Egg Salad

I made egg salad for dinner tonight because I had 14 eggs in my fridge that I have to finish before I leave for China next Friday, plus celery and a red pepper. I know, 14 eggs is an odd number but I got them at Costco.

Anyway, I must say that the egg salad tasted better than I remembered and it might be the baba ghanouj I added to finish off the tub in my fridge. YUMMY!

CARPET!

I'm happy to report that it's dust pan alley no more!!!!!! Yes, that sentence warrants 6 exclamation points because carpet in the hall = less dust in my suite! :)

For the record, these are Flor carpet tiles (I saw the boxes as the installers were laying them on my way out this weekend):

Dandelion Light

I stopped in at the Winners on Laird today just to take a look because you never know what you'll find and what I found was this lovely light which is currently lighting up the far corner of my den-cum-storage-room:

Crab Fritatta

I thought cooking for one would be a chore but it's allowed me the freedom to experiment because I don't have to worry about someone else's judgement. If it sucks, no one knows but me. So here's the omelette I made for breakfast this morning made of odds and ends in my fridge: crab meat, red peppers, onions, basil, cheese and herbs....and I must say that it was yum. :)

Want this

I walk by the FCUK on Queen to and from work and have had my eye on this adorable peacoat - the one in the window is best described as light grey and that's the one I tried on today. It's so girly and pretty on!

Unfortunately, it's quite light so I don't think it's good beyond the fall season...but it's so very lovely on! If only I didn't have a dining table and chairs to buy!!! And interestingly enough, the price in CAD is actually less then USD!!

Queen & Soho @ 5:45pm

Pretty Mug

This is silly but I've had my eye on this mug at Second Cup ever since I first saw it...probably around Valentine's, but I refused to pay full price for it on principle - $9.95 for a pretty mug just seemed wrong in the grand scheme of things.

So I waited for it to go on sale at this one location but it never did...and then they closed up shop and I forgot about it. On a jaunt out for my afternoon coffee today, I spied it on the shelf for 30% off! So yay for pretty mugs!

Trees

I've been wondering a while now about how I'm going to fill this wall above my TV:

I thought perhaps a couple of Lack shelves from Ikea in white, but what would I put on them? It'd be just another excuse to buy more things to collect dust...not that that's a bad thing - buying more things that is, dust sucks - it could be a good place to display prints or pictures, after all...Alternatively, I was thinking decals...more specifically, tree decals, so I've browsed etsy off and on looking for potential candidates.

This tree by kiskastyledecor was an early contender since it fills the wall, but not if I still want to somehow work shelves in.

This tall tree with leaves blowing in the wind in Dali Decals' shop is quite fantastic but it's too wide. I do love the movement suggested in the design though...

Which brings me to Single Stone Studios' oh-so-pretty Cherry Blossom Branch with Birds.

I can pick my own colours from this palette and have been pondering which two for the last few hours....given that I've used shades of brown, green, white/cream and purple throughout my suite, I was thinking the branches in brown and the birds in lime, olive or lilac given that this is what it looks like on the opposite wall:

What say you?

Dust Pan Alley

Here's a view of my hall - throughout the week I've seen them prep the walls - a couple days ago a guy was sanding them down and as a result, there was a lovely cloud of dust that accompanied me into my suite. The one noticable addition was that the plates with our suite numbers were installed yesterday!

Beautiful Day

I woke up this morning and went for a run and am so glad I did because I feel so good! I headed down towards Harbourfront and it was the perfect weather - partly cloudy with just a touch of a breeze off the water. I ran for 50 min which is unusual since I'm usually good for maybe 15 min before the first stitch teases me but none of that today. I kept up a steady, comfortable pace and probably could have gone longer but decided to circle back after hitting the Power Plant.

I am really loving how close everything is - I ran through the Toronto Music Garden where it seems free classical concerts are held in the summer so I have that to look forward too, not to mention the close proximity to the Harbourfront Centre where the International Festival of Authors is held annually and there are various reading events through the year. So glad I'm finally downtown!

Andre Petterson

Tress

This work of art currently on display at Bau-Xi Gallery caught my eye a couple weekends ago and I finally stepped in for a look-see today on my way home from work. It's a mixed-media piece by Andre Petterson and it's stunning. I love the movement and energy of this piece, and the dancer's fishnets.

Petterson has a whole dancers series and you can see more of it here - some are energetic, others are moody and even slightly eerie...but all of it amazing.

These are my favourites from his other series:

Blue Snow

Conspectus Red

Weekend Finds!!

I spent the weekend hanging out in my neighbourhood. My original plan was to head out to the Queen West Antiques Centre after running a few errands but I stumbled upon the perfect little teak dresser for my hall at Red Indian Art Deco on Queen West. Here it is, in place:

I don't know why, but all the light switches are placed about 3' off the floor in my condo and this little dresser at 34" just hits the bottom of the switch. How perfect is that?! I'm now looking for the perfect mirror - something tall and Venetian perhaps - to place above it...or would that be too much of a juxtaposition?

I also found this lovely vintage Art Deco-style set for cream & sugar made by Medicine Hat Potteries in Alberta:

I walked as far as Trinity-Bellwoods Park where I came across the Queen West Art Crawl where I bought these 3 original ink and acrylic prints by Alison Mackenna which I think will be perfect for my bathroom. I just need to buy the frames now.


And these are the adorable coasters I picked up in Chinatown:

Now, I must clean.

LOL!

via A Cup of Jo

"He has long hair..."

So, I went out for drinks tonight with a friend from work who I'm really glad I met. She started less then 2 months ago but she's the kind of personality that's outgoing and warm and funny - the kind of person I wish I could be if I weren't so shy around people I didn't know. We were sitting in a meeting with her manager last week, getting into business when she turned to me and asked if I was seeing anyone because there was someone she wanted me to meet. No joke. Thank goodness AF, her manager, and I have a pretty friendly relationship because I would have been mortified otherwise.

Anyway, long story short, I met him tonight at one of the many trendy nightspots that singles often frequent in my neighbourhood and he was everything that she said he was - good looking, tall, suave - yes, suave, which, to my mind has a bit of a sleazy connotation which wouldn't be a long way off since he is a sales account exec but he's saved the ick factor because he seems genuinely considerate and tight with his younger sister, who is friends with my friend.

I have no idea if he knew what was up...but he seemed like a good guy, and if he wanted to get together with me one on one, I wouldn't be averse to it...but I can't say I'm overwhelmingly interested. I think it's the suaveness...he's a little too...slick for me. He picked up the tab for all his sister's friends, including me, which was very generous, but he just seems a little too polished. And to think that I thought that that was what I was looking for in a guy! Hmm.

Happy Birthday to Me

It's weird to think that another year has past...the birthday blues haven't hit as hard as they usually have...maybe because I've been too busy settling in to my place to think too much about turning 32. Jeez. I'm 32.

So what's changed in the last year?

* I'm an aunt to an adorable Piglet who has brought me and my sister closer then we have been since our father died;
* I ran my first 10K;
* I managed someone for the first time and have decided I don't think I like managing people...;
* I worked on a few big projects that recently launched and it's rather exciting to see the concept become reality...now we'll have to see if they're financially successful and as I modelled them;
* My grandfather is gone; and
* I've set up my own home and am slowly getting used to living alone - something I've never done before having always had roommates in school.

Hmm...in reviewing this list, there's not much romance - and I've decided that that's something I'm going to have to make an effort towards. I used to think that my friends would be enough...but I'm beginning to see now that everyone has coupled off that Mom is right...it really is important to have a partner and companion in life. Let's see what this new year will bring...

Fringe

Did you watch it? Holy moly, was it ever good! I wasn't planning on it but I had it on in the background for company - I never understood why my mom had the TV on when she was home alone and didn't even watch it, but I get it now - anyway, it was freakin' amazing and I just may be hooked now.

I want this...

I saw this headline about the "funnest" ipod ever and of course I had to read the article and when I checked out the apple website, my heart skipped a bit because how happy and pretty are these gorgeous colours!?

I've got my eye on the indigo one...but I also like the pink, green and orange ones too...one for every mood...? :)

The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World

After skipping out on my run yesterday because of the wet weather, I broke my fast and then met S&W in line to rush for the screening of Weijun Chen's The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World at TIFF. This documentary is about the Guiness-certified West Lake Restaurant in Changsha, Hunan, China - it seats five thousand and employs about 1000 people, including 300 chefs.

The excess struck me - I can't remember who it was in the film that said it - but the comment was about how in the 60s, 70s and 80s, there was no food - my Grandfather left China for South America to work so that he could send money back to feed his family - and now there's plenty and the Chinese love to show it.

Qin Linzi, the restaurant owner, also reminded me a bit of my mother for her strength and perserverance. She rose above a difficult childhood and divorce and worked to ensure that she could care for her family - my mother, newly-widowed, took over the running of the business she and my father started, led a team of almost 20 workers and rose me and my sisters on her own. I'd love to watch this with her to see what she thinks.

Good Intentions

I woke up this morning around 8 with the plan to go for a run, my first run in I'm-too-embarrassed-to-say-how-long because I've been preoccupied with packing, moving and settling in. But today, I was going to turn over a new leaf.

Before going to bed last night, I mapped a 4.5K route from my new place, heading towards Trinity-Bellwoods and back and even checked the weather forecast online - no mention of rain! So how disappointed was I when I pulled up my blinds this morning to find rainy grey skies? I am a fairweather runner. Always have been. And I don't run in the rain. So I'll clean for my workout instead.

Surprise....

...today, but not the good kind.

My cousin M messaged me on MSN in the last 30 minutes of work and within a minute of that, his brother D messaged me as well, which was lovely and unexpected, particularly as they are 6 hours ahead in Amsterdam. They didn't have good news to share.

My grandfather died today in Shenzhen and I don't know what to feel. They had both received a call from my uncle just 30 minutes before messaging me and as I hadn't heard from my mother, I didn't know if she knew yet. I called my sister to find out if she had heard anything but Mom hadn't called her, and I didn't want to call while I was still at work in case Mom was crying because I'd probably start crying too.

So I packed up, left work and called home as soon as I was out of the elevator....but no answer. I kept calling and when my mother finally reached me, she was seemingly calm and matter-of-fact...she was going to leave for Hong Kong this Friday and is leaving as scheduled, but instead of celebrating a homecoming, she'll be preparing for a funeral.

I'm sad that my grandfather won't be there when we go for our family trip next month. It's now too late for Piglet to meet her great-grandfather, not that she would likely remember, but at least she'd have the photos...if I think about it, I think I'll cry...and I don't think I want to cry right now.

CB & WE in TO!!

I knew that Crate & Barrel was coming to Toronto - and I've been waiting impatiently for their first store to open at Yorkdale later this month - but what I didn't know was that West Elm is coming too, to the Liberty Village neighbourhood not too far from me, as reported in October's Style at Home! I've long had my eye on their goodies, like this lovely branch table:

And their Parson's Desk:

But what I think I may end up getting is their Overlapping Squares Daybed for my den:


Can't wait!!

Mi Casa

I've spent the weekend labouring away, shopping for things on my never-ending list of things to buy (it just occured to me yesterday that I need a can opener!), packing stuff up at mom's to unpack and organizing them in mine. It's still rather a bit of a mess as you can see from the lovely vignette below:

Despite the disorder, the mirror and lamps make me happy just looking at them - imagine the disorder away.

My comfy couch dressed with the bed pillows I picked up in Vancouver is an island oasis in my space:

All that's missing are the end tables and lamps...which I've yet to set up. I've got a few other ideas in mind, like Ikea's Andrea rug in purple, and maybe a clear glass coffee table like Structube's Visio coffee table...but I think I'll wait until after I'm back from China because hopefully by then construction inside the building will be complete and the dustbin that is the interior will be a distant memory.

And here's the bathroom, mostly organized:


I'm thinking about colour on the walls because it seems really white...but that's way down on the priority list behind my Tulip table and dining chairs.