On the furniture and lighting side of the equation, I've got my eye on these goodies, but particularly the cluster pendant, which I think would be perfect for my dining area...
Friday, October 08, 2010
New at West Elm...
I was prompted by Cherish Toronto's recent post to visit West Elm's website and was thrilled by what I found. If you've been following me for a while, you'll know I have a thing for birds and they're most-definitely well-represented this season. Here are my favourites:
On the furniture and lighting side of the equation, I've got my eye on these goodies, but particularly the cluster pendant, which I think would be perfect for my dining area...
On the furniture and lighting side of the equation, I've got my eye on these goodies, but particularly the cluster pendant, which I think would be perfect for my dining area...
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
MOROCCO!!!
I've been thinking about doing a big trip for a little while now, mainly because I had a surfeit of vacation days this year (7 weeks in total), I've an obscene number of reward miles from various programs burning a whole in my figurative loyalty wallet, and also because I'm due - my last big trip was to London/Amsterdam/Barcelona/Madrid in April 2009. Oh - and with my passport up for renewal in February, I was hoping to get one more stamp in my passport.
I thought my next trip would be a family vacation south, but that's now been pushed to early next year, so with 4 weeks of vacation left, I began browsing Gap Adventures' website again in earnest.
The prospect of visiting Angkor Wat and seeing the ancient temples there up close and personal drew me to Cambodia. Madagascar was another possibility as it's somewhere I've been wanting to visit ever since reading an article in ROM magazine about it's fantastic flora and fauna. Argentina/Brazil made the initial cut with Iguassu Falls being the main attraction. In the end, the red tape of having to apply for a visa ixnayed all these destinations in favour of Morocco - an exotic locale I don't know much about beyond spice markets, lanterns, the desert, brilliant suzanis and pretty wedding blankets. Random, right?
It was a toss-up between Gap's Highlights of Morocco and Marvellous Morocco tours but upon closer read of the itinerary, the former's camel safari into the Sahara Desert with an overnight stay in a Bedouin tent won me over. I mean, c'mon! A camel safari into the Sahara Desert?
My flights are all booked and my place for the tour is being held with the payment due the first of October, pending additional accomodations pre- and post-tour. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am! :D
I thought my next trip would be a family vacation south, but that's now been pushed to early next year, so with 4 weeks of vacation left, I began browsing Gap Adventures' website again in earnest.
The prospect of visiting Angkor Wat and seeing the ancient temples there up close and personal drew me to Cambodia. Madagascar was another possibility as it's somewhere I've been wanting to visit ever since reading an article in ROM magazine about it's fantastic flora and fauna. Argentina/Brazil made the initial cut with Iguassu Falls being the main attraction. In the end, the red tape of having to apply for a visa ixnayed all these destinations in favour of Morocco - an exotic locale I don't know much about beyond spice markets, lanterns, the desert, brilliant suzanis and pretty wedding blankets. Random, right?
It was a toss-up between Gap's Highlights of Morocco and Marvellous Morocco tours but upon closer read of the itinerary, the former's camel safari into the Sahara Desert with an overnight stay in a Bedouin tent won me over. I mean, c'mon! A camel safari into the Sahara Desert?
My flights are all booked and my place for the tour is being held with the payment due the first of October, pending additional accomodations pre- and post-tour. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am! :D
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Secret Daughter and Her Fearful Symmetry
I've two more books to add to my "Read" pile: Audrey Niffenegger's Her Fearful Symmetry and Shilpi Somaya Gowda's Secret Daughter.
On Her Fearful Symmetry - I was disappointed. I picked it up because I really enjoyed The Time Traveler's Wife and I suppose this was similar with its supernatural elements but the main characters weren't particularly engaging. The most interesting storyline for me was the secondary one involving Martin, the upstairs neighbor. I was glad for his happy ending. The end.
Oh! And I want to visit Highgate Cemetery next I'm in London - the way it's described in the book and the fantastic images from its website are compelling.
From the back cover:
Julia and Valentina Poole are twenty-year-old sisters with an intense attachment to each other. One morning the mailmen delivers a thick envelope to their house in the suburbs of Chicago. Their English aunt, Elspeth Noblin, has died of cancer and left them her London apartment. There are two conditions for this inheritance: that they live in the flat for a year before they sell it and that their parents not enter it. Julia and Valentina are twins. So were the girls' aunt Elspeth and their mother, Edie.
The girls move to Elspeth's flat, which borders the vast Highgate Cemetery, where Christina Rossetti, George Eliot, Stella Gibbons, and other luminaries are buried. Julia and Valentina become involved with their living neighbors: Martin, a composer of crossword puzzles who suffers from crippling OCD, and Robert, Elspeth's elusive lover, a scholar of the cemetery. They discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including - perhaps - their aunt.
On Secret Daughter - the end made me cry and I felt compelled to read it every night before bed since starting it over the weekend.
This passage from p. 270 struck me:
...her mother always said the key to a successful marriage was for each spouse to give as much as they thought they possibly could. And then, to give a little more. Somewhere in that extra giving, in the space created by generosity without keeping score, was the difference between marriages that thrived and those that didn't.
It sounds like something my mom would say, although - and maybe this is a matter of it being lost in translation since my mom communicates with me in Cantonese - the way she spins it, it sounds more like I should settle because no one's perfect. Point is, I really enjoyed this book and am glad it's getting the recognition it deserves.
From the back cover:
On the eve of the monsoons, in a remote Indian village, Kavita gives birth to a baby girl. But in a culture that favors sons, the only way for Kavita to save her newborn daughter's life is to give her away. It is a decision that will haunt her and her husband for the rest of their lives, even after the arrival of their cherished son.
Halfway around the globe, Somer, an American doctor, decides to adopt a child after making the wrenching discovery that she will never have one of her own. When she and her husband, Krishnan, see a photo of the baby with the gold-flecked eyes from a Mumbai orphanage, they are overwhelmed with emotion. Somer knows life will change with the adoption but is convinced that the love they already feel will overcome all obstacles.
Interweaving the stories of Kavita, Somer, and the child that binds both their destinies, Secret Daughter poignantly explores the emotial terrain of motherhood, loss, identity, and love, as witnessed through the lives of two families - one Indian, one American - and the child that indelibly connects them.
On Her Fearful Symmetry - I was disappointed. I picked it up because I really enjoyed The Time Traveler's Wife and I suppose this was similar with its supernatural elements but the main characters weren't particularly engaging. The most interesting storyline for me was the secondary one involving Martin, the upstairs neighbor. I was glad for his happy ending. The end.
Oh! And I want to visit Highgate Cemetery next I'm in London - the way it's described in the book and the fantastic images from its website are compelling.
From the back cover:
Julia and Valentina Poole are twenty-year-old sisters with an intense attachment to each other. One morning the mailmen delivers a thick envelope to their house in the suburbs of Chicago. Their English aunt, Elspeth Noblin, has died of cancer and left them her London apartment. There are two conditions for this inheritance: that they live in the flat for a year before they sell it and that their parents not enter it. Julia and Valentina are twins. So were the girls' aunt Elspeth and their mother, Edie.
The girls move to Elspeth's flat, which borders the vast Highgate Cemetery, where Christina Rossetti, George Eliot, Stella Gibbons, and other luminaries are buried. Julia and Valentina become involved with their living neighbors: Martin, a composer of crossword puzzles who suffers from crippling OCD, and Robert, Elspeth's elusive lover, a scholar of the cemetery. They discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including - perhaps - their aunt.
On Secret Daughter - the end made me cry and I felt compelled to read it every night before bed since starting it over the weekend.
This passage from p. 270 struck me:
...her mother always said the key to a successful marriage was for each spouse to give as much as they thought they possibly could. And then, to give a little more. Somewhere in that extra giving, in the space created by generosity without keeping score, was the difference between marriages that thrived and those that didn't.
It sounds like something my mom would say, although - and maybe this is a matter of it being lost in translation since my mom communicates with me in Cantonese - the way she spins it, it sounds more like I should settle because no one's perfect. Point is, I really enjoyed this book and am glad it's getting the recognition it deserves.
From the back cover:
On the eve of the monsoons, in a remote Indian village, Kavita gives birth to a baby girl. But in a culture that favors sons, the only way for Kavita to save her newborn daughter's life is to give her away. It is a decision that will haunt her and her husband for the rest of their lives, even after the arrival of their cherished son.
Halfway around the globe, Somer, an American doctor, decides to adopt a child after making the wrenching discovery that she will never have one of her own. When she and her husband, Krishnan, see a photo of the baby with the gold-flecked eyes from a Mumbai orphanage, they are overwhelmed with emotion. Somer knows life will change with the adoption but is convinced that the love they already feel will overcome all obstacles.
Interweaving the stories of Kavita, Somer, and the child that binds both their destinies, Secret Daughter poignantly explores the emotial terrain of motherhood, loss, identity, and love, as witnessed through the lives of two families - one Indian, one American - and the child that indelibly connects them.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
History of Love
I was wary of it when I first started after so recently finishing Everything is Illuminated - Holocaust books always leave me a bit drained and I find I need something light and maybe a little happy afterwards to ease the mood.
Anyway, I wasn't sure what The History Of Love was really about so just before starting, I googled it. And that's when I stumbled onto this article in the NYT and found out that Nicole Krauss is married to Jonathan Safran Foer. It didn't make me feel any better about reading it since I was rather disappointed by EII, but by then, I was too lazy to get out of bed to pick another book.
In the end, this was a much better read as the story - a mystery that is solved in the end - was more complete in its telling. While part of it does take place in WWII Poland, the horrors of the Holocaust aren't really referred to explicitly - at least not as far as I was concerned - so I didn't feel as spent.
From the back cover:
Fourteen-year-old Alma Singer is trying to find a cure for her mother's loneliness. Believing that she might discover it in an old book her mother is lovingly translating, she sets out in search of its author. Across New York, an old man named Leo Gursky is trying to survive a little bit longer. He spends his days dreaming of the lost love who, sixty years ago in Poland, inspired him to write a book. And although he doesn't know it yet, that book also survived: crossing oceans and generations, and changing lives....
The Wedding
My sister got married on Friday, which also happened to be my 34th birthday. I didn't have time for my usual somewhat-moody and self-indulgent "what have I done with my life in the past year" reflection since I was too busy with preparing for the wedding, dealing with family and all the fun drama that comes with the extended family of soon-to-be-in-laws.
There was a relaxing day at the spa Thursday morning/afternoon, the rehearsal, followed by the dinner, and then the set-up of the room. Remember the faux cherry blossoms and orchids I picked up in Chinatown? Here they are the night before the big day:
You can't really tell in the photo but the tall vases are flanked by shorter ones with a faux cymbidium orchid at the bottom. These were filled with water and a floating candle. There were also 6 votives atop the mirrored square so with the lights down, there was a lovely glow from the candlelight - and everyone looks better in candlelight! I was off taking photos with the bridal party so don't have any photos of the vision realized. It looked lovely though!
These urns sat atop Roman-esque pillars that framed the happy couple as they took their vows. We re-purposed them after the ceremony for the guest book and you can see too our bouquets on the table, which turned out quite nicely thanks to Blossoms 'n Such in Parksville.
And then the cake - M was all for the cherry blossom design which wasn't exactly as in the photo sent but close enough that they were very happy with it. There's a layer each of chocolate and vanilla with a fake layer on the bottom since they had their heart set on a 3-tier cake.
There was a relaxing day at the spa Thursday morning/afternoon, the rehearsal, followed by the dinner, and then the set-up of the room. Remember the faux cherry blossoms and orchids I picked up in Chinatown? Here they are the night before the big day:
These urns sat atop Roman-esque pillars that framed the happy couple as they took their vows. We re-purposed them after the ceremony for the guest book and you can see too our bouquets on the table, which turned out quite nicely thanks to Blossoms 'n Such in Parksville. And then the cake - M was all for the cherry blossom design which wasn't exactly as in the photo sent but close enough that they were very happy with it. There's a layer each of chocolate and vanilla with a fake layer on the bottom since they had their heart set on a 3-tier cake.
Sunday, September 05, 2010
J. Crew wish list
Finally flipped through the latest J. Crew catalog and fell for the Tretorn Flannel kicks below, which led me to the website with the though of buying them. Unfortunately, only 11s are left.
This didn't stop me from browsing though and now I've got my eye on this gorgeous necklace and the luscious leather Brompton purse. Lovely as they are, they're not nearly as compelling as the sneaks.
This didn't stop me from browsing though and now I've got my eye on this gorgeous necklace and the luscious leather Brompton purse. Lovely as they are, they're not nearly as compelling as the sneaks.
One Day
I finished David Nicholls' One Day this afternoon. This was another recommendation by Lainey - you can read her review here - and it's really that good.
If you've already read the book, you'll understand why I was all "WTF?!?" at the end of Part Four and frustrated and crying through Part Five.
Actually, much of this book was frustrating, not because of the writing - no - the writing was beyond solid, but because the characters were so real. There were various times that I wished I could step into the book, grab hold of Emma and Dexter's shoulders and just shake them and tell them: "Snap out of it! Why are you doing this? Can't you see what's right in front of your faces?!?" Dexter especially!
I've said enough because if I say anymore, it may just spoil the story for you. Go. Read it.
‘I can imagine you at forty,’ she said, a hint of malice in her voice. ‘I can picture it right now.’
He smiled without opening his eyes. ‘Go on then.’
15th July 1988. Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.
So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year which follows?
One Day is a funny/sad love story spanning twenty years, a book about growing up – how we change, how we stay the same.
If you've already read the book, you'll understand why I was all "WTF?!?" at the end of Part Four and frustrated and crying through Part Five.
Actually, much of this book was frustrating, not because of the writing - no - the writing was beyond solid, but because the characters were so real. There were various times that I wished I could step into the book, grab hold of Emma and Dexter's shoulders and just shake them and tell them: "Snap out of it! Why are you doing this? Can't you see what's right in front of your faces?!?" Dexter especially!
I've said enough because if I say anymore, it may just spoil the story for you. Go. Read it.
~~~
From the wesbite:‘I can imagine you at forty,’ she said, a hint of malice in her voice. ‘I can picture it right now.’
He smiled without opening his eyes. ‘Go on then.’
15th July 1988. Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.
So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year which follows?
One Day is a funny/sad love story spanning twenty years, a book about growing up – how we change, how we stay the same.
~~~
The movie version starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess is currently in production and there's a part of me that's really, really scared that it's going to pale in comparison to the book...but the screenplay is also written by David Nicholls so perhaps not...
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Everything Is Illuminated
I remember how amused and excited I was by the language of the novel when I first started: the story unfolds in the broken English of Sasha, the Ukranian who accompanies Jonathan on his "premium" but "rigid" quest to find Augustine, the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis.
But as time progressed, I began to find it rather gimmicky and contrived - OK, and maybe a little annoying, because of my general impatience with poorly written English.
Not for me this one, but I persevered and finished it given all the rave reviews. On to the next novel...which I think will be One Day, another Lainey reco. I need a break from WWII-era novels.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Life on a Refrigerator Door
I first took notice of Alice Kuipers' Life on a Refrigerator Door after reading Lainey's review 3(!) years ago. I finally picked it up in my last Chapters/Indigo order and it really was a super-fast read. You could most certainly finish it in one sitting, although I spread it out over 2.It was good, although I found myself rather annoyed with the daughter because of how self-absorbed she seemed. When my father was home sick, I made sure I was home to spend time with him - granted I was 9 and not 15 like the daughter, so didn't have a social life to speak of.
I also found the notes to be a bit contrived as the very short book neared its end...not exactly a good thing considering its brevity.
Friday, August 27, 2010
iPhone 4 vs. Galaxy S
I thought I wanted the iPhone 4 but then my brother opened my eyes to the Galaxy S by directing me to this YouTube hands-on face-off and now I'm second-guessing myself.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Home is where the heart is
When people ask me what I'm doing for the weekend, I sometimes say "I'm going home," with the implication being my mom's house and even my mom gets confused because we'll be on the phone and she'll ask me where I am, or what I'm up to, and depending on the context, I may say, "I'm on my way home," and she'll have to ask for clarification. Anyway - all this to say that I'm still very much invested in my childhood home.
My mom recently had an energy audit done of our house and one of the things identified for improvement was the front door...so we're getting a new front door! My mom has no real interest in decor and design so I can't begin to tell you how much fun I've had in picking a style and finish let alone the options available for handlesets and levers!
After going back and forth a few times, I finally decided on the Rockland style to the left here by Masonite which will be flanked by matching side lites. The door to the left isn't the exact style since I've chosen a 2-panel door, i.e the the main lite or decorative panel is one and the 2 panels at the bottom would be one.
Our door is currently a clear-stained wood door - possibly oak - and I had wanted to go with a coloured door but I finally settled on white after driving around our neighbourhood and noticing that white doors really stand out. Our house is a reddish-brown brick and because we have a storm door enclosure, the main entrance is relatively dark - particularly at night. My thought is that the white will be the bright beacon and the glass insert the decorative sparkle.
While I've followed the trend of a white door, I opted to go with a glass insert that was more Art Deco than Art Nouveau-Victorian in style like the ones below. These would have been perfectly fine, except that they're rather ubiquitous in our neighbourhood.
For the handleset and lever, I initially chose Camelot (left) because I liked how the curved detail of the lock and handle echoed that in the glass insert, but then I changed my mind because I didn't like the bump where the lever of the handle sits. So I set my sights on Paris (middle) for the same reasons as Camelot, minus the bump but on second thought, decided that the handle lever looked wimpy and probably wouldn't feel comfortable to touch. I finally settled on Barcelona (right) because it has the clean, smooth face of Paris and a more substantial lever similar to Camelot.
What do you think?
Next on my list of to-dos is a visit to Olympia Tile to choose a tile for our storm enclosure...can't wait!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Repossi Cuff
Can we please all just pause in wonder at the beauty that is this gorgeous cuff by Repossi??
OK.
I'm done.
I'm done.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Sunpan Imports
Have I mentioned how much I love Sunpan Imports? If not, I do. I paired my Ikea Tulip knock-off with their Vintage dining chairs in linen and have their now discontinued Zoey occasional chair in my living area.
And even though I'm done furnishing my place and have no reason to really stop by, I can't help myself. A girl can daydream and they've got some fantastic new additions to their catalogue. Seriously - check these out!
How many of you love Crate and Barrel's Colette bed? Doesn't SI's San Carlos bed look strangely familiar?
This modern wing-back chair, along with the height of this wing-back upholstered bed makes me giddy!
This glamorous bench would be perfect at the end of a bed or in a dressing room and I love the clean lines and shiny chrome of this desk.
Nail-head trim is ubiquitous but I don't care - I love the subtle metallic gleam it gives off particularly when applied to furniture that's feminine as in the curvy arms and skirt of the Cameron sofa on the left, or luxe as in the velvet-y cushiness of the Cathedral sofa on the right.
All these gorgeous goodies make me wish I could move and start all over again!
And even though I'm done furnishing my place and have no reason to really stop by, I can't help myself. A girl can daydream and they've got some fantastic new additions to their catalogue. Seriously - check these out!
How many of you love Crate and Barrel's Colette bed? Doesn't SI's San Carlos bed look strangely familiar?
This modern wing-back chair, along with the height of this wing-back upholstered bed makes me giddy!
This glamorous bench would be perfect at the end of a bed or in a dressing room and I love the clean lines and shiny chrome of this desk.
Finally, for storage, there's the Carvaggio Audio/Video stand with it's wavy facade and the mod/retro feel of their Snake bookcase.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Serendipity
ser-en-dip-i-ty [ser-uh n-dip-i-tee] – noun1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.
2. good fortune; luck: the serendipity of getting the first job she applied for.
I walked home after work today through Chinatown today to pick up faux cherry blossoms as part of the wedding centrepiece. The original orchid theme tweaked to include cherry blossoms because M had his heart set on this wedding cake.
I'd spied them last Friday in a store on Dundas and went back for them but the shop owner was on vacation which was fine, except they didn't have enough in stock - I needed about 40 - and the shop girls couldn't help me so I'd have to wait until Friday when the shop owner was back.
Mildly disappointed, I headed on home....except I didn't go straight home. I was searching for pretty chopsticks to give away as bombonieres and stumbled onto an even better option for the cherry blossoms then the first! And they were cheaper!! While they were twice as expensive a branch, they were fuller so I needed only 11. Ooh, and the great thing about Chinatown is oftentimes, if you pay cash, they'll give you a discount, aka, no tax.
Everything's all coming together! My sister just confirmed the cake design and order and I've got my quotes for the fresh bridal flowers to review and we're well on our way!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Girly Friday
I wouldn't normally go out and buy 2 dresses all at once but I've got 2 weddings coming up so that's my justification for the splurge.
I spent the rest of the afternoon being pampered at Novo Spa where I indulged in an hour-long massage and mani-pedi - the last of which was the best part because you sit in a multi-functional massage chair while getting your toes done. HEAVEN! Oh, and the mint-y chocolate mousse foot mask which smelled yummy and made me hungry! Everything smelled yummy, actually...there was an algae mint foot scrub, a vanilla-coconut oil sugar hand scrub and a mango-coconut hand lotion that left me smelling like a pina colada. S and I have decided to go back on the regular just for the pedi!
One thing led to another
I started thinking about getting a passport cover early this year. Why? Maybe boredom. I don't know. But I started thinking about it again to distract myself from thinking about a vacation destination.
Here's my dilemma: I have 4 weeks of vacation still to be booked and more than enough miles for a free flight somewhere, except that there are no flights available to be booked. Plus I want to spend as little cash as possible on the travel. So what to do? I distract myself with travel-related accessories, beginning with Smythson of Bond St, where I found the brilliant red passport holder below and the happy yellow slim travel wallet from their Mimosa Collection. I love the idea that the passport cover is removable.
The drawback? The slim travel wallet is GBP 315! A very pretty penny!
A quick google search served up Aspinal of London where I found the Lindberg Travel Wallet. It's similar in style to the yellow Smythson with the addition of a pen loop which would be very handy since the last time I was in Brazil, I found myself without a pen to fill out the obligatory entry paperwork. Oh, and it's about half the price at $225!
Something to think about.
Here's my dilemma: I have 4 weeks of vacation still to be booked and more than enough miles for a free flight somewhere, except that there are no flights available to be booked. Plus I want to spend as little cash as possible on the travel. So what to do? I distract myself with travel-related accessories, beginning with Smythson of Bond St, where I found the brilliant red passport holder below and the happy yellow slim travel wallet from their Mimosa Collection. I love the idea that the passport cover is removable.
The drawback? The slim travel wallet is GBP 315! A very pretty penny!
 |
Something to think about.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
24%!!
I trained tonight but in advance of that, I had a body composition reading and a fitness assessment, all part of a status check.
The awesome news is that I'm down 11% in total body fat from when I started training just over 11 months ago! Yippee-ki-yay! All those protein days during my burn phase totally paid off because it was during this phase that I dropped 7% to the 23.8% that I am today. Now, I haven't lost a ton of weight - less than 10lbs - but I'm OK with that because lean muscle is denser than fat and I can feel the difference in my clothes.
Plus I'm so much stronger than I once was! I had 3 personal bests yesterday: I deadlifted 135lbs, the leg extension machine was loaded up with 170lbs and K brought back the hateful farmer's walk which I did with much glaring and silent cursing lugging 75lbs dumbbells - up 15lbs from my first and last walk.
So, what's next in terms of goals? According to the chart to the right, I was "At Risk" when I first started but I've since dropped down to "Fitness." The goal now is to cycle through another build and burn phase to sculpt myself into an "Athlete" with ~ 17% body fat.
Now, if you knew me at all, you'd know that I am no Athlete. My hand-eye co-ordination sucks eggs. I was a flute soloist in my high school band and yearbook editor-in-chief for goodness sake! How stereotypically non-Athlete could I be? But that's the goal. And I'm rather looking forward to it! :)
The awesome news is that I'm down 11% in total body fat from when I started training just over 11 months ago! Yippee-ki-yay! All those protein days during my burn phase totally paid off because it was during this phase that I dropped 7% to the 23.8% that I am today. Now, I haven't lost a ton of weight - less than 10lbs - but I'm OK with that because lean muscle is denser than fat and I can feel the difference in my clothes. Plus I'm so much stronger than I once was! I had 3 personal bests yesterday: I deadlifted 135lbs, the leg extension machine was loaded up with 170lbs and K brought back the hateful farmer's walk which I did with much glaring and silent cursing lugging 75lbs dumbbells - up 15lbs from my first and last walk.
Now, if you knew me at all, you'd know that I am no Athlete. My hand-eye co-ordination sucks eggs. I was a flute soloist in my high school band and yearbook editor-in-chief for goodness sake! How stereotypically non-Athlete could I be? But that's the goal. And I'm rather looking forward to it! :)
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Wedding Flowers
My sister's wedding is just over a month away and she has no idea what she wants to do when it comes to flowers. She has a vague idea of tossing flower petals over a mirrored glass top on her dining table with a few scattered tealights and calling it a day on the centrepiece. Now, I know it's not a big wedding - just 20 people maybe - but still. It's just too spare and, um, sad. I want my sister to look back on her wedding pictures and remember it as beautiful. So we browsed online yesterday for flower ideas.
My brainstorm today, sparked by this image here on Martha Stewart Weddings led to this:
What do you think?
My brainstorm today, sparked by this image here on Martha Stewart Weddings led to this:
What do you think?
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Sleek & Cozy
I love the look of Danish designer Finn Juhl's Poet Sofa - it's sleek and cozy at the same time with it's clean, spare lines and arms that seem to hug you:
Bright Chair Company's Lorae sofa seems to have been inspired by a similar aesthetic:
Both make me want to curl up with a book and a throw, if only it wasn't so warm out!
Bright Chair Company's Lorae sofa seems to have been inspired by a similar aesthetic:
Friday, July 30, 2010
MAN UP!
I worked out at the gym this morning with my trainer who told me about one of his male clients who cried - cried! - at the end of their session yesterday.
Said client's been lazy with the cardio which K makes all his clients do on their own after the 1-hr session. I don't think 20 minutes is much to ask post-session, even though I skip it sometimes when I've got a pile of work waiting for me at home. Back to sissy-boy though - K cut their regular session short by 15 minutes and walked him over to the treadmill for some cardio and sissy-boy came up with every excuse in the book, finally resorting to tears. TEARS! Seriously?!?
I'd get mad first before I cried at the gym, but that's just me.
Said client's been lazy with the cardio which K makes all his clients do on their own after the 1-hr session. I don't think 20 minutes is much to ask post-session, even though I skip it sometimes when I've got a pile of work waiting for me at home. Back to sissy-boy though - K cut their regular session short by 15 minutes and walked him over to the treadmill for some cardio and sissy-boy came up with every excuse in the book, finally resorting to tears. TEARS! Seriously?!?
I'd get mad first before I cried at the gym, but that's just me.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sadness
I realize that times, they are a'changin', and electronic copies are more cost-effective and a greener alternative to printed copies and maybe I'm a bit of a luddite having written papers in university using hard copies of, among other references, the Canadian Periodical Index but it's just not the same - at least not for me. (How's that for a run-on sentence?)
See, the thing about reference books I like is that the information is there to be found all in one place and it's not going to change - or at least it'll be the same until the next edition comes out. And let's not forget easy cross-referencing. On the internet though, you take your chances that your search will serve up just the right results. Information is pushed out rather than pulled by you and maybe, at the end of the day, I'm just old. Or tired.
So, good night.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Piglet!
I'm happy to report that taking care of her was a breeze. Granted, there was a lot of Dora and dinner was a little later than normal but she still ate, we had fun at bath time and though she's a bit of a Goldilocks when it comes to her bedtime bottle - my brother's first try was too cold, my redux was too hot and finally, it was just right - she settled into bed with no crying for her mommy. I turned the light off, closed the door and the only sound from the baby monitor minutes later is deep breathing.
I ROCK!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
About Alice
Anyway, I had never heard of Calvin Trillin having never read The New Yorker where he's a staff writer. About Alice is a short volume that reads like a funny, anecdotal love letter he wrote in memory of his wife Alice, who he adored. She died in 2001 waiting for a heart transplant after 25 years of battling lung cancer.
This is a lovely story that can be read in one sitting. I was so inspired by how Trillin recounts their relationship that I'm rather curious to search out some of his previous efforts to learn more, including Alice, Let's Eat.
The photo to the left of Alice and Calvin Trillin is from the book's back cover. From the dust jacket:
In Calvin Trillin's antic tales of family life, Alice was portrayed as the wife who had "a weird predilection for limiting our family to three meals a day" and the mother who thought that if you didn't go to every performance of your child's school play, "the county will come and take the child." Now, five years after her death, her husband offers this loving portrait of Alice Trillin off the page - an educator who was equally at home teaching at a university or a drug treatment center, a gifted writer, a stunningly beautiful and thoroughly engaged woman who, in the words of a friend, managed to "navigate the tricky waters between living a life you could be proud of and sill delighting in the many things there are to take pleasure in."
Though it deals with devestating loss, About Alice is a love story, chronicaling a romance that began at a Manhattan party when Calvin Trillin desperately tried to impress a young woman who "seemed to glow."
"You have never again been as funny as you were that night," Alice would say, twenty or thirty years later.
"You mean I picked in December of 1963?"
"I'm afraid so."
Monday, July 12, 2010
Kitchen Chinese
It was an easy read with a main character that, in hindsight, I completely identified with because she was so very insecure about herself when it came to her professional life. The romantic ending was a bit of a stretch for me but it was nevertheless good.
I read the interview with the author at the end of the book, and that's when I learned that Ann Mah is the daughter of Adeline Yen Mah, who's autobiography, Falling Leaves, I first read in university. Her story, along with Wild Swans by Jung Chang, which I read for a History class, was what got me hooked into non/fiction about the Chinese experience. On the one hand, I want to learn about my cultural history, but on the other, I really appreciate reading stories about characters that I can relate to and even identify with on a very personal level. A quick check of my bookcase for Falling Leaves reminds me that I lent it out to I don't remember who, who never returned it! Grrr! Same thing happened with Accidental Asian, which I lent to my friend WL, who had it forever, and possibly gave it to SA who was waiting to read it, and that's when I lost track of it. So annoying!
From the back cover:
Isabelle Lee thinks she knows everything about Chinese cuisine. After all, during her Chinese-American childhood, she ate it every day. Isabelle ma speak only "kitchen Chinese" - the familial chatter learned at her mother's knee - but she understands the language of food. Now, in the wake of a career-ending catastrophe, she's ready for a change - so she takes off for Beijing to stay with her older sister, Claire, whom she's never really known, and finds a job writing restaurant reviews for an expat magazine. In the midst of her extreme culture shock, and the more she comes to learn about her sister's own secrets, Isabelle can't help but wonder whether coming to China was a mistake...or an extraordinary chance to find out who she really is.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Perfect Weekend
After the steamy discomfort of the past week, this weekend has been perfect - sunny, warm and relaxing.
I haven't been up to much beyond reading, eating, sleeping and a couple loads of laundry. I had S&W over for dinner last night after failing to get last-minute Summerlicious reservations at Celestin (scallop ceviche and lobster lemon risotto? C'MON!) I had loads of limes left over from the caipirsakes I made last Saturday and my basil plant looked ripe for some harvesting so I browsed Epicurious - my go-to website for some refreshing summer recipes.
Our al fresco evening started with glasses of Stonechurch Vineyard's Syrah Rose and my new favourite salad, mango-radicchio caprese salad with basil vinaigrette. The sweetness of the mangoes and white balsamic vinegar tempered the slight bitterness of the radicchio, nevermind how colourful it is! (I had it again for lunch today, which is what you see below)
The fragrant yumminess of steaks grilled by my neighbours permeated the air yesterday, and even W, a long-time pescaterian was tempted so I'm due at their place later for a BBQ. More eating! And no working! A girl can get used to not working on weekends!
I haven't been up to much beyond reading, eating, sleeping and a couple loads of laundry. I had S&W over for dinner last night after failing to get last-minute Summerlicious reservations at Celestin (scallop ceviche and lobster lemon risotto? C'MON!) I had loads of limes left over from the caipirsakes I made last Saturday and my basil plant looked ripe for some harvesting so I browsed Epicurious - my go-to website for some refreshing summer recipes.
Our al fresco evening started with glasses of Stonechurch Vineyard's Syrah Rose and my new favourite salad, mango-radicchio caprese salad with basil vinaigrette. The sweetness of the mangoes and white balsamic vinegar tempered the slight bitterness of the radicchio, nevermind how colourful it is! (I had it again for lunch today, which is what you see below)
For mains, I grilled up some salmon steaks which I topped with lime butter sauce and paired with another past favourite, arugula salad with lemon-parm vinaigrette. This we had with another bottle I picked up from Stonechurch last weekend - their 2008 Riesling. I wish I had gotten more than one, but fingers crossed, I'll see it at the LCBO soon.
I woke up a little earlier than I would have liked this morning before 10 and lazed about before making myself a stack of pancakes spiked with vanilla protein. As an added treat, I added some frozen mixed berries to a pot of simmering maple syrup and soaked in some sun out on my balcony.
The fragrant yumminess of steaks grilled by my neighbours permeated the air yesterday, and even W, a long-time pescaterian was tempted so I'm due at their place later for a BBQ. More eating! And no working! A girl can get used to not working on weekends!
Sunday, July 04, 2010
R & R
It was a 4-day weekend for me and I did not ONCE check my work email. The thought had crossed my mind a few times, like every time my cursor hovers over the link to webmail which is in my bookmarks toolbar. But I resisted. So proud of myself. :)
The last couple days have been pretty stress-free - I had the tasting menu for lunch at La Cachette, the restaurant at Strewn Winery, and even managed to squeeze in a few tastings at Stonechurch and Palatine Hills.
The last couple days have been pretty stress-free - I had the tasting menu for lunch at La Cachette, the restaurant at Strewn Winery, and even managed to squeeze in a few tastings at Stonechurch and Palatine Hills.
Clockwise from top left: Baby Spinach with Bacon, Benedictin Bleu & Croutons; Saute of Shrimp with Pernod Cream & Pink Peppercorns; Brome Lake Duck Confit with Molasses & Chili Pepper Gastrique and Orange Lavender Creme Brulee
I didn't think there would be time for tastings since I was due back in Toronto for a Chinese family association dinner with my mother but the sign here says it all:
All told, I came home this weekend with 14 bottles - 9 of which I picked up at the vineyards and the others at the LCBO. The cross-border shopping coupled with my booze binge made for a a very, very expensive weekend.
My last work-free day started with a bit of a hangover after last night's condo crawl. I managed to make it back into my place after 4am, guzzled some Gatordade, showered and fell into bed, waking up too early this morning around 10. I suppose the upside to waking up at that hour is that Mickey D's was still serving breakfast so my post-drink-up cure of a sausage'n'egg mcmuffin was readily available. And was it ever good in all its greasy glory!
I wish this break could be a couple days longer but such is life. I'm well-rested and chilled out and (mostly) ready to take on Monday now. Bring it on!
Friday, July 02, 2010
Retail Therapy
I've been working my ass off the last few weeks - so much so that I got sick and had to see a physiotherapist because I strained right wrist with too much mouse-work. Lame, right? Anyway, I drove across the Peace Bridget to Buffalo for a day of shopping at the Walden Galleria and Target. There was a great sale at Loft - 40% off all regular priced items and an additional 50% off sale items so I picked up a couple dresses including the one-shouldered number below which I'm going to wear to my sister's wedding. The rest of my big haul included 2 pairs of pants, a skirt, 3 tops including J. Crew's sequin necklace tank below and a silk-flower embellished cardi, a scarf, a couple pairs of shoes and miscellaneous stuff like pretty picture frames.
I had some time to kill while N was at rowing practice so I hung out at Chapters and caught up on the latest fashion mags. A browse through the sales stacks unearthed a couple Penguin clothbound Classics that are no longer available online on Chapters including Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Cranford, so I snapped them up.
All in all, it was a very satisfying day. Now I'm off for dinner at Treadwell's which I'm super-excited about! :)
All in all, it was a very satisfying day. Now I'm off for dinner at Treadwell's which I'm super-excited about! :)
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Rationalizing
I got a piece of mail from Rogers, my cable and internet provider this week announcing changes to their cable pricing. Normally I just toss these into my recycling but I've been reading Money Sense so fiscal responsibility is top of mind. I thought about the TV that I actually watch - none of which lately include the specialty channels I've been paying a premium for so I called and downgraded my package, which saved me $30 a month.
Next on my list was my internet usage. I've been paying for 60GB of usage a month when my history for the last 6 months shows an average of about 5GB per month. Stupid, right? I'm actually rather annoyed at myself for throwing my money away but no more! The 20 minutes I just spent on the phone with the customer service rep will save me almost $500 a year! So, yay for saving money!
Next on my list was my internet usage. I've been paying for 60GB of usage a month when my history for the last 6 months shows an average of about 5GB per month. Stupid, right? I'm actually rather annoyed at myself for throwing my money away but no more! The 20 minutes I just spent on the phone with the customer service rep will save me almost $500 a year! So, yay for saving money!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Friday in Sao Paulo
It’s Valentine’s weekend in Brazil and I came back to my room at the Intercontiental to find roses waiting for me. Lovely, right?
The best thing about the Intercon, besides the comfortable bed and pillows is L’Occitane’s Verbena line of toiletries. My favourite scent! I’ve tucked away the little bottles every night before going to bed and when I come back to my room the next evening, there are new bottles waiting for me.
Anyway – this trip to SP has been muito otimo (very awesome), despite the usual intensity of traveling with senior execs because I’ve a colleague, J, from Toronto who’s here part-time that I’ve really bonded with. The execs left yesterday afternoon and I’m now able to get down to the work I was meant to do on this trip. I spent the day in the office and we called it a night around 7pm and spent the next 4 hours at a local pub for “happy hour.” I ordered a caipirhinia followed by a couple caipirsakes which are far smoother then the former. A Caipirsake is apparently unique to Sao Paulo and is a caipirhinia with the cachaca swapped out for sake which results in a drink that taste like limeade. YUM!
We ordered a fantastic carpaccio pizza and stewed beef 2 ways – one flavoured with gorgonzola and the other with mustard – and had a fantastic time. There was a lot of talk about work, but also about life.
J has raved about how generous and open all the Brazilians have been towards her – from our partners here and how open they’ve been in taking care and seeing that she’s felt welcome to the cab drivers who’ve given her a discount on her fare because her ride took longer than it should have because of construction which is clearly beyond their control. After tonight, I can attest to kindness of the cabbies myself. I don’t know any Portuguese so it was a very silent ride but my cabbie was attentive enough to notice my interest in all the furniture and home décor shops on the street we were driving down so he turned on the light when I pulled out a pen and paper to write down the street name. He said something to me in Portuguese – I didn’t understand precisely, but I know it was a comment on the concentration of shops, so when he wrote out my receipt for me, he turned it over and added something extra, and the something extra was “Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, Lojas,” the street name. How sweet is that? I left the cab smiling.
Meanwhile I’m crazy-itchy. Mosquitoes have feasted on me – my left side in particular since I’ve a bite on my elbow and not one, not two but THREE bites on my the lower half of my leg. Plus I’m allergic so they’re super-swollen. UGH!
Anyway – this trip to SP has been muito otimo (very awesome), despite the usual intensity of traveling with senior execs because I’ve a colleague, J, from Toronto who’s here part-time that I’ve really bonded with. The execs left yesterday afternoon and I’m now able to get down to the work I was meant to do on this trip. I spent the day in the office and we called it a night around 7pm and spent the next 4 hours at a local pub for “happy hour.” I ordered a caipirhinia followed by a couple caipirsakes which are far smoother then the former. A Caipirsake is apparently unique to Sao Paulo and is a caipirhinia with the cachaca swapped out for sake which results in a drink that taste like limeade. YUM!
We ordered a fantastic carpaccio pizza and stewed beef 2 ways – one flavoured with gorgonzola and the other with mustard – and had a fantastic time. There was a lot of talk about work, but also about life.
J has raved about how generous and open all the Brazilians have been towards her – from our partners here and how open they’ve been in taking care and seeing that she’s felt welcome to the cab drivers who’ve given her a discount on her fare because her ride took longer than it should have because of construction which is clearly beyond their control. After tonight, I can attest to kindness of the cabbies myself. I don’t know any Portuguese so it was a very silent ride but my cabbie was attentive enough to notice my interest in all the furniture and home décor shops on the street we were driving down so he turned on the light when I pulled out a pen and paper to write down the street name. He said something to me in Portuguese – I didn’t understand precisely, but I know it was a comment on the concentration of shops, so when he wrote out my receipt for me, he turned it over and added something extra, and the something extra was “Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, Lojas,” the street name. How sweet is that? I left the cab smiling.
Meanwhile I’m crazy-itchy. Mosquitoes have feasted on me – my left side in particular since I’ve a bite on my elbow and not one, not two but THREE bites on my the lower half of my leg. Plus I’m allergic so they’re super-swollen. UGH!
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Heading back to SP
I've been working much of this weekend in preparation for a business trip back to Sao Paulo. I leave tomorrow night with 4 others but instead of returning before the weekend as I have the 2 other times I've been, I fly home Sunday night! This means I'll finally have my chance to see the city beyond my hotel, the offices and the restaurants our partners take us to for dinner in the evenings.
I will be spending the weekend with another colleague from Toronto who will be staying for an extra week thereafter. We'll be there for the kick-off to the World Cup so there's bound to be lots of festivities in soccer- (or should I say football?) mad Brazil. Ooh! And maybe I'll go shopping! I don't know what the big tourist attractions are in Sao Paulo. I know there are football stadiums and a public park comparable to Central Park....and there's a fancy mall with a really cool bookstore that I want to see. Other than that, I'm just going to go with the flow.
I'm already planning my wardrobe for the week ahead so I don't over-pack! Now, back to work!
I'm already planning my wardrobe for the week ahead so I don't over-pack! Now, back to work!
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Skinny Minnie
I've been working with a personal trainer now for 9 months and have seen significant results. Pants that used to fit are now saggy in the butt and hang loose off my hips, but on the plus side, I'm shopping my old wardrobe, now able to fit into pants that had grown too tight over the last few years, and shirts that made my muffin top all too apparent. How thrilling is that?!
You know what's even more awesome? I'm actually wearing belted skirts with my top tucked in! I don't think I've EVER done that before in my life - at least not with a measure of confidence!!
Despite how proud I am of my leaner self, I'm rather embarrassed by the attention it's garnering. It's not that I haven't been transparent about my efforts. I've talked openly about my workouts and the changes I've made to my diet including the days I go low-carb/high-protein now that I'm in burn, so I should be happy that people are noticing. But when my manager says, in the middle of a conversation, "Check out the pipes on this girl!" I squirm. If I was a guy, I'd probably flex my arm in response just to show it off but instead I feel self-conscious. And when another manager callls me a Skinny Minnie and my colleagues comment on how great I look, I feel uncomfortable because of the attention.
I know I should get over it, turn it around and be proud because I've worked so hard for these results. But changing one's self-image takes time. Not to say that my self-image was horrible before. I know I sound like an ass when I say this but I know I'm pretty, and have even been called beautiful on occasion, though not usually cute, which is fair because I'm far too serious to be considered cute. (I know, I'm an ass, but please, indulge me here.) Yet I've never had the stereotypical thin Asian girl body. I take after my decidedly pear-shaped aunt so have always been self-conscious about that, always comparing myself to other Asian girls.
I know I will never be a skinny Asian girl - my hips will always be curvier and my bosom will always be, um, shall we say, modest, but I can learn to revel in the strength of my body. I can do straight leg deadlifts and one arm rows with 65lb dumb bells and 100lb bar squats; I can even do real push-ups - 2 sets of 15, no less! - and I don't look like a butch. I made it very clear to my trainer that I didn't want to look butchy. How many skinny Asian girls can say the same?
You know what's even more awesome? I'm actually wearing belted skirts with my top tucked in! I don't think I've EVER done that before in my life - at least not with a measure of confidence!!
Despite how proud I am of my leaner self, I'm rather embarrassed by the attention it's garnering. It's not that I haven't been transparent about my efforts. I've talked openly about my workouts and the changes I've made to my diet including the days I go low-carb/high-protein now that I'm in burn, so I should be happy that people are noticing. But when my manager says, in the middle of a conversation, "Check out the pipes on this girl!" I squirm. If I was a guy, I'd probably flex my arm in response just to show it off but instead I feel self-conscious. And when another manager callls me a Skinny Minnie and my colleagues comment on how great I look, I feel uncomfortable because of the attention.
I know I should get over it, turn it around and be proud because I've worked so hard for these results. But changing one's self-image takes time. Not to say that my self-image was horrible before. I know I sound like an ass when I say this but I know I'm pretty, and have even been called beautiful on occasion, though not usually cute, which is fair because I'm far too serious to be considered cute. (I know, I'm an ass, but please, indulge me here.) Yet I've never had the stereotypical thin Asian girl body. I take after my decidedly pear-shaped aunt so have always been self-conscious about that, always comparing myself to other Asian girls.
I know I will never be a skinny Asian girl - my hips will always be curvier and my bosom will always be, um, shall we say, modest, but I can learn to revel in the strength of my body. I can do straight leg deadlifts and one arm rows with 65lb dumb bells and 100lb bar squats; I can even do real push-ups - 2 sets of 15, no less! - and I don't look like a butch. I made it very clear to my trainer that I didn't want to look butchy. How many skinny Asian girls can say the same?
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