Friday, December 30, 2011

Sparked Meh Interest....

I should have kept my old one....frayed cuffs and all.....
Club Monaco to relaunch a Classic- Canada ONLY!
Here is something else- an old friend Justin launched this WONDERFUL little pizzaria back in the day. With the help of a few trendy friends (not to hype myself up or anything but I may have been one of them), the word of the food spread like wildfire...proof:

 

Oh and hey- HERE is an idea!.....

I'll take TWENTY!
Thank you to Kate Spade NYC's blog;)

The Young And...

I'm restless...
What's a gal to do?
A small part of me feels as though I am wasting time- but what else would I be doing? I suppose once I answer that question, I can also conclude a solution.

HOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW

Photo Courtesy of Bobbi Huck
WHAT I FEEL LIKE DOING

Thursday, December 29, 2011

The Hangover

Belle Maison
MERRY CHRISTMAS- and there you've got the inspiration behind NEXT year's Christmas bannister!

And what of Christmas gifts? Well, Joa definitely LIKES!

Sorry for the very uncreative backdrop, but there ya have 'em..."Pochette Milla" and "Totally"! My new besties:)

Friday, December 16, 2011

A Good Life

I am determined to get as much as possible out of life. It's tough though- lots of negativity, lots of bad news (and I continue to watch and read the bad news because I THINK possibly, a good life includes awareness of my world? MAYBE?)...anyways a "Good Life" list ensues to remind me, and get you to wonder about what makes...

My list is fairly simple actually- not short simple, but obtainable, and it's amazing how tiny frivolous things can create optimal happiness for me.

 SO here we go- in no particular order other than how it comes to me at this point (and I warn you that I was JUST on the Kate Spade website). My List:

Pets. Holy cow can a wiggly dog greeting you at the door when you come home make a day brighter. While some of my fondest memories as a child include Pandy, the family cat, and how she would curl up behind my knees and fall asleep with me. And most powerfully, how my lovely girl Pepsi, my radiant buckskin, can calm all nerves and wash away all the bad with simply being. No amount of money can create this happiness, and no words can explain it.

Kate Spade. Seriously, how can you beat colour and ruffles and bows like this? http://www.katespade.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Kate-Site/default/Home-ShopHome
If you're ever stumped for a gift to give me, and want to spend lots of money...merci!

Limes. First of all their colour is amazing. Plus they disinfect, and go great in just about any meal as a salt substitution! Ya! WHO KNEW!?!? Seriously, try it...on beef, in spaghetti, on vegetables, in wraps, as a dressing on salads...limes limes limes.


Decor Pad
How about this- the movie, A Good Year, with Russel Crowe. Not much for a story line, but the setting of which the movie takes place- as in South France....TO DIE FOR. I am instantly happy watching it and giddy for the stupid love story. Simple goofy movies make life easier than intense dark ones;)

Good life is made OF COURSE, with the help of good friends and close family. My ma, my pa, my sister and a handful of important girlfriends and family friends makes everything better. No use going it alone.

Health. Duh. The most valued and the most important I say...without it...*pouf* Take your vitamins, eat your fruits and veggies, try and do physical activities and stretch:) Massages, hot baths and facials and anything that relaxes and de-stresses are important too. Never overlook the damage that stress can cause to your health. Invest in one of these....whatever the style, whatever the feature, get some oils, some bubbles, a couple candles and let go:)
Decor Pad
Books. Good ones. Not an E-Book, though I encourage learning and reading, but for me, a good life includes a good book (a lot of good books). I love how a well read, well used, well loved book shows a story outside of what is written...the creases, the folds, the marked pages. Love books. Easy way to decorate a room too.

65 Ways to Decorate with Books in Your Home, 1956, photographer unknown

Back to health...I mentioned some things....
Massages- GOOD
Fresh face, radiant skin- GOOD
Walking- GOOD
Essential Oils- GOOD mmmmm
Peace and quiet- GOOD (sometimes)

Moving on....
Travel. I so wish to experience my world. Europe specifically.

Coffee dates. I don't even like coffee all that much. I certainly don't rely on it. But the ritual of a hot cup of coffee, or in my case, tea with good company. AAAAHHhhhhh
http://jasminlovescoffee.blogspot.com/

Dinner parties. At home, at someone else's home, at a restaurant....all good. Planning the party is good, eating the food is good, the company= GOOD.

Lazy days in the sun (the WARM sun). Nothing to explain here.

Big trees you can climb. I'm sort of over my tree climbing days, but I wish every child the joy of climbing a big perfect tree. I had a giant laurel leaf willow. One solid trunk with a big round canopy. No one could see me, no one could get me. Just the sound of the breeze in the leaves and the spots of sunshine warming my skin.

Turquoise. The stone= best jewellery ever, and jewellery is good.
Stella and Dot
Blogs. If not my my own, then to creep through endless amounts of design blogs. I love design blogs.

Stationary. Yeah, you hear me. I LOVE STATIONARY. I LOVE Notables, in Edmonton Alberta- a stationary store. I could spend thousands of dollars there if I had it. I love cards, I love writing in journals or notebooks and on post its. I use photo albums and boxes for my printed photos rather than store electronically. I love the perfect pen, I enjoy hand writing and practicing calligraphy. Pencils are great. I love to draw and doodle on the perfect piece of paper. Yeah- stationary.

Brings me to art (and to some extent craft) I enjoy painting, drawing, sketching, colouring, cutting, wrapping. I like to read about artists, read about art and it's history, I like to look at art and interpret art and discuss art. Art as a medium of paintings and drawings etc., is good.

Christmas. A holiday this big, once a year that includes sparkles and snow and glitter and colour, which makes everyone happy and brings everyone together to revel in all things good, IS good:)


The feeling you get when you cook or bake or prepare something that is most obviously delicious= Good.

Oceans.
Wheat fields.
Canola feilds.
Thunder storms at night while you sleep.
Cards in the mail...NOT bills.
Giving and getting a smile.
The smell of autum.
Wood burning fire.
Knitted mittens, booties, scarves, toques, sweaters- you get it.

A clean home. I believe in crazy cleaning right before leaving on a vacation. Coming home to a clean home after a long trip, is SO good.

And while I could go on, I shall not. I will end with this...

Learning. I will continue to learn of what makes me a good life, of what makes up my history, of what makes up my world. I want to learn more about me, more about you, more about whatever there is to know. Learning is good, and it comes in handy when par-taking in good conversation with good company at a dinner party or during a coffee date:)

*Joa Likes*

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

My Very Own Pintrest

I still really need some clothes to add to the ol' wardrobe. I've fallen in love with simple dresses I can wear a cardigan over (being that it's winter)....









I will have to try this some time...so easy for such impact....

Decor8

I could do this too with the right planter and coniferous...inside, outside, Christmas season....

The Inspired Room
 And where in heaven's name can I find this light? Does it plug into a wall? This whole room makes me happy...
Yvonne. R.
And seriously how fabulous is this washroom? Everything sparkles and reflects light- perfect for getting ready in the morning...this may prove to endure as "dream home" material/inspiration...at least the tiles...


Finally, here Mother Earth prevails....heart warming and haunting at the same time...
Alexandra Nomoli

Creeeeeeeky Craaaaacky

"Promises are like crying babies in a theater, they should be carried out at once."  ~ Norman Vincent Peale

http://www.binscorner.com
I woke up this morning feeling like an old woman- karma for my comments to my significant last night, which went something along the lines of "How old are you? You act like an 80 year old  man."

Today, I feel what will likely grow with time to become arthritis in my hands. I once hand screwed over 100 screws into a platform bed frame in 30 degree heat well into the wee hours of the morning. My thumb joint and tendons on the right hand have never been the same.
When I walk, my left knee feels something- I don't want to say pain, I don't want to say throb, but there is a feeling there that is definitely not one associated with youth and vibrancy.
I woke up to a slight headache (though that may be the result of my recent divulge into the morning coffee scene, and my ongoing back annoyances continue (again, I hesitate to consider any of this "pain" for my ignorance of the future and actual pain is clear).

I MUST change my ways. On the eve of my 30th year, I must find a way to regain a sense of resiliency...somehow...my mind is there, I just need my body to join me.

Dear Betsy Johnson, how do you do it? c/o Project Runway: Live Journal

Monday, December 12, 2011

Merry Christmas- get yourself some Chanel

Anyone ever have a very severe and major, like life crisis issue, finding THE mascara? Well I've been there, and I thought I had found THE one...Chanel Inimitable...Then I figured "nah" that stuff is like $36, I was sure I could find something just as good for less...well I'm here to say there is no "good for less"- it's all garbage. Additionally, Chanel now has Inimitable Intense, for nights you want to enter a room all "POW" like.
Anyways, that's my PSA...Let's move on...It's Christmas time so ma house is all done up pretty like and I wish to share.

My colour code is a strict "red, blue, green, gold and white" only. I totally diss any attempts to make Christmas "tasteful"...lights and sparkles are NOT tasteful. In fact, Christmas is the only time of year you can go to town with gaudy and tacky and get away with it- so why not revel in the moment...colour colour COLOUR.
I didn't go all out this year-plus I'm hesitant to place that scratchy greenery around my freshly stained mantle and bannister.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Riddle me this….

I am asking YOU a few questions right now, feel free to answer any, or all?? 
2. What reminds you of being a kid?

For me, it's always a still crisp sunny summer days...something about the smells, the feel of the air. My mom had always kicked me and my sister outside by 9 am on days like that.

2. What makes you happy daily?

The sight of my little dog Harvey always makes me smile- ever the optimist, it doesn't matter if he's just been bad and made me mad, every time- he makes me GLAD!

Those summer days I referred to prior, also offer instant happiness.

3. Name 8 people that would comprise the most random dinner party ever!

I'd like to have Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the beautiful Adam Levine from Maroon 5, Sarah Richardson from HGTV, Randy from "Say Yes to the Dress", Quarterback Aaron Rogers from the Green Bay Packers, my sister, Prince Harry, and Terry Grant- the Mantracker