Goodbye 2011!

Another year has gone by and quickly at that! I'm just stopping in briefly today to wish you all a Happy New Year. It was a busy year for me and I didn't post nearly enough. I as of yet have made absolutely not changes to my closet sized room. I promise you dear readers who have put up with me that I will do better this next year. I have a huge white wall with peeling paint that needs to be fixed and books piled up on every surface. New year, new start!

Have yourselves a wonderful New Year! I'll leave you with some of my favourite pictures from the last year (starting with the intro picture: a view from my building. jealous?)

From February Openings

To Spring in the Country

...And Summer at the Beach

After a Mystery Act Fall. Christmas.

Pillows Pillows Pillows

I have an obsession with pillows. I can't explain it. An excess of pillows serve no purpose, they destroy clean lines, but I can't help it. They're cozy put a throw over the back of a couch, a few pillows on each side and I feel like I'm home. Coziness is key for me when decoration a room. The major problem with this pillow obsession? They're expensive.

Right now I am absolutely loving the vintage style, linen pillows from Esmery-Caron.

Pillows can be found at Restoration Hardware, which is where all images were taken from

I adore these pillows. They're neutral so I could take them from apartment to apartment easily. They're French and I have to admit I'm drawn to all things with just a hint of French. They're also out of my price range. They seem to be selling off right now; I saw them in a local store for a little over $20, but it's still out of my price range. 

A few other options I scoped out online are even worse at $40 and $49 (both pillows can be found at Supermarket. Aren't they so tempting though?

mosaic star linen pillow cover black

detroit map title pillow cover

I don't need pillows, but I would like some. I'll be moving soon and want to make my next place feel like a home. I'm thinking of sewing pillows like these myself. Now I'm not a sewer, in fact I barely passed Grade Nine sewing, but it's worth a shot no? I know quite a few costume designers who could set me on the right path fabric wise and I'm sure I could borrow a sewing machine. Do-it-yourself design has never been my forte, but it's looking like my budget calls for it. Does anybody know if sewing will actually be cheaper in the long run?

For the next few days I'm going to be searching for some clear, simple instructions for a BEGINNER sewer. It's the internet, it has everything even instructions simple enough for a sew-i-phobic like myself. Now let's all hope I don't hit my finger with a needle.

Helen Frankenthaler, December 12, 1928 - December 27, 2011

The art world lost an amazing talent yesterday, Helen Frankenthaler. She was a leading force in the postwar abstract expressionist movement and established Colour Field Painting. She worked steadily for years as an artist, influencing many others along the way.

"What concerns me when I work, is not whether the picture is a landscape, or whether it's pastoral, or whether somebody will see a sunset in it. What concerns me is - did I make a beautiful picture?" 
                                                                                                                        - Helen Frankenthaler

The above images feature just a small selection of her work and the internet cannot possibly do it justice. 

Sounds and Tastes of Christmas

It isn't really Christmas in my house until I've listened to every Christmas album my parents own (five times) and have baked the traditional Christmas shortbread and cakes. It's a little late this year, but I have finally completed those tasks.

I think it's the smells and sounds of this time of year that really put me in a festive mood. It's not the presents or the malls, it's the little things I remember from childhood. I used to love helping Grandma bake the Christmas Cakes in her big orange bowl. She would always have everything pre-measured so I would be able to pour things into the mixer. I don't have anybody to pre-measure the ingredients for me anymore, but every year when I bake the cakes myself I remember all those good times. I still sneak a few of the candied cherries for myself as I'm baking.

The sounds are as equally important to me. Every year we listen to Johnny Mathis when we're decorating the tree, eating shortbread and drinking eggnog. My mom sings, albeit terribly off key, but that's all part of the charm and my brother curls up on the couch watching as everybody else goes crazy with tinsel.

These are the memories that I savour each year. Even though things change, year after year I still have these little traditions that will always remind me of home.









I apologize for the picture quality, last minute photos for the album and blogging do not mix. That having been said Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Around the Home

This week has been a whirlwind of last minute Christmas preparations. I was so busy with shows and then exams I had no time to even think about Christmas and so I'm winging the holidays this year. Christmas shopping is nearly done; the house is almost decorated, well the tree is up at least, and the first round of baking is complete and eaten. I just love the old ornaments that have been used for generations. So many have been broken over the years, but the ones that remain add something special to our tree year after year.

Christmas To Do

Finish Shopping - Two Presents to Go

Bake Christmas Cake, Shortbread, Mince Pie, Sugar Cookies, Rice Crispy Squares, Cherry Slice, Scones

Pick Up Turkey

Well the list really isn't that bad is it? The baking list is a little long, but I've set aside most of tomorrow for it. Sure I still need to pick up the ingredients for the baking, but it will all get done. Nothing to worry about! Other than that, there are Christmas films to watch and books to read in front of the fire. Nothing beats sitting by the fire, looking at the Christmas tree with a good book and a cup of hot coffee. I plan on thoroughly enjoying the next few days and hope you all do too!

The Little Red Dress

I am completely head over heels in love with the Little Red Dress this December (now known as the LRD, oh I am using a cheesy acronym). Maybe it's watching too many episodes of New Girl and developing some sort of Zooey Deschenel induced stockholme syndrome or maybe it's just the season and too much eggnog. Whatever it it is, it has inspired me to search high and low on the internet for the perfect dress. I don't shop online so it's perfect because I really have no money to buy a new dress this season.

Consequently my SVPPLY account has become overrun with LRDs. Here are the four dresses currently sitting in my wishlist, just waiting for my credit card to snap them up.

This Red Lace Flippy Dress from TopShop combines my two great loves for the holiday season: red and lace. It also does it in a way that doesn't make me cringe. It's not overtly sexy and there won't be any Mrs. Claus nightmares induced by this dress. It's sweet. I would wear it to a party or knowing me out grocery shopping. What can I say; I think the world needs more lace. 

The second dress on my list is also from TopShop (and as it turns out, like the first one, sold out unfortunately). The Red Tea Dress is demure, but it has the keyhole cutout that gives it just an extra something. Add some black mary janes and you're good to go. In other words, want.

The Red Knitted Scoop Dress is another major want for me. The colour is a little too towards the orange side for me, but I love the style. I love the sleeves and how it's definitely simple enough for every day wear. 

 Finally, we have the Winter Waltz Dress from ModCloth, a dress for my fantasy life. In  this life I'm Grace Kelley and I'm on my way to some fabulous event. The sheen gets me every time as does the length. This is the kind of dress I always WISH I could wear. It is gorgeous. One day, when I accept a Tony, you'll see me wearing a dress modeled in this style. A girl can dream right?

Unfortunately I'm linking you to dresses that are all out of stock. I guess red is popular for Christmas; who knew? I still think that they're fabulous and worth sharing if only for some inspiration. Or maybe you're like me and just like looking at beautiful clothing.  

Out and About

Last night I actually got out and off my campus to see theatre! The Patron Saint of Stanley Park is a locally written piece that was first staged last year at the Arts Club. It wasn't the type of show I normally go see. It was family friendly, bittersweet and heartwarming. All things that normally make me cringe. But you know what, I really enjoyed myself. The play itself wasn't something I would normally love and it had its issues, but that didn't seem to matter. By the end I was tearing up along with half the audience.

I went with a close friend of my mine and we made a night of it. We dressed up in heels and well she wore a dress and I managed to track down a lacy top. It was drizzling out, but that didn't matter. We were in festive spirits and nothing was going to bring us down. I have nothing clever to add, no jokes, no sarcasm. It was a genuinely enjoyable evening that could melt even this frosty hipster's heart.

This is one of those thing's that I would like to do more often. Take an evening to spend time with a good friend doing something we love. I love taking time out to enjoy culture and the great thing about this was that we were supporting local artists. Not only that, but it was relatively inexpensive because of Student Rush pricing. Not something we could do every night, but it was a nice send off to the year. I'll be going home to spend time with my family later tonight and she's off to see her's sometime next week. I won't see her again until the new year and this was the perfect way to send of what's bee a fairly stress filled year. New Christmas tradition? I hope so.

I wanted to take photos; the city was lit up with Christmas lights. It was gorgeous. Of course, I left my camera at home so this post is visually not so stunning, but what can you do? I hope the three of you reading this blog are taking time to enjoy the season and doing whatever it is that makes you happy. We all deserve some rest and relaxation.

Procrastination Central

Once again, it's been a long, long time without a post. I need to stop taking on three shows a semester. It's not good for my sanity or my blog. I had a joke there, but I'm too tired to think of what it was. So what am I up to now? I know you're all dying to know. Exams.

Okay, more accurately avoiding exams...and avoiding that paper that was due last Thursday and still has a page to go. I'm so stuck. I picked a difficult topic and there is very little research on it. So what's a poor university student to do you might ask? Obviously watch Christmas episodes of Community, Modern Family and Suburgatory while writing a page every few hours. Procrastination is not my friend.

It's clearly time for a sweeping declaration. This paper will be done within the hour! And then I'll start studying for my exam tomorrow! Gulp!

What I really want to do is curl up with Anne of Green Gables in front of a fire while listening to Bing Crosby on my parents record player and yes I will be drinking eggnog. It's disgusting, but it completes the picture. Ryan Gosling can serve the eggnog for kicks.

I guess I should go and be responsible now. But come on, could it get a little Christmassy around here? Would it kill Mother Nature to provide just a little snow to lift my spirits out of the exam duldrums? At the very least it would give me another way to procrastinate. Never underestimate the power of the perfect snow angel.

Summers Past

This concept of normalcy; I've often wondered if it exists. At university everybody seems to eschew it in favour of finding his or her own path, but I think overall everybody is just a little off. I'm not here to get into a philosophical debate (trust me, I'd lose). Sometimes I just think that even in this little micro-universe I'm not exactly "normal," whatever that means. Who's ever heard of environmentalist theatre major whose obsession with Springsteen led to a love of 1970s muscle cars? What kind of theatre student loves the stereotypical guy thing.

This whole post is a little more personal than I like to get on this blog. It's also incredibly off topic, so forgive me.

I think one of the great things about university is you can explore different interests and find a niche. You're exposed to ideas that weren't necessarily part of your experience growing up. The pool of people is just that much larger. However, I've found a certain type of person which is great, but there's still that hometown girl in me. The girl who remembers struggling to scrape by in an old used car. There's a part of me that will never quite fit in in a world that's dominated by the upper middle class (which is a shame). Most people from my hometown are married with children now. They've got solid jobs and work hard. I think all day.

I'm glad I chose the path I did, but I think I'll always identify a little with the people left in my hometown. They're the people who shaped me. They're my family and my neighbours. I never really fit in there either and I wouldn't go back, but their influence is profound. Sometimes I miss that life. Running downstairs and hopping into my friend's beat up 80s camaro and driving, walking for an hour in the August heat just to get to the coffee shop with board games,dancing down at the local hall, trekking into the city for an outdoor concert that we saved for months to buy tickets too, those are the memories I'll cherish. Those high school summers defined me. I grew apart from those friends and I miss them. We're different people now, but a part of me will stay lost in those summers, the same part of me that doesn't quite fit into the university mold.

Pencils and Books and Pens

                                                   
It's back to school time again, my final year of it. That's a weird feeling. Most people I know have graduated (this whole two degree things takes a little extra time) and I'm trying to figure out how I'll fit back into the swing of things (as I do every year) without everybody around. But that's all for later. Denial is a great thing.

The most important thing on my mind right now? School supplies.

Seriously, who doesn't love scouring the aisles of Staples for the latest and greatest erase-better-ers or the smoothest writing tool this side of the twenty first century? I get sucked in by the hype, what can I say. The pencils freshly sharped, the pens still working, the miles and miles of white out tape at the ready, it makes me think that this is the year I'll be organized. So what if that falls through by the end of semester, it all gets done doesn't it?

On top of all the school supplies university means (for many) dorms, apartments and basement suites. I remember the first year conundrum of what to bring, what to bring. I read horror stories about tiny rooms that wouldn't fit a quarter of the average person's closet; I witnessed some of these horror rooms first hand. I was determined not to over-pack.

I managed to fit my entire life into a single suitcase. I brought nothing extraneous. Five shirts, one pair of jeans, one skirt, runners, flip-flops (for the shower of course), and a pair of ballet flats. One rug because the floor would obviously be disgusting. No prints, there was no room for decoration. An extra box filled with text books and my school supplies were in one case in my pure along with my ID. Bare bones living, that's what I envisioned and yes I still got made of for over-packing by my family.

But you know what? I overdid it. Sure rooms are small, but they're not so small that you can't make yourself comfortable. Bring you favourite clothes, bring some photos for your walls, bring a mini-fridge. Trust me, you'll want to make room for that fridge when the floor thief starts taking things out of the communal one. Making your dorm room comfortable is essential; you'll be living there for the next nine months.

Those ads that are in all the papers right now want you to bring way too  much granted. But aren't they fun to look through? I love picking out my favourite things and buying maybe one, the cheapest one. Back to school is a great time to surround yourself with things that you love, that will make you comfortable and prepare you for the grind ahead. I've got my text books and pens at the ready and maybe I'll sneak in some contraband candles this year, because that seems safe.

I'm Back and Deeply Apologetic

Summertime at the beach

So here I am, back from my unannounced and unexpected hiatus. You would think that I would be able to make the time to write a few hundred words once a week during the summer, but no. I can only seem to manage a couple of projects at once and unfortunately this blog fell by the wayside.

What have I been doing with my time? I've been trapped in the theatre, only seeing the light of day through the wings. It's an outdoor venue and gorgeous. Of course, I'm backstage and see very little of the sun and grass and all that good stuff and instead have become intimately acquainted with the mosquitoes that inhabit the wings. I'm not complaining as it's a fantastic show that really came together after tech week and I'm proud to be a part of it. Not to mention the people who are lovely (and become even lovelier in my eyes when cupcakes appear in the greenroom)!

That one show took up hours of my time, but it's been open for awhile now. Up until this week what's kept me away has been sheer laziness. I didn't want to type. I didn't want to sit in front of my computer. I took day trips; I walked around my hometown. I have listened to far too much Bruce Springsteen. I must admit, I've barely thought about writing anything for weeks.

Now that I'm slightly busier and procrastinating from things that I really should be doing (*cough* rehearsal reports *cough*) I seem to have found the time to write again, funny how that goes. I've taken on a Stage Management position for a small one woman show that's showing in a local festival. It's not something I've ever done before and I'm excited, but also a little nervous. I'm less nervous about the actual show, which should be fairly straightforward, than my sanity. I haven't had a break in so long that I was looking forward to not working until October. Now I'll be balancing this job and the start of my final year at University. It will all work out because it always does; I just hope I don't burn myself out in the process.

That's how my summer has progressed, busy but no as of yet overwhelmed. I plan on enjoying my days off here and there and taking in all that I can during this coming August.

Sick Day

I have finally worn myself into the ground. A cold/flu type virus has been going around recently, just in time for the start of summer and I finally caught it. It all started yesterday when I tried to peel myself out of bed to get chores done and ended up staying there for the rest of the day feeling sorry for myself. It ended up being a day filled with cold water and tylenol washed down with some more cold water. It definitely wasn't a lot of fun, especially since I don't get a lot of time off work (and by work I mean unpaid internship) so wasting a day just doesn't cut it.

I'm stuck at home today too, never venturing too far off the couch. I'm attempting to work from home, but that doesn't seem to be going very well. All bosses love nonsensical writing though, right? I've been lying on the couch watching old romantic comedies and feeling incredibly guilty about all the work that I'm not doing. I'm definitely missing the days of missing a day of school and knowing that I could catch up no problem. Nobody was relying on my work being done there. My mom would bring me soup and orange popsicles (no other colour had the healing ability that orange did) and I would watch t.v. all day. While not exactly enjoyable it did beat out sick days now. A cold with a side of guilt. 

But what can you really do? Things happen. I'll catch up eventually and for now I'm not much good to anybody. I'll keep watching Katherine Heigl try on those 27 dresses while Meg Ryan waits for her dial up to connect so she can see if she has mail. I have a Vogue waiting to be read, but that seems a little too much like heavy reading for my concentration levels today. 

Growing Up?

That question mark was definitely intentional. Just the other day I was confident; I was going for a job interview at a government agency. I was wearing a suit and heels, purse in hand. A clipboard, paper, pens, an agenda and three printed copies of the resume in hand? Check. I was ready to take on the world.

Cue the rest of the day. Me limping around the city in these heels, attempting to find a pair of wearable shoes that I can afford. Hop on the bus change, then head back downtown for my unpaid internship. Thankfully this internship allows me to ditch the suit and replace it with jeans, a t-shirt and of course my winter jacket since it is officially -50 in the building. On the other hand, I believe it was in that moment that I forever decided against growing up if it means I can no longer wear jeans to work. 

I woke up the next day with the best of intentions. I made eggs. I searched job boards. I got dressed. I didn't get the position I interviewed for. Okay, small set back, but you know at least I still have my goal of never leaving my jeans intact. Life was looking good. 

Of course fast forward a few more days and I'm at home on my parents couch trying to ignore the fact that I'm unemployed with oh so few options. I filled out that application at Starbucks. Nothing back yet. My brother is loving having me home. I've taken up permanent residence on the couch and there is no way he's regaining control of the remote control or computer anytime soon. Or at least not until Tuesday, when I travel back to my apartment. 

Today I hit a new low. The day you know you've reached the bottom of the unemployment barrel when you don't get out of your pyjamas all day long. The afghan and couch were definitely my two best friends and who knew PVR could be so addictive. Do I want to watch The Break Up for the fourth time today without commercials? Why yes in fact I do. It gave me the chance to talk through different sections each time. How could I not keep replaying it? 

So while I'll be heading back to the dorms in a few days post long weekend I'll be doing so with a slightly new attitude. Gone is the wear nothing but jeans approach. It is dead, replaced by my let's aim to change into street clothing before 6pm. Maybe I'll even start setting the alarm again. Maybe. Hopefully at that point I'll have a brilliant new idea detailing how I'm going to make a billion dollars over the course of the summer. If that fails, invest in lotto tickets? Meet a brilliant, successful lawyer/doctor hybrid on Craiglist? Sue craigslist when said doctor/lawyer turns out to be a psychotic serial killer?

Maybe I'll do all that when I stop tearing up at hearing Roy Orbison songs on TimeLife commercials while reading Missed Connections and get up off this couch. I can say one thing is for certain. I certainly don't feel like I'm any closer to adulthood right now. 

Work in Progress

I have an ugly dorm room. I've always meant to fix it up. In fact, that was the original purpose of this blog; I wanted to talk about ways to fix up a small space with unpaintable walls. Unfortunately I never seemed to find the time. It's been over eight months and I still haven't fully moved in. I still have dishes in boxes.

I think I can say that that's problem number one. Boxes littering the room because I still haven't unpacked. It's not the main problem though. No, the main problem is the walls. The paint is peeling all over the place. Their are huge areas where the drywall is showing through. The tenant before me must have used super glue to put up posters.

Posters are the only thing I can think of to cover up these patches, but I really don't like the idea of them cluttering up the wall. I also thought of colour blocking canvases and creating a pattern on the wall with them, but again I'm just not sure. Draping fabric wouldn't work with the space because of some awkward corners. I'm really undecided and I'm not sure when I'll have time to figure this out. Originally I was going to post some pictures, but it's also incredibly messy and nobody needs to see that.

As of now, my room is fairly unlivable. I need help.

Wish List

I am one of those people who absolutely needs to write everything down. I wasn't always like this, but then I got involved in theatre as a stage manager. Organization was not optional. I write every minute detail down in my agenda and throughout the year it grows post-it notes, colour coded of course. If it weren't for that agenda I would get nothing done.

Currently I'm using The Original Student Calendar. It's basic, it's functional, it works. I'll probably stick with it for at least another year. However, some other agendas have caught my eye.

These planners from Present and Correct are adorable. I love the patterns, especially the bold yellow and pink cover. I'm currently in love with the idea of colour blocking and yes, that trickles down to my planners.

I'm also loving the Tomorrow Planners from Poketo.

The Daily Colour Planner is cute too.

To make a decision I think I'd have to see them in person and compare them to what I'm currently using. Is anybody using any of these planners? I can't be the only one who's an agenda freak. 

Things I Love

Hearing a male singer hit a high C. That blew me away today!

Dreary Days

The weather has been anything but springlike in these parts. All season has been marked by gray drizzle, umbrellas and winter coats. Yes, it's been that cold. Some days you don't want to venture outside it's so bad. Today was one of those days. Fortunately for me I don't have to. No work, no class, no internship. It's a totally free day and I've been utterly lazy.

Currently I'm curled up on the couch in front of my lap top watching an old Audrey Hepburn move (Paris When it Sizzles); it's not my favourite film, but the colours are gorgeous. Half the time the movie feels like one huge ad for Paris in the sixties, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The scenery, the clothing, it's all so glamourous. I think that's the appeal for me when I watch some of these older films. Pure escapism.  It's putting me in a more spring-like mood. Of course, it's also making me want to travel far far away for the summer

Wouldn't you love to wake up to something like this every morning for four months?

This image is taken from this website advertising Naxos, Greece. I've wanted to go there for years, but haven't had the opportunity yet.

While I dream of Europe, I'll be working on my next script analysis, distracting myself with the glamour of the cinema. Maybe some tea will help along the actual work?

Job Hunting

So I think my major problem with job hunting is that I get caught up with the things that don't really matter until I actually send a resume out, things like what to wear to an interview. Obviously, that's not a problem unless I actually get an interview which won't happen if I never send out a resume.

That having been said, I did manage to land an internship in my field this summer. Unpaid of course. But the networking opportunities have to be worth something right? I would like something to fill up my time and give me some money though. So I'm still looking, still applying, still hoping that someone somewhere will like my resume enough to overlook my ridiculous schedule. Let's hope this mystery boss is actually out there. Maybe one day I'll  be able to buy some of the products I post on this blog.

...........Paying my rent and buying food would be nice too though.

E-Day!

So did you? Did you really? The polls are closing out East, but there's plenty of time to cast your ballot out West. If you don't know your riding just head to voter information services on the Elections Canada website. 

Wish List

Clog Sandals

1. Modcloth Sunset Beach Heel 2. Creatures of Comfort

APC Clog Sandals- Red 3. Anthropologie Crossover Clogs

The seventies are back in a big way this season and I'm loving these sandals.The height, the colours, they're calling to me. If only my bank account agreed with me spending right now.

Catching up on Reading

So I took this past long weekend to catch up on some reading, but for the first time in months my list didn't include anything to do with my classes. Guilty pleasure reading all the way. Yes, I was re-reading Tune in Anytime by Caroline B. Cooney. Not the most sophisticated reading, but it was fun. It was nice to read something easy, something that would most definitely have a happy ending. Next up? Who knows! I'm open to suggestions if anybody out there has a favourite book and they're dying to spread the word.

Does anybody else turn to books from their childhood to relax? Or guilty pleasure reading in general, the type of stuff you don't want to be caught on transit with?