A design duo that consistently puts out beautiful collections is Rodarte. I was excited to read in the February issue of Vogue that their Spring 2012 collection was based on Van Gogh - my favourite artist!
Starry Night is my favourite painting of all time (I have it hanging in my bedroom, in fact). I also have a bag, pillow and laptop skin with the painting printed on it. Anytime I see anything with this painting printed on it, I feel compelled to buy it...
Ok, so I'm a little obsessed with Van Gogh. But how could you not be?!
I mean, look how gorg?!
Blue and yellow are common colours throughout VG's work, and this is my favourite colour combination of all time. When I was entering young adulthood and wanted to change my bedroom from its childish pink and white theme to something more "stylish", I couldn't wait to cover everything with yellow and blue. I'm pretty sure my wedding is going to include some combination of blue and yellow as the predominant theme (and sunflowers. VG and I both love sunflowers).
Anyway, Kate and Laura's VG inspired collection is like this colour obsession of mine made real:
So many gorgeous sunflower prints. This is the perfect theme for a Spring collection because what says 'Spring' more than sunny yellow blooms and clear sky-blues?
Not all of Rodarte's pieces are exactly things I could wear to the office, even if I could afford them, nor would many of the shapes be flattering on me, but I love to look at them. They always create the most beautiful prints and their pieces are a great mixture of soft and sculptural. I mean, just look at this wheat-print dress from their Fall 2011 collection (you can almost feel the wind whispering through the stalks):
Plus, they are always collaborating outside the fashion world with the most interesting partners - they designed costumes for the movie Black Swan, and for a real-life ballet (One Thing Leads to Another), produced an art book with photographer Catherine Opie, and they are designing the costumes for the LA Philharmonic's production of Don Giovanni (Frank Gehry is designing the sets). I love that they are always pushing for inspiration while still staying in touch with their California-girl roots.
Thanks to the Rodarte sisters, I will go to sleep tonight with swirls of colour dancing through my head. Starry, starry night indeed.
Life is good right now. I don't mean to brag, and I also don't mean to sound like a hippy-dippy tree-hugger or something. I just feel good about my life right now.
Here are some of the reasons why:
* I've been a member of Weight Watchers for approx. 2.5 weeks now and I've lost a total of 4lbs. Now 4 lbs isn't a huge amount of weight, but it's great for only 2 weeks. Plus, the thing that I love the most about this program is how accountable it has made me. It has completely changed my mindset in terms of what I eat and when. Once I started recording my food, it's like someone propped my eyes open with toothpicks because I realized up until that point I was eating WAY more and of WAY worse stuff than I realized! It boggled my mind how much of a mindless eater I am, and how few nutrients I was actually getting on a daily basis. I have also realized that the IDEA of a healthy lifestyle is scarier than actually living a healthy lifestyle - I was so worried before I started that I'd be starving all the time, would never be able to eat out or treat myself, and that I would generally be miserable and want to naw my own arm off after 4 days. However it's the complete opposite! I CAN have that cookie or that piece of pizza; I CAN go out with friends. It's all about moderation and portions and planning. Anyway, I won't go on and on (because I could, trust me) but suffice to say I'm finding this new healthy eating plan really great for me and I'm already feeling better about how my body feels and looks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed to meet my 1st goal (5% of my weight, or approx. 9lbs) by the end of this month!
* I'm really enjoying my new job - I'm not sure if I have explained my recent career change on this blog, but basically I've been temping since September while I try to find a permanent position and it's been a tough slog. I won't go into all the details here, but suffice to say I worked an admin assistant position that I really didn't like (but unfortunately was my only/best choice at the time), that is I worked there until about mid-February when I was let go because they filled my position permanently. However, it worked out for the best because my temp agency (which is amazing by the way!!) found me another position at the University in a different department and doing work which is actually related to my degree and activities that I really enjoy. I'm still temping for now, but the job will be reposted in the next few months and I'll have the opportunity to apply. For now, I'm just trying my darndest to work really hard and prove myself because this is a really great opportunity I don't want to miss! So, I've been here now approx. 3 weeks and I can already see myself working here long-term. I'm currently assisting with planning a major Conference taking place the end of April so I'm quite busy with that (and slightly stressed!) but I'm learning SO much. I'm really excited to see where this opportunity takes me in the next few months...stay tuned!
* I have been spending more and more time with my lovely boy. I don't like to get too personal on here, but what I will say is that we have a lot of fun together and he is very sweet. We love to go on little adventures, like road trips and taking in events around town. He's great for my weight loss too because he really enjoys hiking as well so we've been going on hikes every weekend for at least 2 hours! Now that it's warming up here, we are able to stay out longer and go on more trails since they are not all snowed in. He has also turned me onto Geocaching, which I'm sort of becoming addicted to. If you have never heard of it or tried it, check out the website - it's a lot of fun and a great way to get outside for some fresh air and to explore the city/town/province/state where you live. We have found so many little hidden gems around Nova Scotia and Halifax that I had no idea existed (and I've lived here my whole life! Hello!). It's a HUGE pastime - I had no idea how many people were into it and that they are so serious about it. If you like to travel and explore and be outdoors, give it a try! If you do, add me as a friend (my username is shortfuuse).
* I've been generally trying to focus more on myself and my personal life lately - I gave up some extracurriculars in order to have more time, both to spend with myself and with others. I have been trying to spend more "me" time, either just relaxing, or doing activities I enjoy like painting and drawing (I've been trying to tap into my creative side more as it's been neglected a lot in recent years and I really miss it). I've also been making an effort to spend more time with my sister and keeping in touch with friends. This has been quite successful and I know it's made me feel more positive and fulfilled. This is still a work-in-progress, but my efforts so far have really made a difference.
So, that's what I've been up to. Like I said, life is good! I think it's important for all of us to re-evaluate our lives once in a while ; to ask ourselves what's working and what's not and try our best to weed out the things that aren't working and replace them with other things that would benefit more from our time and efforts. We are all guilty of spreading ourselves to thin at times, and over the wrong things. Having a million hobbies and obligations doesn't necessarily mean you're a more accomplished and happier person. Sometimes having less external "projects" on your plate is better because it allows you to focus on more important things (like relationships).
Thanks for sticking with me, y'all! I told you I'd be back didn't I? I never make a promise I can't keep! **
What is new in your life??
*Seriously, if you are trying to lose weight and can't find anything to work for you (and you haven't tried it already), TRY Weight Watchers! Know what the best part is? If you sign up for the Online option, you get a whole online profile that's similar to Facebook and a Blog! I'm blogging about my experience here (not sure if the link will work for non-members but give it a try and let me know). LOVE IT!!
**I have to say I've missed this little ol' blog of mine. I have been keeping up with others' posts and reading their blogs has made me nostalgic for mine. I miss having it as an outlet for my opinions and thoughts, and I miss connecting with other writers through my comments and discussions on places such as 20-Something-Bloggers. I guess I felt weird about coming back all of a sudden after being gone so long, but then I realized it's my blog and I can do what I want with it. Besides, that's one of the great things about blogging - you can do it as much or as little as you want! Since I've missed it and I've cleared out some of the mental clutter I discussed here, I decided it's a good time to get back into it. I'm just going to post when I feel like it and not put too much pressure on myself. This is kind of the way I'm living my whole life right now - I'm feeling very easygoing and positive - I've made a dent in some positive changes I've been meaning to tackle, and I'm feeling good about that and that good feeling is permeating throughout my life. I still have plans for this space that I may or may not tackle in the near future, but for now I'm just concerned with what makes me feel good, and no matter the format or agenda, it feels good to blog! So, that's what I'm gonna do!
This is a very quick post to say that I will be AWOL from the blog until this weekend because *drumroll, please* I will be AWAY IN BOSTON!
That's right - I'll be chillin here:
Aaaaaand here:
And definitely here:
Heck, I'm just happy to be going SOMEWHERE! Let alone a place I've always wanted to visit. And best of all my mom's going for work so I get to crash with her at the Intercontinental on the waterfront for free! Shiibbby!!
Anyway, I look forward to sharing my photos and adventures when I return. But until then, I bid you adieu :)
*For the record I do realize my blog title is not a song, but for some reason when I think of Boston, I think of Good Will Hunting (and Matt Damon..mmmm yum). Plus this is one of the best movie lines of all time, so deal with it*
Today's posting is brought to you by the Mama's and the Papa's:
It is also brought to you by the letter "S" for SUCK. Monday's suck. Get it?
Ok so this one isn't so bad so far I guess, but it did come around rather quickly, which definitely does suck (how does this happen?! I swear we enter some kind of time continuum when the weekend comes). Anyway, the good news is that even though it is Monday, I have a lovely weekend behind me.
Friday my mom picked me up from work (yay, no bus!) and I went to pick up a printer that I found on Kijiji. It's a year-old Epson printer/scanner/copier and I got it for $50 which I think is a pretty sweet deal.
Then I went to see the movie Date Night with my best friend, Nicole. It was great to catch up and the movie was really funny! I'm not too picky with movies - it has to be pretty bad for me to not like it but this one was funny with "heart", if that makes sense. I like Steve Carell and Tina Fey to begin with as they are really witty and they had great chemistry in this movie (what a sweet line at the end! "I'd choose you every time" aww). They just seem REAL, you know? They aren't perfect-looking and seem very down-to-earth and intelligent which is so refreshing. The movie was also refreshing in that it portrayed marriage in a very real way - it showed that marriage isn't always fun and sometimes it can be downright boring, but it's important to remember the reason you got together in the first place and appreciate your partner for everything that they do. It may not be earth-shattering but it's a concept that is not often celebrated and that's unfortunate.
Saturday morning I got up at 8:30am and met a couple of friends downtown at the Farmer's Market. This is one of my favourite Halifax sites and one that every tourist should visit. It's usually packed but the atmosphere is so great with people of all ages walking around, musicians performing, amazing food smells wafting, colours of the fresh produce and crafts jumping out at you, soldiering through the wonky layout and haphazard halls/levels and vendors tucked into every nook and cranny. I didn't buy anything but it's just nice to walk around and look and let your senses take in all of the sites and sounds. The market is moving into a large waterfront space down the road next year, which will make the market much more spacious and accessible but alas will (I think) also remove some of the character and quirk that makes the market what it is. Ah well, such is life...
(This isn't my photo, obviously. I was too caught up in the food smells to remember to take any)
We strolled up to Spring Garden Road from there, aimlessly going into stores and looking around. I got a cat mat for Nutty filled with cat nap (which she promptly molested when I got it home and put it on the futon) and got some free cat food from the cashier because the debit machine was having issues (is it sad that that made my day? Such a small thing but it meant a lot). Got a flatbread pizza at Quizno's, then wandered to Sweet Janes and bought some yummy candy. What an awesome store; another Halifax favourite. Then we wandered back downtown to visit yet ANOTHER fav store, Feroz Design, which sells the most unique and beautiful jewelry that is all handmade on the spot. I got a lovely necklace and earring set for $25 (uh, hello!), which I'm happily wearing today (if I can't enjoy Monday I can at least look good doing it!).
After our little jaunt, I went home for a few hours to do some cleaning and writing (submitted an article proposal to a fashion journal based in Ontario! Fingers crossed that they will contact me about actually publishing the article in their next issue!). Mom and sister picked me up around 6 and we headed to Bowlarama for the SPCA Alley Cat Bowl, a fundraiser that two co-workers and I put in a team for (plus their guys to make a team of 5). We played two strings to qualify for prizes, then one free and fun one. We kinda sucked - most of our turns saw only 2 to 5 pins falling, though I DID get a spare on a spare (yes, that's right) - but the important thing is we had fun. I'm SO not a competitive person anyway. I can't play any kind of sport because I have like ZERO athletic ability, but even if I did I don't have the spirit for it. I care more about having fun than who wins. The ladies in the lane next to us were the total opposite - they brought their own balls and got kinda snippy when Alice went to grab one and use it by accident. They also told us that someone has to sit in the "score-keeping" chair at all times. Yeesh. I mean lighten up! It's a charity event for god's sake. I just roll my eyes and shake my head at people like that and ignore them.
My coworkers are great - Jenn in particular is awesome. She's this bouncy, energetic person that's always smiling and laughing. Great to be around! I'm sad I'll only be working with them for a couple more months, but hopefully we'll still hang out.
After bowling, I drove out to the "sticks" for my friend's 80's theme party! It looked like a pile of highlighters and leggings had exploded in her basement when I walked in! Everyone looked like huge dorks, which was really entertaining. We didn't go to sleep until 4:30am!! Had some great chats and a bit of drama (a little bit never hurt anyone!). Then 5 of us trooped out for a yummy breakfast the next day (well, technically lunch considering the late hour we finally dragged ourselves there :)
I went to my mom's after and she, my sister, her student currently living with her from Korea, Jung, and I all went shopping for a bit. I bought a pair of sneakers but nothing else. Wasn't in much of a shopping mood, which is SO WIERD for me! Like, I was seeing things I liked but the motivation to buy just wasn't there. Plus it seemed like all the stores had slight variations of the same stuff. I like to be trendy, but in my own way, I don't want to look like every other 20-something girl walking down the street, so this bugs me. My mom commented that I should go shopping hungover and sleep-deprived more often! I'm sure my bank account would appreciate it.
Then I came home and got some stuff done around the house, relaxed and watched the Amazing Race and got ready for today! It was a great weekend - full but not too full, things to do but not so many that I didn't have fun. Ugh, but then of course Monday had to come along.
I'm not just on edge today because it's Monday - I have to take my cat to the vet tonight for a check-up and that always makes me nervous because she's 14 years old so you never know what they're going to find wrong. Plus, I felt a little lump on her left side that worries me. I'm absolutely dreading going, but it has to be done. Also, I was supposed to travel to Boston this Wed to Fri (my mom's going for business and I was going to tag along as I've always wanted to visit there) but now she might not be going so it's a waiting game til she has a meeting today and finds out. Needless to say I'll be really pissed if I have to cancel my ticket after spending the money (won't get a refund, only a credit. Thanks for nothing, Air Canada) AND looking forward to going away for like a month! I've been feeling the itch to go somewhere for a while and really felt like I needed this trip; to get away and have a change of scene. I guess we'll see...
Wow, what a long rant. Good on you if you got this far! I'm sure you've either fallen asleep or given up on reading all this shit by now. Heck, I have too. Now off to the gym (did I mention Monday's suck??).
Well, I swore to myself I'd never do it again. After my last experience, I wanted to get as far away as possible from it. But here I am, back at it again.
I have re-joined (word?) Plenty of Fish. Yes, it's true. No, my doctor didn't switch up my meds. I'm really just that crazy and/or masochistic.
The good news is that within a day of re-joining (I like my new word, it's catchy), I got a message from a guy who is cute, seems to have similar interests and personality, and actually seems normal, which let's be honest is saying something for guys on POF. We are going out tomorrow and I'm excited, like a silly eleventh-grader or something. And we're not just going on any date - he's taking me to the gold medal game of the Brier! That's right, a curling game (are they called games? I don't even know); and not just any game, the big one. His treat. Heck, I was just excited that someone put a little thought into the date and didn't a) leave me to do all the work of planning where to go and when, and b) thought of doing something other than going for coffee or lunch or some other perfectly acceptable yet boring first-date activity.
We shall see. Anyone who knows me knows that I tend to get prematurely excited about things, and in turn end up disappointed when my higher-than-normal expectations are not met. Anyone who knows me would also know that going to a curling game/match/whatever it's called is not the norm for me as well - nothing against curling, I just don't follow sports or watch them. Ever. Again, not that I don't like them but I'm just sort of indifferent. My mind is preoccupied with deeper things like clothes and food.
I'm still asking myself why I'm doing this online dating thing again because it's just never worked for me. And I'd be lying if I said I thought it was really going to work this time either, but what can I say. I guess if nothing else, I'm a persistent person who doesn't let a few bad experiences get me down. I thought to myself the other day too that even if I go on a date and it turns out bad or doesn't go anywhere, at least I took that step. At least I got out there and met someone and took the leap. At least I didn't stay home alone and lay on the couch with a box of cookies talking to the cat and watching dvd's (I mean I've never done that....ok maybe once or twice). And hey if you have a really bad date that's really awkward, at least you have a funny story to tell!
So, bottom line is, I'm back at it and not sure about it, but also happy about it. Make sense?
In any case, it's impossible to be down when it's sunny and 5+ degrees outside (it's sad and a testament to the shittiness of winter that 5 degrees is considered warm)! Plus, I'm getting ready to go out for a walk in Point Pleasant Park (a Halifax treasure), then coffee at the Wired Monk (another HT) then out for dinner (Turkish restaurant - ooo new!) and dancing with some fun gals! All this combined with my exciting date tomorrow, it's shaping up to be quite an awesome weekend.
Now, if you'll excuse me I have to go kick myself.
For a few days there on this fair East Coast, it seemed spring might be starting to descend upon us (FINALLY!!). It was sunny and warm and people were out in bare arms and legs and feet like it was the middle of July (kinda crazy in my book, but still sort of feel-good in an odd way). Alas, this morning brought snow flurries and -8 with the windchill. We're not quite there yet, people!
However, there are at least small glimpses of spring and that makes me feel good. One thing that really blew my mind was when my alarm went off at 6:30 this morning and I turned over and could see the sun coming up through the window! After months of getting up, showering and often leaving for work in the pitch darkness (and therefore feeling as though I was getting up in the middle of the night), the days are finally lengthening! The time change this weekend will, I'm sure, amplify this effect even more and make spring seem even closer.
I think I can speak for the entire northern hemisphere when I say I'm SO sick and tired of piling on three layers before leaving in the morning to catch the bus, dry eyes and dry/windblown hair, frozen-to-numbness fingers and toes, and a white road-salt film all over everything. I need sun and fresh air and flowers and green. So, now that I'm seeing these things starting to pop up, I'm very much looking forward to springy and summery things. Here's just a few of the things I'm looking forward to:
* Dressing in green and partying it up Irish style for St Patrick's Day
* An Easter weekend (5 days off!) road trip to New Brunswick
* Leaves budding on the trees lining my street
* The smell of freshly cut grass
* SANDALS!!
* Trenchcoats, umbrellas, wellies, and swingy, flowered skirts
* Nicole's bday/bridal shower/bachelorette and wedding!
* Walks on the beach
* Bicycles
* Fresh air
* Laundry hanging out on the line
* Bonfires and camping
* The cottage in PEI
* Iced coffee
There. Those should tide me over for a few months until the really warm, sunny weather gets here. Or at least for a few hours.
