“Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.”
– Jon Acuff
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day really should be every day. My mom is the most patient, generous, and selfless woman I know. I still live at home, and one of the best things about that is getting to see her everyday. She looks out for me, whether that means bringing home my favourite snacks, ironing my collared shirts (I will NEVER be able to do this), or going for long leisurely brunches. She is the best mama ever and truly my best friend.
1. A luxurious pampering mask that she would never buy herself – Fresh Black Tea Perfecting Mask // 2. The perfect pump in a fun colour, plus we have the same shoe size 😉 – J.Crew Elsie Pump // 3. A sweet card, because that’s all she really wants anyway – Thank For All That You Do card // 4. A book that will make her laugh, and it’s good for grandma too! – The Little Old Lady Strikes Again // 5. A cheeky iPhone case, because she is a gadget queen – ban.do iPhone case // 6. A beautiful kettle which is functional as well – Bonavita Gooseneck Kettle
Funny story about our current kettle – my mom is convinced that we have a ghost. A friendly ghost! His name is Stan and he is partial to making breakfast. Every once in awhile my mom can smell burning toast, and in the middle of the night mugs or cups have been known to fall out of our cupboards. I think Stan is trying to make coffee to have with his toast.
Stan means well, but unfortunately there was a breach in our safety when my mom heard the kettle turn on by itself one night a couple weeks back. We keep it unplugged now, but it could be better to get a new one that Stan doesn’t know how to turn on 🙂
Fashion Art Toronto
FAT is Toronto’s alternative fashion week. It’s an amazing showcase of designers and models who push the boundaries in our fashion industry. This year marks FAT’s 10th anniversary, and the theme was “Made in Canada”.
I had a great time at last night’s shows – I’m not sure if I liked the collections more, or what the front row was wearing. They all looked like they would say “she doesn’t even GO HERE”, if they cared to look at me or anyone else at all 🙂 I kind of loved it.
One of my favourite showings was by vKEITA. I loved the pieces, the music, and the models. I had no idea who Victor Keita was before last night, and that’s the wonderful thing about coming out to events like this! Here is a bit about him, pulled from FAT’s website:
“Victor Keita-Khemolai was born in Sierra Leone in May 1990. After having to escape to Ghana and leave his mother behind due to rebel war, he found refuge in Canada. Being cast in numerous fashion shows and photo shoots, Victor Keita-Khemolia is ready to exhibit his passion in design. vKEITA will be his first of many collection to come.
vKEITA is about celebrating the beauty in women. The garments are designed to make any woman feel confident, attractive, classy and glamorous. The mix of styles, colors, prints and patterns, inspired by his birth place Sierra Leone, are unafraid of being both bold and ultra feminine. As a child he was surrounded by beautiful women of all shapes and sizes including his Grandma, Mom, Aunty and cousins. Each garment represent them.”
Pretty cool right??
Unplugged
My vacation to Cuba was perfectly relaxing. I’m not usually one for all-inclusive stays, and I think I’ve had my fill for awhile. But travel, no matter where you end up, always has the benefit of teaching you something new. You learn about other cultures, perhaps you learn about yourself, and you definitely learn about how to navigate through crowded airports without losing your mind.
Side note: I was extremely impressed by the women who worked in security at the Santa Clara airport. They all wore really interesting tights. I think their uniform had to be a beige top and skirt, black tights, and black shoes – and they embellished wonderfully. I saw fishnets, lacy flowers, vertical stripes, it was so cool!
Anyway, this post is not about my vacation and the cool things I learned in Cuba. It’s about what I learned from having absolutely NO INTERNET CONNECTION for the entire week. The resort advertises wifi, however when I tried to access it, my conversation with the concierge went like this:
How do you move on? You move on when your heart finally understands that there is no turning back.
J.R.R. Tolkien (via wordsnquotes)
Cuba
I am so excited to be going to Cuba with my cousin! We will be vacationing in Caya Santa Maria, but plan to spend some time in Havana as well. It’s a bucket list item of mine, so I am really looking forward to it!
Any vacation tips you have are welcome! I am wondering if I should bring items for the locals to leave behind, in addition to tips, or if they would just prefer straight up cash.
image unknown, but beautiful
Beauty Wishlist
Sigma Brushes // Body Shop Honeymania // Too Faced Melted Lipstick // Bareminerals Complexion Rescue // Ardency Inn Modster Pigment // Laura Mercier Caviar Stick
I never used to care about makeup much before, I think that’s because I never knew how to apply it. Unfortunately, I have become a bit of a beauty junkie..but I still suck at applying makeup. One thing I hope will change that is a good set of make up brushes! Especially for my eyes. At the moment, I really only use the brushes that come with each palette I buy, which I think is hindering a lot of what I can do. I’ve been revisiting these Sigma brushes for awhile…
Weekly Roundup
On my lunch break yesterday, I picked up 6 books for $2! The Friends of the Toronto Public Library South Chapter are having their annual clearance used book sale at the Toronto Reference Library. Prices range from 10 cents – 50 cents, and they have great fiction and thrillers going 3 for a buck.
The great melt has finally descended upon the city. I can see the whole sidewalk again! Snowbanks are slowly retreating, the sun is back! At 5 degrees I see men in shorts and women wearing winter coats with skirts (no tights)! Are we breaking out the BBQs yet?
I bought these beautiful, stunning, life-completing shoes. NO BIG DEAL.
It’s PI DAY! You know? 3.1415 – March 14, 2015. Is there a better reason than that to eat pie? No. For all you Torontonians, I highly recommend Wanda’s Pie in the Sky. And lucky for me, there’s a cute little pie place by my work called Pie Squared. They serve mainly savoury hand pies, with some mini sweet options. I LOVE their crust. I am definitely a crust girl.
I have recently fallen in love with Vampire Weekend again. I’ve always loved them, but any playlist with Vampire Weekend songs have been stuck on repeat. Especially Diplomat’s Son.
So my life consists of books, food, and music. What else is new?
International Women’s Day
My mama – the most important woman in my life.
For anyone out there, afraid of the word “feminism”, here are some links for you:
Wednesday Addams is a bad bitch
What male feminists look like (Ryan Gosling’s quote is my favourite)
Jocelyn Caithness 