Mmmacarons

And no, that's not a spelling mistake. Macaron, people. Macaron.

Hello weekend!

Who took this?

I found this picture when I was going through all my shots in iPhoto. J thinks that one of his best friends (SS) took it. I think it's awesome.

Putting his foot down

Beehive

I love looking up at the different nests and hives nestled in the trees. They really become more visible in the wintertime when the branches are bare and the sun is setting.

I actually have a friend who collects beehives and hornet's nests. (Isn't that neat?) Whenever I come across fallen nests or hives or see their silhouettes in the trees, I think of her (like right now).

Grab Bag Update

My grab bag from Omiyage arrived in the mail today.  I was excited when I saw the beautifully wrapped package and anticipated finding some extra-special goodies tucked inside.  Supposedly, the grab bags were valued at a price higher than what was paid (for example, $25 package worth $40) but to be honest, it was quite disappointing.  Ah well.  (I still love the shop and the lovely things they have.)

Hope your day is (was?) filled with happy surprises.  Talk soon.  xo

Just run, dammit!

I met up with a friend after work for a nice evening of munchies and a movie at the Revue.  Compared to this weekend's double bill, Never Let Me Go was on the opposite end of the spectrum.  Watching the movie reminded me of walking through a museum very slowly and taking in all the beauty but never really understanding it all.  There were quite a few loopholes that I couldn't (or maybe didn't want to) reconcile and it was very slow-paced.

Still, I loved the cinematography - many of the stills were like beautiful photographs - and the set design was amazing.  I imagined how thrilling it would have been to choose all of the different vintage props.  I also loved the juxtaposition of futuristic "technology" against the old-fashioned and conservative backdrop.  And Carey Mulligan was great in it.

In a nutshell, it's a tragic science fiction-love story-melodrama.

Snack time

Candy apples

I'm always in the mood for popcorn, candy apples and corn dogs. Here are a couple of pictures from last summer when H & I went to the CNE. I think my favorite part of going was taking pictures and eating all of the carnival treats.

Flying saucers

We just got home from taking H sledding. There's a nice big hill close to home. I always forget how exhilarating it is to coast down the side of a hill or watching people defy death on plastic saucers.

Now we're warming up with cups of hot chocolate, nibbling on popcorn and putting our tootsies by the fire.

Hope you're having a lovely Sunday afternoon. Talk soon. xo

Quick review before I take two aspirins

Tonight J+I went to a double feature: Enter the Void and Black Swan. My nerves feel shot after seeing one after the other. To be honest, I didn't really like either film or perhaps, more appropriately, didn't make a connection to either. However, I will say that they were both visually quite amazing. I also appreciate Gaspar Noé's ballsy approach to style and the cinematography but there were times when I found it overly ambitious and immature (but really - what the hell do I know?!). Oh yeah, and too long.

Have you ever gorged at a beautiful smorgasbord but left feeling stuffed, uncomfortable and overloaded? This is exactly how it felt after seeing these movies together. It's left me wanting dry toast.

[Does this mean I should be watching the Golden Girls right now?]

Hanging with my snowmie

January sky

On the way home from work today. Nice.

Seeing stars

It started snowing again this afternoon so my walk home from work was really lovely. When I got home, I lit a lantern and went outside to take pictures.

Tonight we're just chilling out by the fire and doing our own thing. I think I'm going to write some letters and start a project that I've been thinking about for days now using photographs from an album I picked up at a flea market.

Hope you're having a cozy evening and doing something you love. Talk soon. xo

Another day

Omiyage

I've been meaning to post about one of my new favorite online shops called Omiyage. Have you heard of it?

"Omiyage is the love child of Marisa Edghill and Elias de Souza. Having moved from Japan to Canada in 2007 (after a combined 12 years in the land of the rising sun), they found themselves missing Japanese stuff an awful lot! After a couple of years feeling sad every time they walked into a fabric store, or a craft store or, well, pretty much any store, they decided to do something about it!"

[How awesome are they?!]

The shop is really lovely with all of its special goodies (think: washi tapes, rubber stamps, stationery...) and the best part of all is that it's right here in Ontario! AND (as if it wasn't already amazing!) the flat shipping rate for Canada is a mere $5! (It's true!) You really must check it out, my friends.

P.S. For those of you who love surprises and grab bags, they're offering lucky bags (or Fukubukuro) until January 7th or you could enter to win one on the Lil Magoolie website! What a great way to start the New Year!

Powdered sugar

What a pretty morning! The snow was falling gently like powdered sugar being sifted in the air. It reminded me of the backdrop for a Christmas story.

As I was walking home this evening, the snow began to fall again. I tried to capture it with my camera but this is what appeared:

[It looks more like a rainstorm of hot metal, non?]

Write more letters

I'm not one for making New Year's Resolutions but I have been thinking about personal goals and things I'd like to do in the New Year. Here is my list so far:

Write more letters - I've really been slipping with this. It's such a shame because an empty mailbox is definitely a lonely one.

Take a class - I'm not sure what this class will be in yet but I know that it'll be something creative and not necessarily work-related. Some things that crossed my mind were jewelry-making and writing.

Tone up - I've been saying this for years now but I think this is the year I'll actually do something about it! My metabolism isn't what it used to be (that's for sure!).

Take more pictures - I used to carry my camera with me everywhere in the past but somewhere along the way, I found it too cumbersome. As a result, I've missed some really interesting shots. This year I plan to take more photos and improve my photography.

Journal regularly - As I mentioned in my previous post, I started a new journal and I hope to continue writing in it regularly. Along with my camera, I'll make sure to bring it with me wherever I go.

Create more - This kind of goes hand-in-hand with my thoughts of writing more and taking a class. I just feel like I've been amassing things like craft supplies and paper but haven't been doing anything with them. It's like I keep waiting for something to happen or for the perfect time. I just need to do it and not feel the pressure of having to create something perfect. Maybe I'll start with collages or a simple art journal. This is something I could even do with H on a regular basis.

Read more poetry - There are so many beautiful poems out there that can really capture special moments and touch the soul. I need to tap into this.

Continue to expand my boundaries - Taking the improv class last year and performing in front of a small audience was really thrilling! I find when I force myself to go out there and take risks, it really allows me to expand my boundaries and access the parts of my personality that need to be nurtured. Taking classes, going to Meetups and performing in front of people is a great way to challenge myself and I plan to do more of it!

Have fun and enjoy life (!) - I don't often have any trouble doing this but there are days that I feel down or uninspired. I need to always remember to make the most of things, appreciate my family and my life, and above all, just have fun! (Why so serious?)

I like this year

We started the New Year off by sleeping in late and having a lazy day. By late afternoon, however, the three of us were completely restless so we did two things: purge some of my shoes and walk down to Starbucks for some tea and hot chocolate.

H brought along a book, J had his Alpha Smart to type on and I started a brand new journal. It felt good to get out my pens and write on the fresh, new paper (tabula rasa).

I wrote down a list of highlights of the year that just passed and there were so many wonderful things to reflect on. Here are some of the most memorable:

- Ringing in 2010 in London with D+L
- Taking the Eurostar through the English Channel to Paris and visiting the Eiffel Tower, the Marche aux Puces and the Catacombs
- Completing my program in Career & Work Counselling and having the opportunity to work for three really different and amazing programs
- Reading H's articles published in a magazine and admiring her work

And probably the most exciting:
- Celebrating J's dream of writing and directing his first feature film (!!!)

Of course, being healthy, happy and in love have also been constant themes throughout the year that I know will continue into the next (and hopefully into infinity). I'm really excited to see what 2011 will bring and have a feeling it's going to be just as exciting and full as the last year so I say, bring it! I'm ready.

Wishing you a wonderful year filled with adventures, happiness and lots of love. Take care, friends. Talk soon. xo

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2011! (Bring it on!)

Lovely holiday season

My parents and sister flew in from Winnipeg on the 24th and we drove down to Kingston to celebrate with J's family (minus two key people). It was a really lovely time with lots of food, conversation and very little drama (except for the dreaded sliver incident...heh heh).

I feel really lucky to have such warm and welcoming in-laws. They made our stay very special and we had a really wonderful time with them! One of the highlights was seeing J's niece and all of the new things she had learned recently. (So sweet! ♥)

I'm also really grateful that my parents and sister took the time to fly down to be with us over the holidays. We really appreciate it, especially H. They always do so much for us in the little time that they're here. Thank you!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend and a happy celebration! Talk soon. xo