail dress anyone?
Photos from season 7, episode 2 of Project Runway.
- Ranch Hand – Slov
- Portable Chicken Coop – Chicken Coops
- Red Balance Scale – Hindsvik
- Aqua-Blue Wensleydale locks – Alba Ranch
- Sheep Bobbin – Girl on the Rocks
- Country Style Dirt – Roloff Farms
- Farm Fresh Eggs Photo – Honey and Jam Photos
- Vintage Milk Pails – Tipple and Snack
- Orange Marmalade – Mirasol Farm
- Porcelain Milk Bottles – Alyssa Ettinger
- Derby Horse Collection – Dolan Geiman
Tags: art, Design, farm, Fashion, food, jam, sheep, teal, tins, wall art, wool
Posted in Design, Fashion | No Comments »
January 21st, 2010
I thought that I was pretty good at baking, or at least decent, until two things happened. First, during Christmas ‘bake off’ party I had these amazing cheesecake cookies, and chocolate marshmallow ones. Next blow to my ‘bakerella’ self-esteem came from Tina who invited me over to sample a few goodies and was it ever delicious! I’m such a baking rookie that I think a trip to a bookstore and a lot of sugar and butter are a must! Tina specialized in French baking and made these fantastic green tea and mocha macaroons, orange infused cake, and baby double baked potatoes stuffed with bacon. Not going to lie, I could have eaten all of them and would’ve asked for more! That girl is amazing at what she does! Here’s some photographic proof that made me so very hungry while editing it.
Tags: baking, cake, cookies, macarons, potatoes, Tina
Posted in Personal | 2 Comments »
January 20th, 2010
- Who knew that past Monday was the most depressing day of the year?! Weird, my Monday was pretty awesome! It didn’t feel any different, until I watched the news and they announced that it’s a horrible day. I don’t have time for that, or to be depressed just cause the news says that I should be. Maybe it’s time to unhook the cable, there is nothing good on TV as it is.
- I have a little leaning tower of Pisa piled up in my room, made out of books that need to be read. It’s time to cut down on the hours spent behind this silver machine of mine and do something more valuable. It always happens, books collect, no time or desire to read them, once the threshold is reached, I go on the “don’t distract me, I’m reading, and MIA to the world” swing. But don’t worry, the super valuable fast reading skills will be applied and you won’t even notice that I was gone.
- As mentioned yesterday, here is a photo of me being frozen in my Yeti wanna be outfit. In comparison to the Pretty Lady, I think I win in the “over layering” department!
Tags: books, monday, photo, TV
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January 19th, 2010
When stores gear up for fall/winter season and warm sweaters, jackets, and boots roll in, it makes me do pirouettes (the clumsy, not so graceful kind) along the streets in anticipation of all the pretty things of the season. But once snow falls in TO, and instead of white and fluffy it goes salty and gross, and the temperatures dip below -10C, no pretty winter outfits will cut it! I usually end up looking like a yeti wanna be. However, this post is about a beautiful girl who braved -15C temperatures and managed to look fabulous while doing so. Enjoy the photos.
Tags: Bulgun, Fashion, photos
Posted in Solo | No Comments »
January 18th, 2010
After a little flirt with bright, glittery colours, and soft, girly things I’m back to black, back to what I know and love. Strong, classy, and slightly gadgety is what I’m in the mood for. Manly watches, Mac keys for rings, black nail polish, hot shoes, even hotter dresses, it’s all business from now on.
- Polka Dot Silk Scarf – Aspinal of London
- Black Jewel Calf A4 Document Envelope – Aspinal of London
- Sterling Silver & Leather Pen – Aspinal of London
- F2 Bright Key – Creative Dexterity
- Chanel Le Vernis – Saks Fifth Avenue
- Paris Bag – Aspinal of London
- CoSTUME NATIONAL – Zappos
- Michael Kors Ceramic Watch – Nordstrom
- Michael Kors Webster shoes – Nordstrom
- Skiff Reader – Skiff
Tags: dress, gadget, jewellery, shoes, watch
Posted in Fashion | 2 Comments »
January 13th, 2010
- Every so often I get this weird desire to buy more camera gear; some things I need, some not so much. It usually happens when the same lens keeps surfacing on different parts of the interwebs, and it’s always painted in glorious colours, and I can’t help but want it. So I’m putting my girly foot down, and telling this lovely Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 (or f/2D -haven’t decided yet) that I will not sway and get it! NO, LENS, NO! If someone is booking me for a photo shoot in the next 2 weeks, your money is buying me this lens! That’s the only condition under which I’m falling into that consumer trap! Why can’t I be like other ladies and drool over pretty dresses, shoes, jewelry and frequent manicures! Apparently my priorities are shifted towards the geeky gadget side…
- I’m also starting a six month gym challenge with a friend, mainly since I figured sitting in front of the computer all day is not good for anyone, and I need more structure to my day. I think he is already winning, cause I’m yet to go and get a gym membership! I kind of missed my regular workout schedule in the past year, but so not looking forward to the first week! Oh the muscle pain, here I come! Should I do the whole before and after shots? It’ll be bony vs. bony, but could be fun.
- Here is some colour to keep you winter blues free. It might look warm, but it was well below zero at -15C.
Tags: camera, gym, lens, random
Posted in Personal | 1 Comment »
January 11th, 2010
Odd things happen when you’re low on creativity and start typing random words into a browser to see what comes up. So after going through a few colours and random words like twigs, lamps, or zombies, nothing good came up. And then the golden word Ex was entered! On the first page of Etsy I get this amazing “Ex-boyfriend” scarf. Hmmm interesting, show me more! That’s the story of how I ended up on Yokoo Gibran’s page and her incredible work. Completely smitten with her stuff. I’m also a sucker for well executed product showcasing. Styling, photography, oddness and cuteness in one – Just love it!
- The Braided Chain
- Brobdingnagian Hat
- Ruffle Cowl
- The Cambridge Chain
- Oatmeal Soopascarf
Tags: hats, scarves
Posted in Fashion | No Comments »
