As I get older, I find myself becoming more of a homebody. This is not to say that I don’t still enjoy going out on the town on occasion, just that more than ever, I appreciate quiet time at home as well. Last night, I went for a long walk and breathed in the crisp autumn air, shuffled my feet through the brightly coloured leaves. I love this time of year. As I traipsed through the neighbourhood which I will only be able to call mine for another week, I started thinking about everything that I have been through in my time living here. This neighbourhood has certainly been good to me. Now, I am anticipating setting foot into uncharted territory, finding comfort in a new home and having a fresh start.
Photos courtesy of random dude on flickr
One of my favourite stops for shopping in Vancouver is a little underground gem on Robson Street called True Value Vintage. They carry a very wide range of vintage clothing dating from the 1920′s to contemporary styles. They tend to specialize in items from the 50′s and 70′s and carry vintage denim, bomber-style leather jackets, Adidas track jackets, vintage bags, belts, hats, and vintage sunglasses. True Value Vintage also features designs from local up and comers. My favourite dress that I have ever owned is by a little company called, La Dolce Vita, which I got there last spring. I could seriously spend hours in this store. I really should go alone because I am positive that everybody I’m with is ready to move on long before I’ve even scratched the surface of what I want to check out.
I dragged Jessica in there with me last Saturday and I ended up buying an adorable little black shift dress with grey stars on it by Piko 1988. Stepping inside the doors is like playing in a fantasy world for me; imagining what I could put together and how. I love looking for pieces that I could alter or pair with something else, and find the whole experience to be an exciting challenge. Shoes, bags, dresses, tops…you can get some beautiful pieces; not to mention find some one of a kind, crazy items that are wild and fun. I feel like I escape into a creative abyss when I’m looking through the racks. I am inspired, it’s like a game…trying to find a little treasure amongst all the things that somebody else didn’t want anymore. Many of the pieces of clothing in there once belonged to somebody else. Every item has a story. I love that idea of turnover, it’s a cycle. I could browse and imagine for hours and not even end up buying anything.
What really struck me on Saturday, is how lame it is that everything is so widely replicated these days. It really hit me when I was looking at all the authentic stuff. Authentic Rolling Stones concert tees from the seventies still look way cooler than the newly manufactured ripoffs you can pick up at Aritzia or Urban Outfitters. It sort of takes away on some level from the real stuff. Sienna Miller was talking about it in Vogue a few months ago. She said she had a wicked belt that her mother had bought in Morocco in the seventies. But now, you see belts just like it everywhere from Susie Shier to Walmart. I’m pretty sure that watching what people are wearing, how they put it together and what’s coming up next will always be one of my greatest pleasures in the world. I always have got to have something that I’m on the hunt for, before you can find it everywhere. I love to inspire and be inspired.
If you haven’t checked out True Value Vintage yet, I suggest that you do. You won’t be disappointed.
Yesterday afternoon, I finally had the chance to sit down and watch last week’s episode of America’s Next Top Model. Last week, Gus Greeper suggested that perhaps I should do posts about the show. I thought it was a great idea, so here’s my inaugural ANTM post.
I’m going to be honest about the fact that I’ve been finding that the “cheese factor” of this show has increased with each cycle. This past week’s challenge was no exception. Don’t get me wrong, I love Tyra (dorky as she may be at times…in fact, I think that’s what makes me love her) but some of the situations that they put these girls in really make me giggle. On this episode, they were learning about body movement and had to master the perfect pose and convey a specific emotion while being held in the air by male figure skater, Lloyd Eisler. Benny Ninja trained them on a trampoline before they took the ice. I found this part of the show almost painful to watch. The part that I love is the photo shoots. The fact that they continue to come up with creative themes and ideas for these shoots is what makes me keep watching. I find many of the concepts intriguing and I love to see the hair and makeup people work their magic. The transformations are remarkable sometimes. This week’s shoot was done on the top of a high building (making the girls who fear heights very unhappy)…the theme was sexy gargoyles, and I think it was lost on a few of the models. Heather redeemed herself in the shoot, giving Jay exactly what he was looking for. Sarah posed a little strangely and nobody was really getting what she was doing. Jay told Saleisha that she’s too men’s magazine. She may have gotten a slow start, but Lisa worked it out with a little help from Jay (below is her best shot). Ambreal managed to make it through her shoot, but didn’t bring a whole lot of creativity.
Time for judging. I swear, Miss J’s hair gets bigger every week! Sarah and Ambreal fail to impress while Ebony and Chantal get high marks. Despite her best attempts to hide it, Janet’s white underwear is totally visible in her shot. Lisa turns out a strong picture.
I have often said that the women who take the best photographs and make the best models are often not the most beautiful women to look at outside of the shoot. Jenah looks terrible at judging. She looks like she didn’t put any effort into her look. What’s that about? The same can’t be said for her picture, which once again is beautiful. Tyra echoed my sentiments about her look. “Run a brush through your hair, girl!” Yet, Jenah’s photo was my favourite this week. (See below).
While the judges deliberated, I thought about how mad I would be if Ambreal went home, only because the title of the episode gave it away, “The Girl Who Was Afraid of Heights.” Next, Tyra made a (cheesy) pun, saying a “gar-girl” was going to go home. (groan)
After whining about it all episode, Lisa finally gets called first but deservedly so. Her rival Bianca is called next. After that, Tyra calls Ebony, Chantal, Jenah, Saleisha, Heather, and Sarah. Janet and Ambreal are left in the bottom two, one for needing too much coaching and one for not progressing enough. Tyra saves Ambreal and eliminates Janet.
I can’t say that I have a favourite contestant on this cycle yet. In the past, I have rooted for one of the girls from the first episode. This time, nobody really stands out for me.
What do you think? What’s your take on the show, and the girls for cycle 9?
Photos courtesy of CWTV
Filed under: birthday, friends, personal, quotes, reflections, social consciousness
“Love the moment. Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed.” -Corita Kent
It’s Saturday night and I am happily cuddled up at home, all by myself. I’m wrapped in a cozy blanket, wearing the comfiest pants ever and a big, warm hoodie. I’ve been trying so hard to stay positive these last couple of weeks. Big changes are happening in my life and although I know that everything is very close to getting much better, I can’t help but feel impatient in this moment. The above quote in bold is my affirmation for the next while, to help me get through this transition. I think that it’s very important to try to remember the value of every moment, and not just the good ones. (Notice that I said try.)
***
Last night was Liane’s birthday bash; the Langley ladies came out in full force, plus her husband Colin, and yours truly. We hit the mics at Fantacity downtown for some cocktails and karaoke. The private room, complete with disco ball, was perfect for those of us who think we sound much better than we actually do. We kept each other entertained for hours with a plethora of hit songs and sweet dance moves. I would definitely recommend this place for a fun night out, especially if (like me) you’re not into the city bar scene. It’s definitely a fantastic alternative.
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This morning, Jessica and I woke up bright and early. We were on a mission to get organized. With my upcoming move and her adventures in South East Asia and Central America beginning next month, we both felt in the same boat with regards to having a desire to purge many of our possessions. Upon beginning to pack my boxes this week, I must admit that I was absolutely astounded by how much “stuff” that I have accumulated. I knew that I had a lot of clothes, but the number of shoes, bags, purses, hats and boxes of cheap jewelery that I own really shocked me. In fact, to tell you the truth, I was quite embarrassed. I did a big clean out a few weeks ago, but clearly, I just skimmed the surface. As I started going through it all, I realized that a great deal of it has not been worn more than once or twice, if that. A ton of it, I didn’t even know I still had, because I haven’t seen it for so long. Lack of space in my room now has resulted in having to find clever ways to store things (consequently, leading to me completely forgetting about a lot of it). Years of working in the fashion and beauty industries haven’t helped. A shopaholic as it is, when free clothes and products are thrown my way, I find it difficult to say no. The cupboards and closets just keep getting more and more jam packed as time goes on. It struck me how ridiculous this is.
There is no way that I need all of these things, and honestly, I feel like a jackass that I even have it all. Fight Club came up in the comments last week, and it’s ironic because that movie really makes you think about possessions and what they actually mean in the grand scheme of things.
As a solution, I thought it best to pay it forward; to share the wealth, so to speak. Jess and I loaded up the car today with tons of bags of our stuff and headed off to the Union Gospel Mission.
I can’t tell you how amazing it felt to hand over these things to somebody who needs them.
My heart
breaks every day for the souls who are less fortunate than myself. I certainly know how lucky I am to have more than enough to get by. Homelessness is a cause that I feel very passionately about. There are people all around us who need our help.
October 15th to 21, 2006 has been the first annual Homelessness Action Week in Greater Vancouver. I feel that it’s very important to call attention to this.
Through Homelessness Awareness Week people living in the Greater Vancouver area are invited to learn more about what is causing homelessness; how homelessness affects the health of individuals and society at large; and why working together is the only way we will solve the crisis of homelessness in our community.
Back in June, Matt posted an entry on his blog that, in my opinion, really says it all. It brought me to tears because he so eloquently articulated what is in my heart about this issue.
Go to the Stop Homelessness website for more information about what you can do.
If we aren’t here to help one another make it on this planet, then what the hell are we doing?
I’m not sure if it’s the recent rainy days or just that I feel myself creeping into recluse mode, but I have been missing my dear friend Eddie more than ever lately.
Met randomly: We spent like every waking hour together or on the phone with one another for like 7 years. Ok, we didn’t really date, but we were practically married.
As we’ve grown up and become (gasp) adults, we have created lives for ourselves in different places. Still, he feels like home to me and quite possibly knows me better than I know myself.
I guess I like guys who say what’s on their mind. The politically outspoken and often controversial hip hop performer Kanye West took the stage last night at GM Place along with an all female strings section, a group of uber talented backup vocalists and a few keyboard players for a 90 minute set full of passion. My friend Kristina and I were there, both totally pumped, rocking it side stage with our dancing boots on. Personally, I tend to favour acoustic shows and rock concerts to the hip hop variety, because honestly, I find that most music of this genre does not translate very well into live performance. It is for this reason that I was not overly impressed by the opening act, Ludacris even though I’d say that I’m a fan and I bop along to his songs at the gym quite frequently. If there is an exception to this theory though, it certainly is Mr. West. The show did not disappoint; he demonstrated the brilliance that truly makes him stand out from other artists. Dressed suave as always, he did not take off his sunglasses for the entire set, nor did he remove the green scarf tied around his neck, which appeared to be cashmere….and must have made him pretty hot as he sprinted and strutted from one side of the stage to the other. It was clear that he has mastered that ‘self indulgent, oblivious to his surroundings’ aspect of rock stardom. In my opinion though, his ability to spit out rhymes with flair and his charismatic, compelling presence on stage more than make up for what is regarded by some as ‘the arrogance factor’. If you ask me, his resolve is clear; self conscious perfectionism that can become obnoxious at times. I still like him. Perhaps his volatile and unpredictable nature are precisely what make him such a fascinating artist to follow.
All in all, it was a super fun night. The atmosphere was high spirited and I danced my little booty off the whole time.
Photo courtesy of bittensjp.com
Designed for women of all ages and sizes, with a full size range from XS-XXL in tops, 0-22 in bottoms, BITTEN also includes shoes in sizes 5-11.
“It’s about affordable, well-made American sportswear. It’s about fashion not being a luxury,” Sarah Jessica says. “It’s really, really important to us that it be good, feel good, have a life, that it make a difference in your life and that you have money left over to live.”
Yay for Miss Parker, and here’s to a new season of fun fashion that’s as easy on the bank account as it is on the eyes!
It’s Sunday evening and I have spent the whole day with my parents and my grandparents. Mellow, and just what I needed this day to be. Thankfully, I wasn’t put in a situation where I had to face my past last night in the way that I had imagined having to. I feel very over what used to seem exciting. I’m not entirely sure what a good replacement could be, or if there even will be one; but for a Saturday night in the valley, a few glasses of wine and some therapeutic conversation did me just fine. At the moment, I feel uncomfortably trapped between the past and the future. I feel impatient with the present, wanting so badly to jump right into the next phase. Nothing makes sense and everything feels disconnected. Why do some people have to be such assholes? I need to stand my ground, I am painfully aware of that at the moment.
Home decor has never been my thing. I’ve always liked my surroundings to be comfortable and cozy but when friends were planning shopping sprees at Urban Barn or Homesense, I would usually pass, preferring to spend my hard earned dollars on my first love: clothing. Now that I’m getting older and I am going to be moving into my very own apartment (sans roommate), which I will be free to decorate in any way that I want, I must admit to becoming somewhat more interested in interior decorating. Last night, I meandered down to West Fourth Ave. to check out Koolhaus for some inspiration. I hadn’t been inside since I went with my friend Gary a few years ago, when he was furnishing his new apartment and bought several pieces there. Matt is also a fan of the store, which you can expect to be, “…tasteful down to the shower curtains, Koolhaus’ furnishings follow European design principles, including the increasingly North America-relevant “double duty” furniture. Ottoman/beds, light boxes/sculptures and storage beds are continually on the hot list, as are Canadian lines Baronet and Mobital.” I could have spent days looking at all of the beautiful pieces of furniture and ideas in the store. Let me tell you, if (as in my dreams) money was no object, I could have certainly gone buck wild. This trip, although purely a looksee, certainly inspired me. I will most definitely be saving my pennies and have carefully crafted my very own “Koolhaus Wish List.”
Photo courtesy of Koolhaus
With my moving day approaching at the end of the month, timing could not be better. Coincidentally, the Vancouver Home and Interior Design Show starts today and runs until October 14 at BC Place. Looking for tips, tricks and the latest obsessions over all things home and decor? This is the place to come! I will definitely be down there trying to learn a few things from the pros!
