Sick day

Today was a sick day, a sofa day, a wasted day. A proud of myself for mustering the strength to bathe (bonus for the face mask) day. A Neocitran morning, followed by a groggy afternoon. Too many movies  -- Fargo, then Under The Skin, then When Harry Met Sally. So much ache in the head and congestion of the face.

You get the idea.

My appetite is momentarily zilch, but that hasn't stopped me from fantasizing about this cookie from Maman bakery. Someone book me a ticket to New York... as soon as standing upright doesn't induce wobbly muscles and flop sweat. (Oh yes, I AM beacon of sex appeal and sweat pants, thanks for asking.)

Photo right-click-saved from New York Magazine (link above).

Skincare Emergency

Gruesome confession: Does anyone else's face blossom into a blemishy ecosystem if they don't wash their makeup off before bed? Well, mine does -- especially if, say, I get a wee bit sauced on Halloween and, come bedtime, crash face-first into my pillow.

Four days later and my skin is still rebelling. Gotta step up the skincare game.

Enter Body Shop's Warming Mineral Mask (suggested by a work pal). It feels like mushy clay and warms as your rub it against your skin, which is moderately exciting.

So I went and smeared that goo all over my face minus eyeballs and nostrils. Time to let science work its magic.

Attractive. You're welcome.

Do you have any miracle creams and potions? This one's the closest thing I've ever found to helpful and relatively fast-acting. I can also vouch for Clinique's Exfoliating Scrub, but usually just wait to get freebie sample-size tubes (hey there, you sexy gift-with-purchase) because that stuff is pricey. Pro tips galore!

Doppelganger Dogs

There's an American Bulldog in the neighborhood. We haven't formally met -- his human is kinda unfriendly and ignored my initial attempt to coo over his dog-friend. (I like introducing myself to new dogs. Just ask Josh. He loves it when I derail our strolls and/or fully drop our conversation to pet strangers.) Mean disposition aside, man and dog look. exactly. alike. Both are white, stocky (sorry), older (sorry again), and move with more of a waddle than a walk. Throw matching outfits on 'em, and you'd swear you happened upon the casting call for Twins 2. (Full disclosure: I've never seen Twins, but I think the reference works.) (Does the reference work?)

I'll venture to guess that most people have either seen or lived a similar pet-human phenomenon. Very much a chicken/egg situation. Are pets chosen because they look like us? Or does some weird scientific transformation (likely osmosis) go down, causing us to morph into each other? Because the Internet is an unrelenting information blitz machine, I just read a new article that seeks to find an answer. Spoiler: Basically, when selecting a pet, we ARE looking for something familiar, for ourselves. Most interesting part? According to research from Japan (fancy), the strongest similarities can be found in the subjects' eyes. How romantic!

These relics were taken about four years ago and discovered in the depths of my computer's guts. Technology!

Growing up, Copper didn't physically resemble anyone in the family. Instead, she behaved like us -- most like my mother, whom she trailed around the house/yard at every opportunity. They snacked at the same time, went in the garden at the same time, watched the same TV shows. It was inevitable that Copper would become a very loving creature who could tolerate your bullshit (when she saw fit). She'd listen, she'd play, but do not fool yourself into asking her to make room on the sofa. She's comfy, so pick another spot. And the number of times that dog straight-up walked off on me in the middle of a hilarious joke. The nerve! Good gracious, I miss her. <3

There you have it! People look like animals, animals look like people. Maybe we're all vain. Doesn't matter. Give your pet a big hug today (if they so deign). Heck, go buy color-coordinated tops and wear them with pride because you're family. See ya!

Photo of Trotter via CJWHO

Color Full

Wouldya get a load of these colors? The early afternoon was positively bursting with 'em! That is... until some rude, angry clouds came along and started spitting all over the place.

Top: Atwater market. So many future jack-o-lanterns (also, if you're my mom, thanksgiving table decor).

Middle: Yknow, some flowers.

Bottom: Stained glass at Charlevoix metro. Who knew a place that smells so strongly of urine could look so pretty.

Bonus round!...

Because after a girl meets her boyfriend across town for lunch, if said girl had zero willpower re: desserts (but mostly just frosting), then there will be cupcakes on the way home. I want to apologize so bad for being that person, sitting in a cupcake shop, taking a picture of her stupid order, but I'm not gonna say sorry. Even though I'm rolling my eyes at myself, I should also just embrace the fact that this photo happened and then the cake did and it was fucking delicious. You should go have one, too!

Don't tell me it's raining again (it's raining again)

I don't know what the hell is going on, but the weather's been borderline apocalyptic this week. There are these brief, promising, ultimately fleeting moments of beautiful sunshine... bookended by darkness, and rain, and sometimes hail. Hail! Let me go right ahead and blame myself for this. I just watched Magnolia for the first time and thought "cool but there's no fucking way raining frogs are real."  My bad. Now, I believe. 

In a fit of cabin fever, I forced myself out the door to get some lunch. (Couldn't risk making my own lunch again.) (Making my own lunch = peanut butter on a spoon, repeat until full.) This act had the dual effect of (a) sneaking in some exercise (30 minutes of walking, ya buddy), and (b) adding another $21 to my upcoming credit card bill.

Like the income-less clown that I am, I spent that (much) money on SALAD & LEMONADE from Aux Vivres. Aux fucking Vivres, everyone's favorite vegetarian resto + fart factory + chapati machine crime scene. (That last comment is pretty insensitive, sorry.) At least I stopped myself from the additional/unnecessary coffee pit stop, so sue me already. (Visa is probably working on it as I type.)

What else. What else...

Current update: It's super sunny and super rainy right now! Is this real life? Also, aren't you glad I'm here, giving a minute-to-minute weather forecast for the downtown Montreal area? Don't mention it.

Oh yeah! Sheila, Tata and I went to see Sin City 2 last night. The movie selection basically stemmed from logistical necessity (central theatre *plus* the only convenient screening time *slash* I am both mentally and physically incapable of watching horror movies, so all those were ruled out stat). And it was passably good! The 3D was useful (rare!), and Joseph Gordon-Levitt had a substantial chunk of screen time. Much fun indeed. 

Current-er update: It stopped raining. It's still sunny. But for how long? Suspense is such a killer.

Photo c/o Berndnaut Smilde

Scribble

Sometimes you feel like a fat ass sandwich cookie and it's necessary to (literally) draw those emotions out before running off to the coffee place.

Come on. I never said I was gifted re: drawing, but it's pretty indisputable that I am. OK enough gloating already, time to pollute my body-temple with caffeine and sweets. Xx

Update (Oct 2, backyard): Just got to page 81 of LD book, and would you believe it...

Are you kidding me with this? What a weird, weird cookie coincidence. I lol-ed loud enough to frighten the squirrels when I saw it. Which is quite the feat, really, because these here Plateau squirrels are bad ass mafuckas. They race and they battle and they've been stealing my attention for days. Anyway. As if I wasn't feeling already feeling locked into this book, page 81 officially confirmed it.

'Round these parts

Oh hey! Let me tell you what's been shaking around here. (The answer is basically "not much," so don't brace yourself or anything.)

The weather's been sunny in all places except my perma-shady backyard. Since I'm trying to adhere to a "budget" (lawl), I'm occupying myself with free things. Like reading in parks and, by extension, trying to look as normal & non-creepy as possible. Pretty easy when you're a visibly non-threatening chick wearing glasses and zero makeup and you're buried a fucking book. But still, there's a concern.

Behold the home office, outdoor edition. (See! It's shady-ass shadesville back there. Welcome to my life. Huge, dark backyard, all the time.) Yes, I am on leave, and yes, that's an agenda and a notebook. This girl ain't taking the chômage lifestyle lightly. I'm a busy, modern woman! OK, so the agenda is filled with gym times and dinner dates, whatever. If only you all lived in a fantasy world as vivid (and star-studded! Hello there, Jake Gyllenhaal!) as mine.

Martha fucking Stewart is in the houuuuse. You're looking at homemade, from-scratch, only very slightly burnt blueberry pancakes. And yes, this is my idea of a healthy & balanced breakfast. Baby steps, people.

These days, I'm reading Women in Clothes. Shit is DENSE with all things ladylike and clothing related. (Has it gotten repetitive and sometimes self-back-patting? Sure. Do I continue to find interesting, insightful thoughts? Yes, every couple of pages.) This little snapshot from Lena Dunham's contribution is a standout. It speaks to me for obvious, obvious reasons.

I guess that sums up the personal part of today's blogginess. Maybe I'll come back later to write about hats or shoes or something. Oh, movies! Been meaning to drum up the list of upcoming movies I'm oh so eager to watch. Maybe today's the day? (Unlikely. But hey, anything's possible.) Xx

24 // Room to breathe

If no one minds, Anna here is gonna help me lay down some personal news. I could use the help of a professional, successful, modern woman right now. (Notice the laptop and iPad? Bitch means business.) (I wonder if she's good at Candy Crush.)

Life recently threw a big curly-q curveball my way -- as it does to everyone, to some degree and usually at an unexpected moment. I've decided to use this as an opportunity to better my overall health and wellness. That's that.

The first step was to take time off work. Time to breathe, to focus on myself, to listen to my body and improve the way we communicate. (Right now, I'm basically a manipulative tyrant who specializes in overworking and under-nourishing.) More importantly, I need time away from that hotbed of pressure and anxiety and riled-up emotional overdrive (i.e. my office). Having a difficult job is one thing; meeting unreasonable expectations is another. And when part of you is a major people-pleaser, then such an environment becomes toxic. Folks, that's a real confession, and it feels darn good to get it off my chest.

For the next two weeks, my action plan will look something like this: 

1. Rest and reduce stress. These go hand-in-hand, mostly because I don't do either properly. Resting, well, isn't fun (or a priority) when you're 27 and have 1000 things you want to do in a day. And reducing stress? I need to get back to a neutral, manageable level.

2. Research gyms/workouts in my neighborhood. So far, the shortlist includes Soul Cycle, Zumba, kick boxing, and (get your grain of salt ready) yoga.

3. FOCUS ON EATING RIGHT, BUT FOR REAL. Learn about healthy cooking & smart ways to grocery shop. Offshoot: Make more home-cooked meals. I'm aiming for ~4 dinners a week, which doesn't seem like very much at all, but keep in mind how much I fucking hate to cook (then you'll be just as satisfied with this number as I am). Last night, we had "chicken wing" tofu (a.k.a. I marinated tofu in olive oil + buffalo spices, then baked it for a long ass while), mashed cinnamon/cajun spice squash, garlic kale (for jdog because I can't eat that stuff), and plain ol' broccoli. Not bad!

4. Nest the apartment. Is that the right expression? Whatever, you know what I mean -- take care of those chores that drag for months. Touch-up the decor, reorganize the cupboards, and generally spruce the place up. We've been living here for over a year, but some rooms could still use a dash more character.

5. Indulge in some lo-fi selfishness. Like blogging before noon, on the sofa, with a coffee from the good place near the metro. Or doing a little weekday shopping. (I went to the downtown Zara yesterday morning and omg it was practically post-apocalyptic. Barely another shopper to be seen and/or passive aggressively fight with for the last pair of size 38 black leather ankle boots.) At the high risk of seeming flighty or bratty or like I'm taking advantage of my leave-of-absence, I will give into these treats. I need to remember that my life is still very much normal and I can do all these normal things I've always loved doing -- and this gives me peace. Everyone deserves the same.

And there you have it! The list will continue to grow, and I'll keep sharing things here (probably/hopefully on a more regular basis). Until next time, have a delightful day!

Update: #6... Put together all the clothes, shoes, bags, etc, that can be given to charity.

19 // 5y

<3

 

Lemme try getting the chronology right.

 

1st: December 2009, Josh's birthday (the first one we celebrated together!)

2nd: March 2010, Jen's birthday

3rd: September 2010, or 2011, I don't remember (probably because we were drunk)

4th: Fall 2012, apple picking & desert eating

5th: Valentine's 2014, brunch at the Ritz Carlton

6th: May 2014, B&J Factory in Vermont

7th: August 30 2014, closing out our fifth year of pickleship at the Arcade Fire concert

16 // Back to school?

And now for some breaking news-ish. This lady right here is (almost) seriously contemplating a return to the schoolday grind. Except there'd be nothing "day" about it because I'm looking into evening courses in Graphic Design at Corcordia. What? Crazy!

I loved putzing around with Photoshop when I was younger. Electroshocking our old family computer back to life would reveal evidence of days spent teaching myself the tricks and tools that most interested me. Oh god, how much I looooved illustrating images (mostly of celebrities haha) and putting together collages. Not the most provocative work, granted, but it was something. And it made me really happy.

At many points along the way from then to now, I made decisions that brought me further away from this particular interest. I focused on other goals instead -- studying art history, eating pizza, learning about fashion production, drinking Gallo Rosé, etc. Who knows why I never pursued graphics. I guess, over time, it was mentally categorized as "something cool that people who aren't me do". 

The point is, maybe that's about to change. MAYBE. It's a pretty heavy thought, going back to school, even if only part time. My idea is that saying it aloud, publicly and at least once, might get the ball rolling in a real way. We'll see!

Illustrations via www.doing-fine.com

14 // Hair dye etc

Something happened this past weekend. After a seven year hiatus, I dyed my hair! Still not sure what prompted me, but I bet a therapist can find some reasons.

The "before" looked like this:

The middle -- aka time spent letting my hair cook while I was slowly poisoned by the sharp stink of peroxide -- found me feeling very confident I'd soon look like this:

Coolest fucken kid in school, right? That girl (Future Me) has her shit together, never repeats her footwear in a given week, and always carries enough cash to buy an ice cream at Kem Coba.

The grand finale:

Ombré? Nombré (ha ha lame). My hair basically looks the same. Which is okay, really, because I'm still getting used to the sliiiightly noticeable difference. Also, nothing's stopping me from keeping that $4 in my wallet, with or without kick ass multi-toned hair.

(Unrelated side note: My right eye looks wonky in the last photo because I'd just been rubbing it like crazy. What a small torture, getting something in your eye. Nothing helps! On the bright side, my left eye is looking Disney princess-esque by comparison. What up, new Make Up For Ever mascara!)

09 // Feeling feelings

I just tapped (because you don't type on an iPad) a lengthy-ish ramble. Then deleted it. I opened with cherry pie, as the best things in life are wont to do. Soon thereafter and rather unexpectedly, my mind zeroed in on my job. The mood grew dark. Hostile. Not nice at all. So, delete I did. Not because my points were invalid, but because I need at least one place in my life that's free of bitterness and insecurity and etc etc bad vibes etc. I've chosen this place to be that place. Makes sense?

Maybe the lesson, here, is that (most) people have the ability to yank themselves out of holes, or funks, or short strolls down shittalk road. Some are better/more natural than others at saving themselves. I, personally, struggle to be my own biggest supporter and motivator. But hey! Sometimes you have to say it out loud to get the ball rolling.

And now, some pictures from Canada Day (Night?) a rooftop in Old Montreal, because why not.