Thursday, February 23, 2012


Hey o

things are pretty crazy at my work right now and I'm under some tight ass deadlines so heres some random things!

I found these on Srslyliz.com ...great blog if you don't already ready. fueling my web design desires. 



01. What's your favorite way to celebrate something? Fireworks. Making food. 


02. If Ryan Gosling & Joseph Gordon Levitt both proposed, who would you pick? {you have to choose one or the other & you can't say neither} Ryan Gosling no questions. I don't even know who that Joseph guy is and I am so confident he is not hotter then Ryan Gosling and I am not even going to goole him. 


update: okay I did and ew not even the same league. 

03. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Good Question. Hard to say. I am having a bit of inner turmoil. Hopefully I will be HAPPY, self motivated, confident and not afraid to share my opinion. I would ideally like to work for myself and probably wouldn't keep regular hours. I work best early in the morning and then again around 3pm. If I worked for myself I am sure I would make that time at a desk count and could have the freedom to pursue other things as well. Ideally I would also like to be madly in love. maybe a kid? hopefully a house. with a garden and saturday night BBQ's. 

04. If money wasn't an issue, what's one thing you would purchase? a new car. Honda CRV. or if money REALLY wan't an issue then some sort of vacation property that I lived in forever and ever. 

05. What was the last vacation you went on? .........hmm speaking of....vacation? haha. I went to france in May 2010. omg you know what I just realized? I only took one week of vacation in 2011! and I went to BC to help my friend with launching a bakery for the week. super exciting but not so relaxing. But not to worry, March 22 I will be flying south to marinate in rum and sunshine. 

06. First kiss? Bobby Purdy. On a street corner with about 5 of our friends watching and cheering us on. 

07. If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be & why? Probably someone who did pottery all day. 

08. What do you do to relax? Organize things. seriously. or re arrange the furniture. or other things not blog-able. 

09. Favorite cocktail? {or non-alcoholic beverage, if you don't drink} Whiskey Sour. or Sangria in the summer. or anything drank on a dock or patio. 

10. Is there anything you felt strongly about when you were younger which you now have a totally different view on as an adult? Yes. Being a stay at home mom. I really wanted this up until about a year or two ago. I'm not sure what changed (or could possibly change again once I have them) but I'm just not sure being at home all day could be satisfying enough for me. It would totally depend on the dynamics and of course I would want to spend as much time as possible with my kids but I don't think I could give it all up. I like to get up and get out. 

11. Who is the one person you can tell anything to? Depends. there is no ONE person. Its not really on purpose I just feel like I talk about and share different things with different people. 


Hope your week is going great! 


In other news, I am seriously super close to getting bangs. I need a change! talk me off the ledge people. 

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

new at the apartment...green bunny




check out this little cutie!

this adorable little guy is actually a piggy bank, but what made me love him is his astroturf-like body and that amazing green colour. how adorable is he?!


he is sitting on the shelves in the living room, watching over the record player. So cute. 

a bunny seems like it would be a good pet. super cute and not that much maintenance. I'm really not into the idea of getting a pet right now but they seem like they would be a good 'family' pet. 


for now I will stick with my astro turf bunny and let him help me save up my pennies. 


Monday, February 20, 2012

Little Bee


By: Chris Cleave

I started reading this book around Christmas time when I had a little free time and its embarrassing to say that its taken me this long to finish it. I am a pretty fast reader, and LOVE to read but it seemed like life just got in the way. I absolutely did enjoy this book though. It was just the kind of story I like to read, thoughtful, descriptive, adventurous and full of anticipation and turns in the plot.

However, it did lack that sort of pull that grips my mind and makes me pick up the book at any chance, or read wellllll past my bed time. although it was good, it wasn't 'i can't imagine putting this down until I read the last page' good.


Here is the prelude to the novel, I think it sums it up well:

We dont want to tell you what happens in this book.
Its a truly special story and we dont want to spoil it,
Nevertheless, you need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say this:
This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again - the story starts there...
Once you have read it, you'll want to tell you friends about it. when you do, please don't tell them what happens. the magic is in how the story unfolds.

As I mentioned above, I live for a novel with descriptive, engaging text that paints beautiful pictures in my mind. Little Bee did not dissapoint on this....read for yourself....

It was a bright morning, I told you this already. It was the month of May and there was warm sunshine dripping through the holes between the clouds like the sky was a broken blue bowl and a child was trying to keep honey in it.


What is an adventure? That depends on where you are starting from. Little girls in your country, they hide in the gap between the washing machine and the regrigerator and they make believe they are in the jungle, with green snakes and monkeys all around them. Me and my sister, we used to hid in a gap in the jungle, with green snakes and monkeys all around us, and make believe that we had a washing machine and refridgerator. You live in a world of machines and you dream of things with beating hearts. We dream of machines, because we see where beating hearts have left us.

I'm looking for my next novel and would love to have a few to take on holidays with me if you have any suggestions.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Big Picture vs. Daily Goals




My friend who doesn't blog anymore Dave has given me plenty of good advice over the years but one of the big things that stuck with me was making your goals manageable. Its easy to say 'eat healthy' or 'get more exercise' but in order to make your goal more realistic and more manageable (and therefore more achievable) you should make your goals more specific. Instead of 'get more exercise' make your goal 'exercise three times a week for 30 minutes'. Now your goal is defined and you can feel good about doing it!

Using this method its easier to feel good about accomplishing it. If your goal is simply 'get more exercise' you will probably never feel like you are doing good enough. BUT with a defined goal you can exercise three times a week and accomplish exactly what you set out to do.


Here are my big picture goals - 
1. - Learn more about web design. start by overhauling this blog. 
2. - Buy a condo/home
3. - New car!
4. - Eat healthier
5. - Spend less money
6. - Keep the apartment tidy
7. - Go to bed earlier
8. - Drink more water

And here my specific goals so I can feel good about my accomplishments THIS week and be one step closer to my big picture goals. 
- No buying lunch (4)(5)
- Contribute to an RRSP (2)
- Get off the internet at 10pm (7)
- Re-list my car for less money on craigslist, kijiji and autotrader (3)
- make at least one large dinner (probably pasta) that can be eaten for leftovers (4)(5)
- Spend 10 minutes in the morning cleaning the apartment (6)
- Go to the library for a book on webdesign/look for tutorials online (1)
- Look for a larger water bottle/cup for the office (8)

Do you have any goal setting tricks that help you? I would love to hear about them! 

Thursday, February 16, 2012

missing....france


love this picture. everything about it reminds me of france and makes me want to go back. I came across it on a blog and suddenly I was transported back to sitting on a blanket in front of the Louvre eating cheese and hummus with bread.


french parenting ideals that are very in line with the way I want to raise my children. (a good read, even if you don't have children)


(Picture I took in Monet's garden, absolutely stunning place)

Right now I would give almost anything to go back to paris and see my friend cas. I absolutely miss her like crazy and we always have the best times. Shes such an inspiration to me, moving to a new country, establishing herself there, making new friends, going to school, working, learning a new language.

Cas I love you like crazy and I miss you and we need to skype it out soon!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Outfit Post...Chevrons and Lace

Hey o 

I am actually pretty proud that I have this outfit post for you today. The reason is because I am WEARING this outfit today. I have such a habit of taking pictures and then not using them for months (or never). Not today folks. 


This dress is from H&M although I got it from Double Take for a few dollars. Its about two sizes too large but I wear it with a belt and no one would know. 

This belt is my FAVORITE I just got it this weekend while thrifting for $2 and its 
white
leather
with a bronze buckle
and a-symmetrical chevrons
what could be better?!?

this sweater was also from goodwill and was about $5. its an x large but I like how loose it is. 

the white lacy tights are from Anthropologie and are the most expensive thing I am wearing at $20

oh wait. my necklace is from noble town vintage and I just love love love everything in that shop. (HINT: BIRTHDAY)

oh and thank you carly for the lovely bracelets, I wear them everyday with my watch (from double take, had to get a new battery but it works perfect) 


in other news, I really tried to use my tripod for this but its tricky. my camera focuses when the button is pressed down so most of my pictures tend to be out of focus. I will have to look into a remote. 



the only decent picture from the tripod experience:

tonight p comes for the rest of the week/weekend. 

we decided we didn't want to celebrate valentines day but rather make up our own holiday. We are each thinking of three traditions that will be incorporated into the week-long festivities.
My only rules- no chocolate, no stuffed animals, and if you send flowers to my work we are done. haha 

my brother made his gf baked mac and cheese last night for v day and I am going to bug him for the recipe because it was DELISH. it had like three kinds of cheese mixed in and goat cheese on the top with the bread crumb topping and BACON. ammmmazing. 

Happy Wednesday loves. if it makes this week more bearable we have a LONG weekend coming up :)

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Best Whistling Songs Playlist

I love a song with a good whistling tune. Here is a collection of the best ones! Throw it on while you work away and i'm positive it will brighten your day.


Best Whistling Songs by Erin Ackerman on Grooveshark

ps big thanks to p for putting this together. He's got a gift for a great playlist. pretty much how he won me over. (kidding)(not kidding)

Where to thrift in toronto.... Where to thrift in toronto....




I was asked in my comments about great places to thrift in toronto and I wanted to share my experiences with you! 


Here are some of the best and worst places that I have been too: 


Double Take - 310 Gerrard Street East Toronto  - (Parliament and Gerrard) 
Double take was DANGEROUSLY close to my last apartment and I would go there at least once a week. It rarely dissapointed though. The store sits on the border of Cabbagetown (beautiful, historic, expensive) and Regent Park (ghetto, low income housing). Always such a cast of characters shopping there. Anyway, I believe a lot of the donations came from the Cabbagetown neighborhood, and while a lot of the Regent Park neighborhood shopped there, they weren't interested in vintage dresses or name brand high heels. Double take is a bit off the beaten path but if you look through the racks, there are some serious gems. They also restock every day so the items are kept fresh. 
If your in the store often they also have a rewards program so you can earn points on your purchases and get money off next time. I shopped there for close to two years and probably got over $100 worth of free merchandise from the points program. 
BEST FOR: Womens shoes, glassware, belts, mens suits


Value Village -1319 Bloor st W, Toronto ON (Bloor and Lansdown)
This value village is not very good in my experience. First of all, its the closets Value Village to the downtown core so a LOT of people shop there. Its on the west side of the city and north west of very 'hip' neighborhoods. What I am trying to say is, every hipster in toronto shops here and your chances of finding gems are low. I also find the prices at value villages in general to be a little more then I would like to pay. This is a BIG store though so they do have a lot to offer if your looking to kill an hour or two at one place. They have a decent selection of housewares and glassware, but again, I find everything very picked through. Its also usually very busy which is something I try and avoid anywhere I shop. 

Value Village - 924 Queen St. E , Toronto ON (Queen West at Carlaw) 
This is a small value village. I have only been to this location a handful of times but I remember being impressed with the jewelry selection as well as the double decker rows of clothing (they fit A LOT in a tiny store). Again, Value Village prices are a little steep in my opinion but overall this is a decent store to check out if your in the neighborhood already. 

Goodwill Store 731 Runnymede Rd .Toronto ON (Runnymede and St. Clair) 
Since I moved last June this is the thrift store closest to my apartment. So far it has been pretty good. TONS of racks of clothing, more oversized sweaters then I can reasonably fit in my closet (I've already pushed the boundaries a little far to be honest) and always a few cray cray customers to keep the day entertaining. Goodwill offers 75% off a certain tag colour, so make to find out what colour it is when you enter the store. This particular Goodwill has a great selection of purses, glasswear, books and vinyl records. One downside is they don't individually tag items, you have to look at the price at the end of the isle to know what everything on that rack costs. Which is fine, until you bring 23 items to the change room and cant remember what any of them cost. I've been that person at the cash many times...How much does this cost? and this one? and sorry, what about this one? Overall though Goodwill's prices are fair and with the 75% off, you can get a great deal. 

I would also like to just say that if its at all possible, I try to thrift OUTSIDE of the city. When I go up to my cottage in the summer, or home on weekends, those are the places where I get the BEST deals. Smaller towns have the best thrift stores/salvation army's/goodwills and I believe this is because so many people contribute to them, and so few people actually shop in them. 

What makes a thrift store good is a surrounding neighborhood that is relatively high end, and lower then average traffic in the store OR traffic that isn't looking for the same things you are. If you can find a good balance of these three things you will have found a gold mine.  

There are also great finds in places like Kensington Market and Queen st. but I feel like these shops are very curated and you pay higher prices because of it. I'm all about the $3.99 outfit! 

Happy thrifting! and if you know any other good places in toronto I would love to know about it in the comments.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

oh fork sure



its been a while since I did one of these posts. 

do they deserve a name?

I know what I could call these sorts of posts but I like to keep my online persona on the blackmail free side. 



read between the lines here people. 




what is UP with the internet these days? (jerry seinfeld voice) 

ice films is down....megaupload disappeared....my free netflicks account isnt hacked into the american version anymore...grooveshark doesn't have any beatles songs...facebook is threatening timeline on everyone.....

GUYS. the internet and I are pretty tight. when it starts fucking up, I start fucking up. 

internet get your shit together. 

we need to pull through this together. 




I refuse to pay for cable. also cable BLOWS!! whyy?!!?! 

- you get one chance to watch a show
- you have to sit through at least 15 minutes of commercials per episode 
- you always end up watching at least one TLC marathon per month 
- and you have to PAY for that 

no.

thank-you.





my twitter went CRAZY when whitney houston died. all of the sudden everyone cared about her?

that came out wrong. 

but what I mean is like everyone on my twitter feed was tweeting and retweeting that she has died. 

I think its safe to say most people follow at least one news source. if you think your breaking news storys from your couch, your wrong. 

Sorry, I don't even know why this bugs me it was just that like 12 people on my twitter posted 'Whitney Houston is dead' in row and I want to push people to be a little more creative then that. 

twitter isn't facebook. 




sooooo valentines day eh? 

not so much a fan. 

not so much at all. 



......


SOY CHOCOLATE MILK! 

blowing my mind in goodness. 



My new mattress was delivered this weekend. 

I am no longer sleeping on a futon mattress on the floor. 

yay for me. 

ha   the guy delivering it was like ...you want me to just lay it on top of this one? like just right on top? 

yeah bud. 



getting better with my camera. 

I got a tri-pod for christmas. 

get ready for THAT. 

natural daylight helps SOOOOOOO much. it makes pictures infinity times better. 

cameras are funny. 

I get so self conscious carrying mine around. 

And it usually takes me two or three tries to get the right shutter speed so then I look like a crazy obsessive photographer taking 7 shots of something. 

For reasons above, most of the stuff on here is pictures in/of my apartment. 


this weekend was super great. 

super duper great. 

don't let me go this long again without ALONE time. 

its my own fault though. I want to be involved and theres always so much going on that I just get lost in it. 

this time alone is important though. 

it refocuses me. it relaxes me. 



one last thing. 

tomorrow I am officially an adult. 

I'm making my first RRSP contribution. 

(see mom, I do listen) 

ps I found this pdf very helpful for the basics and this website was able to answer a lot of my questions regarding using the money in an RRSP to buy your first home. (my plan) 


Friday, February 10, 2012

running wild

Hi! sorry I sort of went dark for a week there...just so much going on in REAL life that it didn't leave a lot of time for BLOG life.

but guess what?

I have a weekend coming up with NO plans. ZERO.

this doesn't sound like much but I haven't had a weekend alone at the apartment, with no one visiting, in over seven months.

I don't mind it, honestly, I love hosting people and I would get bored if I was alone every weekend but I'm REALLY looking forward to this.

Here are some things I would like to do:
-paint my toe nails ..maybe even have a bath (!)
-list my bed frame and kitchen island on craigslist and hopefully have them both gone before the weekend is over
-go thrifting..maybe at my old stomping grounds, the wonderful Double Take
-recover the living room pillows with some colourful fabric. (I will see what I can find when thrifting...or I might take a trip to fabricland)
-take some work clothes to the dry cleaners
-make valentines <3
-watch some movies on netflicks
-cook some yummy food with leftovers for the week/freezer
-make my way through all the new records we have :)
-do some online shopping...heres some things on my radar...


from here



from here

from here

Thursday, February 9, 2012

sting art for living room


how cool is this sting art? 

I want to make something like this for the living room. I think it would be a pretty easy way to make a bold statement with text on the wall. 
see the in progress from creative in chicago post here 
and the finished product here 





Wednesday, February 8, 2012

new eames chair




hi guysssss. there is a new addition to my living room.

meet my new eames chair! I'm so in love with it.

Now I know it has some issues...the base is all wrong and it has a habit of leaning back just a BIT too far but I still love it.

its the most beautiful shade of dark brown and the rosewood sides are in great condition. the leather is real and perfectly worked in.



This was a craigslist find and required a bit of back and forth, dealing with a slightly deranged seller and driving across the city in the rain in rush hour traffic.

end result?

worth it.

relaxing in the new chair ...drinking saturday morning coffee and making a list of records we want :) 


I've found a website online that sells the original base for the chair and I will purchase that soon. 


ps we went record shopping at rotate this, a great shop on queen west if your looking for new records as well as classics. I bought a record from a band I had never heard of Yeasayer (listen to this!) on recommendation from P and loooooove it, as well as regina spektor live in concert. (Also a great album and has all her best songs on it) P bought the Gotye album.



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