Imagine all the people
I have mentioned the Union Gospel Mission on this blog many times. I believe wholeheartedly in the work that they do. UGM has proven to be a valuable community resource that reaches out to thousands. Today, the impact of this incredible work that the organization does was right in front of me. The meaningful contribution that they make to people in need is heart warming, to say the least. There are no words to express the plethora of thoughts and feelings that came to the surface for me today. I spent the afternoon volunteering in their warehouse with a group of my co-workers. We organized and packed boxes of food and chose presents and put together gift baskets for specific families in need. When the families, and mothers or fathers arrived to pick up their hampers, with tears in their eyes, all hugs and thank yous, it really put things into perspective. All of the gifts are donated-brand new toys, books, games and clothes, toiletries and food. Scarves, hats, mitts, socks, jackets, new runners.
What I was part of today is something that has a real impact on people’s lives.
The smiles on the kids faces when I handed them juice boxes and granola bars while they were in the waiting room with their mothers, were priceless. The excitement I felt when I found a size 10 pair of runners-the last pair-for a single father of three standing before me, wearing orthotics and shoes with holes in them, was unreal. The fact that these families will now have full bellies and presents to open on Christmas morning is just as it should be.
“These people have names. These people have families. These people have hearts, and unless you come face to face with them and understand where they are coming from, it is really hard to conceive whom they are. These are people…”
I think that’s what can be forgotten. Keira posted an entry last week in which she described the way that people can be painted with one brush. She wrote, “They are generalized; they are one face…” How true. Working there today amongst the faces and stories of so many of these individuals, gratefully accepting more than they ever imagined receiving this Christmas, was truly something special. Being the emotional creature that I am, I fought tears several times while interacting with the families. Seeing the difference that UGM makes first hand gave me a clarity impossible to describe. The sincere gratitude and warm hugs I experienced on the part of those being reached out to was worth more than anything in the universe.
UGM is able to bring hope and help to a handful of our city‘s less fortunate. For ways that you can give this holiday season, click here.
Smile for me now
Photo courtesy of QATAR on Flickr
I spent Sunday allowing myself to unravel, digging deep underneath all those layers of muck to see what was going on in the cluttered up parts of my mind and the empty spaces of my heart. I drove from Langley back to Vancouver last night with Hospital Music blaring from the speakers of my Volkswagon and tears streaming down my face. Today felt long and strenuous. The stress is building, I can feel it. The obsessive compulsive part of me has already started making lists and trying to plan. I can’t plan for what is unknown though. This is where the anxiety kicks in. I wanted to bail on every commitment that I had today, since I’m pretty sure I didn’t sleep more than a total of two hours last night. Insomnia plagues me. I have been a raging, hormonal beast who may burst into tears at the drop of a hat. I had to fight all urges to call in sick and just stay in bed from dusk ’til dawn. If my plans for this evening had been just about anything but what they were, I would have called to cancel them, in favour of coming home and crawling right back under the covers as fast as possible. Except I had dinner plans with my beautiful friend Terri tonight. I was quite sure that seeing her smiling face would make me feel better. I was right.
We met up at Steamworks in Gastown for a pre-Christmas catch up. Terri is someone who, despite having a hell of a lot to endure for a person her age, has the most positive and upbeat aura. She is such an inspiration and seriously one of the kindest souls I have ever known.
Although Terri and I went to high school and attended French Immersion together as well as going on two trips to Europe with our class as teenagers, we never really spent a ton of time one on one outside of school and really didn’t keep in touch post secondary. However, through the miracle that is the internet (and a little website called
Facebook), we managed to get back in touch this year. Isn’t it interesting the way that we can connect with our past in our present? Randomly. We decided to get together and clicked immediately. We both instantly wondered how we ever lost touch. When we get together, time always flies. There is nothing better than spending time with someone so sincere and genuine and with whom you can be completely yourself. There is never any lack of conversation, laughs, old memories, good stories and new stories. It’s refreshing to cut through the bullshit of small talk and just tell it like it is. Tonight, I am feeling a million times better and it’s all because of one special lady who is such an enormous inspiration. Keep smiling, Terri. It’s contagious. I have realized that I am so over the pretending game. I crave this genuine sincerity in every nook and cranny of my life. These are the most precious gifts that we can give each other: our time, our ears, our compassion.
Ho ho ho…
It has been one jam packed, busy weekend. I sit here tonight feeling drained, exhausted, emotional, superficially insecure, grumpy… and did I mention drained? Oh right, yes I did. Something about Sunday nights…I have a case of those blues which are all too common for me these days. I’m just about to put on a pot of tea and then it’s bubble bath time. But not before a quick post, because I neglected the blog all weekend and now I feel guilty about it.
I sat through my first day of sales meetings on Friday. It was a good opportunity to get my feet wet and to bond with the crew that I will be working closely with in the new year. Friday night started the weekend off with a bang. Our company Christmas party is always quite an event and this year was no exception. We took over Provence for a glamourous evening of wine and dining…we may have also put away a few rounds of jager shooters (whose idea was that?) The restaurant did a fabulous job; the beef tenderloin was absolutely delicious and miraculously, my wine glass was refilled without so much as a glance at the waiter. With so many guests from out of town, plus the fact that our company has grown so much over the last year, I spent most of my time chatting and catching up. As a result, not much time was left for photos and I didn’t take as many as I would have liked. Everyone was dressed to the nines and the booze was flowing nonstop. This, of course, led to hangoverville on Saturday.
Shando and I had to suck it up so that we could go for round two: the first annual Ho Ho Ho Christmas party that she hosted Saturday night. The idea was that you wouldn’t be allowed in unless you were dressed in a holiday themed outfit. That was the only stipulation. The creative ideas were impressive and everybody played along. We sang carols, chugged egg nog, and watched the Canucks game. I was happy to put on my Santa suit and get festive for the first time this year. Even old St. Nick himself made an appearance.
Today I popped in to help my parents trim their tree and devour a yummy Greek dinner. Now it’s Sunday night and I feel completely devoid of energy. I should go to bed but for some reason, even though I’m exhausted, I don’t feel sleepy. I find myself feeling weepy but I’m not really sure why. I kind of wish I could be on vacation in my bed for the next week. But I can’t. And as Duane pointed out to me tonight, I shouldn’t be sad, because Santa’s coming soon. He’s right. They do say that ’tis the season to be merry…so I suppose I should be.
Simply the best, better than all the rest
I wasn’t home to watch the season finale of America’s Next Top Model last night so I had to avoid all of my blog reads and girl talk at the water cooler today that may have contained spoilers. Tonight, post self indulgent mani at Pure Nail Bar, I settled in to watch the episode that I’d recorded.
The three remaining models participated in a Cover Girl Wetslicks Fruit Spritzers commercial and print ad. While the judging panel had critiques for each of the girls’ performances, they were impressed by how Saleisha portrayed herself. The judges decided that while Jenah took beautiful photos, her strong personality made her unapproachable. She was eliminated from the competition.
The next day, Saleisha and Chantal did a Seventeen magazine cover photo shoot and then faced off on in a Royal Fashion Show. Both girls strutted their stuff well in the show, but Saleisha was clearly the more confident and effective of the two.
During the final judging panel, the judges considered looked the the final two girls’ photos and performance throughout the competition as well as evaluating how well they did in the runway challenge. While the judges agreed that both Saleisha and Chantal were strong contenders, Saleisha’s growth and perseverance gave her the edge. Saleisha, a receptionist from Los Angeles is America’s Next Top Model.
Photos courtesy of The CW
This whole cycle has been a bit of a snooze in my opinion. In fact, even the finale was rather anticlimatic. It should be interesting-as it always is- to see what (if anything) the winner will go on to do. (Guest appearances on future cycles of ANTM?)
Thoughts on the finale? Was the right girl chosen? Do you think ANTM is losing its steam?
***
In other news, tomorrow night is my company Christmas Party, which is notoriously the most important night of the year in our corporate world. Everyone is flown in from all the offices across the country. Everybody will be decked out as if they’re going to be walking the red carpet. The girls have been buzzing about their dresses and accessories and dates for weeks. They even let us leave at 3pm to get beautiful for the 7pm dinner reservations and subsequent gala. I am looking forward to getting to see all of the out of towners. I will be wearing an understated Libertine frock that I bought in the summer and have been staring at in my closet since. I plan to channel my earlier mentioned “style idol” Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy tomorrow night. Minimalist and elegant. That’s the look I’m going for. Red lips and red nails- that’s all the colour I need. Stay tuned for gossip about the event. There’s bound to be some kind of drama!
I know you like my style
As Gary was blow drying my freshly highlighted mane last night at the salon, he said,”You remind me of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy with this hair…” Talk about a compliment! “She’s one of my top all-time style idols!” I exclaimed. It was at that moment that I conceived the idea for this post of my top five style idols.
Carolyn Bessette- Kennedy : Carolyn’s trademark cool blonde locks and her glamourous yet understated style are absolutely timeless. Minimalist, elegant. Her famous silky sheath wedding dress. Black clothes, she wore a lot of Yohji Yamamoto and Calvin Klein, some Versace, with the occasional severe white or beige item, or a warm red coat. Manolo Blahnik stilettos and bright red lipstick. Carolyn embodied New York chic whether out walking her dog or attending a red carpet event.
Kate Moss : Kate is the modern” it” girl. With her eclectic style, she’s famous for wearing what she likes and having an impeccable eye for what works plus an uncanny ability to pull just about anything off. She mixes textures and fabrics to perfection. Trademark looks are skinny jeans with flats and jeans ticked into boots, fitted vests. She mixes vintage and modern pieces and layers jewellery to create a unique look that is all her own. Kate’s not ahead of the curve in the sense that she’s always looking for the next big thing; Kate determines the next big thing.
Audrey Hepburn : This classic beauty defined sophistication. Mary Quant called her the “most stylish woman who ever lived”. Hubert de Givenchy said she was “a gift from on high”. In film after film, Audrey wore clothes with such talent and flair that she created a style, which in turn had a major impact on fashion. Her chic, her youth, her bearing and her silhouette grew ever more celebrated. Audrey Hepburn kept it simple. She loved clean lines and emphasized her tall, slim physique. She wore a little black dress and white gloves like no one else. And thanks to Audrey, the humble black polo-neck is imbued with all sorts of sophisticated connotations since she made it a part of her signature look along with turtlenecks, ballet flats, capri pants and men’s button down shirts.
Sofia Coppola : How could the muse of my favourite designer Marc Jacobs not be on this list? Unfussy, cool and classic. On set, Sofia sports a tomboy’s jeans and designer sweaters; off, she wears girlish clothes that perfectly suit her gamine-like frame—baby-doll dresses, ballerina flats, and when the Academy calls, a Marc Jacobs column gown.
Cameron Diaz : Perhaps not mentioned in lists of the best dressed celebrities as often as my other choices, Cameron has always been one of my favourites. Her personal style is very much like mine. I don’t think that I have ever seen her wearing something that I wouldn’t wear myself. Her famously offbeat sense of style, an eclectic mix of high and low, combining pieces by a range of designers—from Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen to Versace and Valentino—with touches of her own: a vintage scarf, an antique necklace worn as a belt, a California-girl Juicy Couture tank top, a pair of hippie-chick jeans and beaded sandals, or a ghetto-fabulous purple velvet fedora. When it comes to what she wears, she’s constantly creating. Cozy beanies, cashmere sweaters, and black suede, wedge boots. Casual and beachy or rockin’ it on the red carpet, I always love her style.
Who are your style idols? Whose looks do you lust after? Whose closet would you love to raid?
Standing still, dressed to kill, holding a glass of champagne
Photo courtesy of xrrr on Flickr
It seems like every time I turn around this week, somebody is asking me the dreaded question, “what are you doing for New Years?” I’ve never really gotten all the hype about New Years Eve. People seem to create these unrealistic expectations that no event could ever live up to and they think that it’s going to be the best night of their lives. Maybe it will. Never has been for me. I’ve realized over the years that suspending these “expectations” allows you to be pleasantly surprised…or not. But at least you’ll avoid disappointment by limiting the height of the pedestal you place the night on. In my personal experience, New Years has often turned into a drunken emotional fest of sorts. There’s usually some kind of drama, or conflict, somebody who gets too drunk to remember anything she did or somebody who passes out in a booth. Last year I was up in Whistler. We went to a casual house party with my friend who lives up there and ended up having a fantastic time despite the fact that I was sick and had lost my voice completely. Since there were copious amounts of alcohol involved, I vaguely remember that there may have been some tears at a certain point. However, the fact that we spent all of New Years day snowboarding in fresh pow more than made up for anything that I may have been crying about the night before. This year, I have no plans yet. I am hoping to avoid disappointment by again ceasing all expectations. Being spontaneous is a good thing. It’s one of my resolutions, in fact. I suppose I do still have one little hope for the evening. I’d be a liar if I said that I wasn’t crossing my fingers for a kiss at the stroke of twelve. This year has been one full of challenges and accomplishments, I have met some amazing new people and started some fantastic new friendships…so if nothing else, I have a great deal to celebrate. Plus, something about the clean slate of a new calendar year is always exciting.
What are your plans for the big night? Thoughts on the holiday? How will you be ringing in 2008?
So feel down
Photo courtesy of James Crowle on Flickr
I suppose it’s the nature of this time of year. The busy hustle and bustle of the season seems to contribute to me feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and like a crazed maniac all at the same time. With my upcoming job change and all the stress associated with the learning curve that will come along with it, I kind of feel like crawling up into a little ball until the next month is over and done with. Despite my daily gym sessions, I haven’t had particularly good sleep patterns for the last little while and I’ve been finding it extra hard to get out of bed in the mornings this week. I’m so cozy under my down covers at 6am when that alarm starts going off and the fact that it’s pitch black outside, doesn’t exactly act as a motivator to get me up and at ‘em in a hurry. I’ve been feeling like quite the Grumpy Grumperson for the last while, to be perfectly honest.
Miss604 wrote a fantatsic post today called
Are You Sad? about “SAD” or “
Seasonal Affective Disorder.” She’s listed some great tips for combatting this seasonal depression which affects so many people. The shorter days and change in temperature can affect us more than we realize.
Tonight is one of the few “me” nights that I have left this month. As fun as it is to have lots of plans, I hate to feel like a slave to them and I really enjoy my down time. I’m planning a yummy dinner for one, a long bubble bath and a few hours with a good book. I can’t wait.
If you happen to be looking for something to do in the city this month that will brighten up those dark nights, I suggest that you check out Bright Nights in Stanley Park. More than a million twinkling lights transform the forest and train in the park. I went with some friends the other night and I must say that it is truly a sight to be seen. Plus, all donations collected at the event, and partial proceeds from the sale of tickets for the train, go to the BC Professional Firefighters Burn Fund to help burn survivors and their families. A good night for a good cause. You can’t go wrong with this one.
Just to widen the smiles on your faces…I heard today that famed Vancouver chocolatier Thomas Haas (whose shop happens to be not more than a short walk from my office on the Northshore) has just launched a line of handmade chocolate bars containing high quality ingredients. From the office, we regularly stop in for a tasty treat at the Haas; his chocolates, sparkle cookies, pastries and lunchtime sandwiches are almost as sweet and enjoyable as his kind personality is behind the counter. This time of year you can even pick up old fashioned, chocolate filled Advent calendars, and other festive Christmas creations.
Thomas Haas delights are also available at Vancouver grocers Strong’s, Whole Foods and Urban Fare. I dare you to try to stop your mouth from salivating here.
A life uncommon…
Photos courtesy of jeweljk.com
On my French 12 provincial exam, we were asked to write an essay about one living person we had never met, who has impacted our life, and with whom we would want to go to dinner. At that time, I chose to write about
Jewel Kilcher. I could think of no one better for an evening of chitchat than somebody whose political, creative and artistic views I respect so much. Jewel has been inspiring me since I first saw her play out at
The Massey Theatre in New Westminster when I was about 14 years old. It was a teeny, tiny, and non glamourous venue. There was this blonde girl on stage with an acoustic guitar, being honest and telling stories, making us laugh and cry. I felt like I could relate to everything she was saying. I can remember being blown away by her voice and I was instantly captivated by her stage presence and charisma. Over the years, I have enjoyed Jewel’s work and have been influenced to a large degree by her albums, books and projects. As a writer, she has grown enormously with each new project that she has taken on. A few years ago, I took my dad to see her play an acoustic show at
The Queen Elizabeth Theatre. It was an intensely personal and intimate performance. My dad became an instant fan. The woman knows how to entertain a crowd and she was at once provocative and down to earth.
Perhaps what attracts me to Jewel as an artist is that I could always see a bit of myself in her. She sang about many of the same insecurities, ideals and ideas that I spent hours writing about and contemplating. It’s comforting to feel like somebody else is experiencing the same kinds of thoughts and emotions and asking the same questions that you are. I certainly found comfort in this music, and I continue to. She was inspired herself by many of the same writers who I have looked up to; Nin, Bukowski, Plato. And songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. She’s not afraid to admit to her struggles and the ups and downs that are inevitable in this life. I have a great respect for that. And for staying committed to this journey on the road of life.
Not content to relegate herself to a traditional music arena, or to be typecast, Jewel has established herself as a culturally significant and relevant brand. Author, songwriter, actress, poet-there are no limits to how Jewel can and will deliver her message. The underlining truth that ties it all together is the integrity of that message. Jewel’s lyrics speak to me on a level that few other artists are capable of reaching. She allows herself to be vulnerable, she is a human being, no doubt. She’s learning and growing and figuring things out…just like the rest of us.
Jewel got her first record deal when she was 20 years old and living in a blue Volkswagon bus, now here she is multiplatinum and multifaceted. She excels at weaving her introspective lyrics with fresh and exciting songwriting.
As a public figure, she has also raised awareness for some important issues. I applaud her willingness to step out and support these causes. Check out these links to the projects that Jewel is involved with:
Clear Water Project
Doctors Without Borders
And her most recent project:
Virgin Unite: Homeless Youth Among Us
“Reading made me feel connected to the world,” she explains. “The writers I returned to again and again were the ones that were brutally honest, willing to show themselves as heroic at times, grotesque at others. Anais Nin, Charles Bukowski, these were heroes to me.” Heartfelt songwriting became not only an emotional outlet, but a means of survival. During Spring Break one year she took a train and hitchhiked in Mexico, earning money as a street-corner minstrel. “I made up lyrics everywhere I went and eventually it turned into a very long song about what I saw around me,” she recalls. “I made it back to school two weeks later with an unformed song called Who Will Save Your Soul.” She was sixteen at the time and had no idea that that song would, a mere three years later, become the first single from her first album, offering not just a day’s meal ticket, but meteoric success.
You can check out some of Jewel’s new music as well as some older masterpieces on her Myspace page here.
Jewel’s Christmas album called Joy: A Holiday Collection is also one of my favourites. I pulled it out on the weekend and it has been spinning in my cd player ever since.
Thought of the day…
Photo courtesy of fotologic on Flickr
“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. “ e. e. cummings
She had rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes
Somehow the signals got crossed. I was doing the rain dance, NOT the snow dance. I woke up this morning at Danielle’s house to discover that the neighbourhood was blanketed in snow once again and it was coming down like crazy. This was my first thought:
I am no fan of driving in the snow. For the most part, this is because West Coast drivers are notoriously bad in this weather and I’m a big baby who doesn’t like to have to deal with the madness on the roads. Although, had I not been (all the way) out in Langley, my reaction would have likely been different. The thought of getting stuck out here when I must report to the office at 8am in North Vancouver tomorrow morning was not something I felt like dealing with either. Thankfully, it has turned out to be no big blizzard…just enough snow to make everything look pretty. Wrapped in my parka, I went for a lovely walk to Starbucks this afternoon to get a Peppermint Mocha; my first ever and I must say that all the buzz that this drink has been getting is well deserved.
Last night, I blasted to the past with a group of my best girlfriends. Wine in snowman cups and conversation were flowing freely. As I had hoped, I got in a good share of snuggle time with my favourite pooch, Tony. Danielle is competition for Mrs. Claus in the Christmas spirit department, so her home was gloriously festive and decorated to the max (and has been since the beginning of November, I might add.)
Feeling nostalgic this time of year, we decided to hit up our old stomping grounds. The place where at one time we made an appearance almost every single weekend, seemed like a necessary stop. Minus the boys this time, we got all dolled up and headed out, hoping for a walk down memory lane. There is something so precious about being in the company of old friends this time of year.
In past years, the highlight has been Derek J. in his Santa hat and Canucks jersey surrounded by our whole crew circling it up on the dance floor, singing along to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas (Is You)” for the last song of the night. It was always like a scene out of Beverly Hills, 90210 and I mean that in the best way. Last night was not quite the reunion that we had hoped for. For a long time, it seemed like some things would never change and that certain people would be permanent fixtures on those bar stools. Apparently, not the case. As much as I would never want to be going there every weekend anymore, and I am happy to have moved on from a routine that had become stale, I selfishly wish that it could all stay the same for me to come back to. The reality is that we have all grown up and in different directions. I suppose that is a good thing. It’s still fun to come back together and reminisce about the “old days” though.
