I picked up Chris Cleave's Little Bee at a Target in Washington state when I visited my sister in Vancouver last month and finished it early this morning.
It was a really good read since it was engaging and enlightening. For example, I didn't know anything about the conflicts in Nigeria over oil, nor did I know much about immigration in Britain. The ending seemed a little rushed though.
I don't want to spoil the story so I'll just reiterate the spare description on the back cover:
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 your friends about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens. The magic is how the story unfolds.
It's a working weekend for me. I spent a few hours in the office this afternoon and then made myself a yummy healthy dinner of baked salmon with black bean salsa and quick corn saute. The meal's a quick and easy recipe out of Clean Eating magazine. I got a subscription with my personal training package and had been meaning to try a recipe out of it forever now. So glad I did because it was so tasty!
I got my hair cut this morning and got bangs! Honest to goodness bangs, which was a spontaneous decision on my part after flipping through May's Cosmo while I was waiting and happening upon a picture of Jessica Alba with bangs. It was time for a change.
I'm not yet sure how I feel about having hair on my forehead - it'll take some getting used to. The next test is to style them myself which may be tricky but we'll see. I'm comforted by the speed at which my hair grows though so if I decide I hate them, then it'll just be irksome for a couple months.
Anyway, my appointment ended with 30 minutes left on my parking meter so I decided to drop by Anthropologie for a quick browse and left with this pretty top, as well as a couple others that were on sale.
I found out last Thursday afternoon that I would be flying back to Sao Paulo Sunday night to spend a day and a half in meetings before leaving Tuesday evening to return to Toronto. Given that it's a 10+ hour flight one-way, I was gone for 3 nights - 2 of which were spent in-flight.
Now, I never really imagined that I would be jetting off at such short notice - I used to think that it sounded rather glamorous but it's not really....although I must admit that I did enjoy flying Executive Class to and fro.
It was the same crew on the plane for both flights and the attendants remembered me which was rather nice. I got my champagne at the start of the flight and my port with dessert. Yum. I shouldn't have given my training and diet but I decided to throw caution to the wind and indulge because when next I fly on my own dime, there certainly won't be a choice of wines with my choice of entrees for the in-flight meal!
We landed around 5:30AM and after cabbing it home, I unpacked and took an hour-long nap to make up for the very light sleep I had on the plane - despite ear plugs, the roar of the engines is deafeningly loud. I managed to haul my butt into the office around 9:15 and then spent a fairly productive day, though I hit the wall around 3:30. I stuck it out until 6:30 though and was rather proud of myself for that. I don't know how people who travel regularly for business do it.
Alright then. Time for bed! Early morning meeting tomorrow! G'night.
I first heard of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies from Adrienne over at Bookmark My Heart about a year ago and was reminded of it again late in the year when I read that Natalie Portman was connected to the film adaptation.
R: the original cover, L: the cute post-it I used to cover up the zombie because I'm a chicken and it freaked me out to look at it (no joke.)
I finally got around to reading it and finished it a couple nights ago. Yes, it was campy and fun but I was also annoyed.
Why? First of all, it was poorly copy-edited with the odd transposed word, extraneous article, and "coy pond" on the grounds of Pemberley which should have been a "koi pond." But the absolute worst for me was this glaring factual error in chapter 43:
The housekeeper came; a respectable-looking English woman, dressed in a kimono and shuffling about on bound feet.
For the record, the Japanese never bound their feet so don't go mixing up the "Oriental" cultures - that's just ignorant - never mind that training in China was considered inferior to that in Japan - I'll let that go.
Anyway, despite it all, it was amusing and I'm mostly glad I read it, though I don't think I'll be checking out Quirk Classics' subsequent title, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters:
It was the Easter long weekend and I'm happy to report that I didn't get up to much. It was a short work week with Good Friday off but it seemed like the longest short week ever because I was in meetings for, oh, something like 80% of the time.
The problem with meetings is that there's usually work that comes out of them but because I'm not at my desk to do the work during the day, I have to be there later to do it. Incidentally, my trainer was stricken with the stomach flu all week so going to the gym didn't conflict with work.
Anyway, I spent Friday with my family. It was Qing Ming this weekend so we went to visit my father's grave. After dim sum, I stayed in and watched Season 2 of Bones on DVD while browsing new condo development websites for my brother who is thinking about getting into the real estate market.
Saturday was another day spent loafing. I made it out for a 6.5K run in the morning down by the waterfront after being woken up by my aunt and couldn't get myself to head out again despite the good weather. Typically I'd head out for a stroll along Queen West to browse the shops but since my preliminary tax prep suggests that I actually OWE money this year, I decided to avoid temptation altogether and stay in to watch some more Bones. So begins my spending fast...
Today? Dim sum with my aunt and cousins, grocery shopping with my mom, and then home to chill and prepare for the work week ahead.
I lead quite the exciting life, right?
Here's a pic my sister posted to FB yesterday of Piglet "reading" a book to herself. She never, ever fails to make my smile. I love her chubby little feet. :)
I received the following text from my brother last Wednesday:
I got a new surround sound system for my tv. so you could (sic) have my 5 disc DVD changer with speakers & subwoofer but I need to have your DVD player.
I had to shift things a few inches on either side to make room for the speakers and subwoofer but despite that, I think I got the better end of this deal:
And I know it's irrational but I feel like the upgraded electronics makes my place a little more guy-friendly.
I've begun the "burn" phase of my training which means more reps when it comes to weights and a focus on cardio to "shrink wrap" the muscles that we worked so hard during the "build" phase. It also means dieting of a sort - something I've never really done before. I wasn't sure exactly how to change my diet but as my trainer explains it, it's about cutting corners where I can - so, instead of using non-fat yogurt in my morning fruit protein shake, I substitute water. When I have burger, skip the bun and much of the condiments, etc. Skimping on calories where I can is easier for me to conceptualize then actually dieting. I wouldn't know where to start.
Back to the workouts. I've been walking like I'm a 100 years old the last couple days because my quads and glutes are so sore. Monday night's session was all about squats and lunges and as K said, I've flooded my muscles with lactic acid, and they haven't seen fit to forgive me for that.
To alleviate the tenderness, I decided to take a nice long epsom salt soak tonight. Now, I don't know about you, but I always feel a bit nauseous after a soak and for a long while after my bath, I'm sweating. So, a quick google of "epsom salt baths and nausea" yielded the following diagnosis: I've been overdosing on magnesium sulfate. According to this article, you're supposed to gradually increase the times and amount of epsom salt to avoid symptoms such as nausea, weakness, dizziness, headache and exhaustion.
It says novices should start at 1/4 cup per bath and slowly increase this amount to four cups over time. The time you spent in the bath should also increase gradually beginning with five minutes and working up to no more than 30 minutes. Now, this latter part seems dumb and wasteful to me. If I'm going to go through the trouble of filling my tub full of hot water I'm not going to spend just 5 minutes in it. What's the fun in that? I'll just suck it up and deal with the nausea and sweats.
I just finished reading Shanghai Girls by Lisa See and have to say that while it was just as well researched and told, it wasn't as good as Snow Flower and The Secret Fan, nor Peony in Love. Not to spoil it for anyone who has yet to read it but the book seemed to end in haste and for that reason I was left dissatisfied.
From the backcover:
In 1937 Shanghai - the Paris of Asia - twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree - until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth and that to repay his debts, he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from Los Angeles to find Chinese brides. As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime from the Chinese countryside to the shores of America. Though inseperable best friends, the sisters also harbo(u)r petty jealousies and rivalries. Along the way they make terrible sacrifices, face impossible choices, and confront a devesatating life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are - Shanghai girls.
I've started running outside again in preparation for the Sporting Life 10K held annually on the first Sunday of May. The weather has been fantastic this week and I've done pretty well for myself considering the longest distance I've run is maybe 3K on the treadmill after my workout, which is entirely different from running outside.
The Martin Goodman Trail is my usual haunt as it's 10 minutes from my doorstep. And you know what I've noticed during my last couple runs - both of which have been just over 4+ miles? During the first half of my run heading west, I'm prone to stitches and have to walk a bit since I seem to always be running against the wind. But on my return, with the wind at my back, I'm able to run pretty much non-stop save for the odd traffic light near the end. Weird right? Why is that? I mean, the wind doesn't always blow east right? So why is it that I'm always running against it?
I wonder if the stitches show up at the start because I'm still trying to figure out my pacing and by the time I'm ready to double-back home, I've got my rhythm down and am able to run back comfortably without any real pause. I'll have to see how this running season unfolds...
My sister and I weren't particularly close growing up given the dynamics of being close in age with a widowed working mother who always told me I had to be the responsible one and take care of my younger siblings. To say that we butt heads a lot is an understatement.
I also didn't think that we had very much in common, but I'm coming to learn that we're not as different as I once thought. For one thing, we love the same procedural dramas on TV - and it's not like we ever really watched them together or recommended them to each other either. We discovered the shows independently and only discovered we had them in common afterwards.
Like Bones. And NCIS, and now NCIS: Los Angeles. And Castle! I was wondering what all these shows had in common besides the crime-solving angle, and it's the humour. All of these shows are funny. The characters and their chemistry make for a very enjoyable hour.
And since we're on the topic of TV, I figured I'd come clean and admit how much TV I watch. So aside from the 4 shows above, I also follow: * Glee - can't wait for it to return next month! * The Mentalist - got hooked watching old episodes on Air Canada * Lie to Me - it's back in June! * Fringe - I stopped watching it for a bit because I got scared but have come back to it * FlashForward - I've had a think for Joe Fiennes since Shakespeare in Love * Vampire Diaries - never read either series but this is way better than Twilight in my opinion * The Good Wife - Julianna Margulies rocks...plus I had a crush on Josh Charles when he was in Threesome (Lara Flynn Boyle was so beautiful once upon a time) * How I Met Your Mother - love NPH!
Wow. That's 12 shows! Of course, I also catch a few design shows on HGTV including Pure Design and the latest edition of Sarah's House which just debuted last week! Thank goodness for my PVR! It's worth every penny I spent on it for the time and freedom it's given back to me!
Anyway, here's the promo for the highly-anticipated 100th episode of Bones that brings us back to when Booth and Brennan first met. Can't wait!!!
Came across this post about bedding on Apartment Therapy in my reader and was taken by this image of West Elm's Organic Summer Leaf Duvet & Shams. As my piglet would say, isn't it "pretty pretty"?
I picked up Haruki Murakami's memoir on running in London last Spring and decided it was time to read it as I begin to train for the Sporting Life 10K on May 2nd.
It's a quick read about his psychology as he prepared for various marathons and triathlons and I found it inspiring. I'm rather looking forward to heading out for runs along the lake now!
I finished Zadie Smith's On Beauty last week. I read her critically-acclaimed debut novel, White Teeth, quite a few years ago and remember enjoying it but not really getting what all the hype was about. I get it now.
She has this knack for observation and description that amazes me. There's this one scene in the novel in which the 3 Belsey children bump into each other in Boston and she describes the comfort that comes from familiarity that I totally related to:
They caught up with each other's news casually, leaving long, cosy gaps of silence in which to go to work on their muffins and coffees. Jerome - after two months of having to be witty and brilliant in a strange town among strangers - appreciated the gift of it. People talk about the happy quiet that can exist between two lovers, but this too was great; sitting between his sister and his brother, saying nothing, eating.
I experience this same ease when I'm with my brother and sister. There's no need to fill in the silence. We can sit quietly over a meal and say nothing and it's completely OK. I spent a great week with my sister in Vancouver. We shopped and ate and played with Piglet. And we found her wedding dress at the BCBG outlet so big win there!
(This is totally lame but only just noticed that there's a profile of a woman's head on the cover. It wasn't obvious to me while I read the book but it's completely apparent now in the image.)
The clip of Marianne St. Gelais, 2-time Olympic silver medalist, cheering for her boyfriend, Charles Hamelin, on his way to winning the first of his 2 Olympic gold medals, is remarkable for her enthusiasm and has been replayed a gajillion times by CTV. The best part though, is in the final third, where they run towards each other in a passionate kiss. Hollywood can't script something this good.
Congratulations to our men who closed the deal today after a nail-biter of a gold medal match against Team USA that went into sudden death overtime. Let's do this again (except without the sudden death part) in 4 years, OK?
With this victory, Canada became the "winning-est" country when it comes to gold medal finishes, as well as most golds won by a host country ever at the winter games.
Way to go, Team Canada! The True North Strong and Free!
Well, it was an awesome day for Canada today with the men stepping up their game in a BIG way.
It started with the Men's Team Pursuit in long track speed skating taking gold, followed 5 minutes later by Jasey Jay Anderson in the parallel giant slalom. Our Canada 1 4-men bobsleigh team was denied a silver by one-one-hundredth of a second and missed the top spot by 0.39 seoncds. And then our curlers' kill it with a decisive 6-3 victory win over Norway to make it 3 gold medals.
That's a record for gold medals won by a host country and with the guaranteed medal for Men's Hockey tomorrow, colour TBD, our final medal count is 26, surpassing our all-time best of 24 from Turin 4 years ago.
I haven't blogged at all about the Olympics since they started and there are several reasons for that. Work's been crazy busy as I get ready to square things off before I leave for a week's vacation in Vancouver this Tuesday to visit my sister and Piglet. Because of that, I've been working the nights and through the weekend when I'm not watching the Olympics and training. And then there's the challenge of articulating this unfamiliar patriotic pride and enthusiasm that really only comes around every two years when the Olympics are on.
We Canadians aren't typically rah-rah like our neighbours to the south so it's pretty damn awesome to see the outpourings of Canadian pride. And to have the games in Vancouver? Wow. That just magnifies the awesomeness. (See? Not very articulate.) I love the sea of red and white in all the crowds - HBC really hit the jackpot with their Olympic clothing line. And to see the Maple Leaf raised and to hear an entire arena sing O Canada? It brings sappy, happy tears to my eyes and gives me the chills. Chills, I say.
We're sitting at 21 medals right now - 10 of them gold which is a record! Two more are assured with our men's hockey and curling teams battling for gold. The climax of course comes Sunday though with the men's gold medal hockey game. It's a re-match of the border war that was fought last Sunday in which Team USA came out on top.
Now, I'm the farthest thing from a hockey fan. I only care about the sport for 2 weeks every 4 years. Our ladies kicked ass last night and now it's time for the guys to close the deal. Make it happen guys!
There are wicked drafts coming through my door and I finally got around to putting up some foam tape to stop i this afternoon. Only problem is, it's too thick or something and my door's now stuck.
I stupidly tried closing the door from the outside and when I couldn't open it again, I was in a panic for the minute or so it took me to force the door back open. And then I thought, well, maybe the foam just needs to flatten out or something. So I closed it again, this time with me inside my place. And still the same problem, I can't open it. The latch appears to be stuck and I can't turn the damn thing. So what to do??
I'm going to try again in a few minutes and as soon as I'm able to open the door, the foam tape's coming down. I'll have to try again with something thinner.
So, I went and bought another Mackage coat Tuesday after lurking on their website for the last 3 months. At the same time I had my eye on Julia, I was considering Isa and decided to pull the trigger after finally getting fed up with how my current 3/4 length wool coat gets all pill-y and lint-y. Considering that I got it in Hong Kong 5 years ago during a particularly cold Christmas there, I consider the value fully amortized.
So, back to Isa, I ordered it Tuesday during my lunch hour and it arrived today by FedEx in a large flat box, so large that I couldn't comfortably carry it home. So I wore it instead. :)
I am so excited for the Winter Olympics! I tried getting tickets to no avail so for the next couple weeks, while the Olympics are on, I'll be parked in front of my TV watching the games when I'm not at work and training.
The momentum, excitement and coverage of the games has been building. I'm the first to admit I'm a total sap and while I'm not usually overtly patriotic - as most Canadians aren't - hearing O Canada and seeing the flag raised during gold medal ceremonies brings happy tears to my eyes. Seriously. Even cheesy commercials like this one featuring the venerable Donald Sutherland currently airing on CTV, the national network with the Canadian rights to the Olympics, give me the warm fuzzies:
And this video of the 2010 Winter Olympics CTV theme song totally gets me going:
Cheesy, right?
My friend wL will be running in the torch relay 6:45 AM local through Stanley Park. I've booked myself in a meeting just so I can follow along and watch online. Then come the evening, I've invited some friends over for dinner and to watch the opening ceremonies. Can NOT wait! I'll be the proud Canadian on the couch wearing my Roots Canada hoody...and maybe even my 2010 mitts from Aritzia. :)
I'm heading west for a visit with my sister and Piglet in early March and in anticipation of that visit, I was browsing Etsy for some gifts when I came across seller Camie Turner's store, Growth Charts Galore, so after corresponding on her shipping policies to Canada, I promptly ordered this adorable chart for my Piglet, who at 26 months is now more than 1/2 my sister's height, she's growing so fast!
I saw my doctor in the 'burbs this morning for my annual check-up and was fine when I left, but by the time I arrived back home downtown and was getting ready for work I was COLD. I mean, so cold that even with the heat on, fleece and a down vest I could not shake the chills. So I called in sick and spent the afternoon in bed. I'm feeling much better now, though I'm still very tired. But at least I'm not cold anymore.
I fell for Seb Lester's Home Sweet Home as soon as I saw it. I mean, how could I not? First of all, it's gorgeous typographic art and second, it's got chamelon-esque stunning colours.
The limited edition run of 100 was screen printed by hand on Mirri paper which changes colour depending on what angle you're viewing it from, and makes me a bit nostalgic for my sticker-collecting days, when Sandylion hologram stickers were as prized as the fuzzy ones.
There was no sense of urgency when the print was introduced but then I was lured onto Keep Calm Gallery's site by an email today, and the fact that there were only 14 left spurred me into action. I had to put my order in before it was too late. So I sucked it up and placed the order for what will be the most I've spent on a work of art yet....which, considering the vast world of art out there, is relatively affordable. At the end of the day, it comes down to what you value, right? And I do so love this print and can't wait for it to arrive.
My sister is planning a wedding this fall at an as yet undecided destination that will surely have a sandy beach. She sent me a few dress options which got me thinking about suitable gowns for a beach wedding. Simple, more informal gowns made of soft and flow-y materials immediately spring to mind so a quick browse at David's Bridal and J.Crew online yielded these candidates:
My favourite of the bunch has gotta be #7. Incidentally, first 6 dresses from David's range in price from $119 to $399. I didn't know it was possible to get a bridal gown for that little. Perhaps I've watched too many episodes of Say Yes to the Dress, where bridzillas can spend tens of thousands of dollars on a gown they'll wear just once. I'm glad to see that there are gorgeous, affordable options out there although one would have to take a chance shopping online.
My plans to fly out to Vancouver in March for a visit with my Piglet now includes dress shopping with my sister! I'm so looking forward to the the trip, never mind the shopping for my own MOH dress. :)
I'm still thinking about a ceiling fixture for my dining area. I can't seem to let it go. And because I've always liked the coral pendant designed by David Trubridge, I hopped online to DWR to yearn a bit. How could one not yearn a bit considering the gorgeous shadows it casts in a room:
I'm rather over Coach as a brand but I stepped in for a quick browse while I was out today and found myself drawn to their Madison metallic leather hippie bag. I love the colour and the shape is a familiar silhouette since it's the same as my favourite summer bag, Roots' Olivia in French Vanilla.
Now, I know this sounds totally snobby and elitist but I can't bring myself to spend hundreds of dollars on a brand that is slung across the shoulders and chests of pre-teen girls everywhere. By this measure, much as I admire it, it's not worth the $458 purchase price.
I have a superstitious Chinese mother who reads up on Chinese astrology and she told me that in this upcoming year of the Dog, my lucky colours as a Dragon are grey, white and blue. It was funny how it came up, too, because I was home on a weekend that I had planned a trip to Ikea and she told me I should pick up the blue and white floral bedlinens I liked because they were in my lucky colours.So I did. I thought they were superfluous when I first saw them in store so didn't buy them but since they're in my lucky colours, well, then that's OK. :)
Anyway, I started this blog to share with you my new purchases! I went to Anthropologie this afternoon in the hopes of finding either of the yellow bags I've had my eye on but alas, they're not available yet (if ever) in stores here. I didn't leave empty-handed though! I came away with these two tops which I can't wait to wear!
Pratia Tank & Percussive Cardigan
Incidentally, the textured flowers of the tank remind me of Etsy seller Sarah & Bendrix's delightful framed pictures:
Yellow has always been a difficult colour for me. I mean, I like it as a colour, but when it comes to wearing it, I limit myself to the buttery yellow tones because anything brighter or deeper I think just looks awful against my Asian skin.
Anyway, I was lured onto Anthropologie's site by the Tweet above from Ms. Grace Bonney over at Design Sponge, which is how I came upon these 2 bags in yellow:
I'm thinking yellow as an accessory colour could be just the thing I need as a pick-me-up before Spring truly sets in. I know, we're only JUST getting to the end of January, Spring's eons away! I like them both for different reasons and I'm thinking now that I should head on over to Anthropologie this weekend to see if they're carrying it in Toronto...
The photos I ordered through Kodak Gallery to be picked up at Best Buy a couple weeks ago were ready for pick-up Wednesday and it's then that I realized I had ordered some of them in the wrong size. Why I didn't just read the measurements on the frame I don't know. It was a stupid mistake that I thought would cost me another 10 days but turned out to be no biggie because I was able to have them printed again by Costco, with a turn-around time of less than 24 hours!! Talk about efficient!
I had another pleasant surprise in finding Off the Wall, which I've walked by countless times on Queen West without really noticing, to get a mat cut for a c. 1905 print of the Northern and Southern Constellations I'd picked up at the South Bank Book Market in London last Spring. I had gone to De Serres first where I had previous mats cut but the framer happened to be off yesterday so I walked away disappointed towards Urban Barn where I wanted to pick up the this birdseye wallhook (yes, more birds!) Anyway, I looked into the window and noticed the mat samples on the counter and inquired and found that their pricing was far more competitive. And the bonus? My order would be ready for next-day pick-up! I did a happy dance in my head when I heard that! :)
So here's the before, with the newsprint I'd taped on the wall for a potential layout:
As you can see from the WIP After, I didn't follow it:
I'm really happy with how the mix of photos and art is turning out. I need to go back to Ikea to get the 5-print Ribba frame once the black one's in stock...it appears to be sold out at the Etobicoke and North York locations and I'm not willing to trek all the way up to their Vaughn location just for a frame.
I've been browsing etsy for more prints and am contemplating the following, not necessarily for this gallery wall:
It's Winterlicious in the city again - 150 restaurants in the city of Toronto will be offering 3-course prix-fixes from January 29 to February 11 - and the lead sponsor, American Express, will donate 5% of purchases charged to Amex Cards at participating restaurants to Food Banks Canada, up to a total donation of $40,000.
I've taken advantage of this promotion and its summer incarnation, Summerlicious, almost from inception. It's a great way to try out the city's pricier restaurants if you have the patience to wait out the inevitable busy phone lines, or discover hidden gems at what is usually very good value.
Of my Winterlicious plans so far: I've a lunch next Friday and a dinner 3 weeks tomorrow...hopefully I'll be able to keep it at that...though I suspect there may be a couple more impromptu dinners thrown in the mix.
With my training, I've been eating clean consistently and it's paid off: I tried on a dress I bought a couple years ago in Vancouver last night that had gotten too tight and it fit again! Plus, my CEO's EA commented on how I'd lost a lot of weight. Now, truth be told, I've only lost a few pounds. What I lack in weight loss, I've gained in muscle mass. I'm more toned and tight and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to "burn," aka the next phase in my training where we "shrink wrap" the muscles that have developed.
I'll just have to make up for these indulgences by eating super clean the rest of the week. You only live once, right?
It's impossible not to be affected by the earthquake that hit Haiti last Tuesday. I find it difficult to look at the images and avoided the papers the first few days because to look at them would bring on the tears and I can't be crying at work.
If you live in Canada, and hadn't already heard, the federal government, through the Canadian International Development Agency, will be matching individual donations to registered charities specifically earmarked for Haiti earthquake relief up to a total of $50MM through to February 12. I first donated through Plan Canada, the charity through which I sponsor a child, and just made another donation to Unicef Canada after watching CNN's efforts, which I found out about through Twitter, search #CNNHelpHaiti.
Help if you can.
Every dollar makes a difference.
Incidentally, my company also happens to have a charity matching program, so my dollars in this instance go 3x as far. Check out your policies at work and take advantage of them if you can.
I went to see Tom Ford's debut feature, A Single Man on Friday night and it's really grown on me. It was super-s l o w to start and I was thinking in the back of my mind, An Education - the other movie I wanted to see - would have been way better because something would have happened by now.
But then it started to get good about two-thirds of a way in. Anyway, I don't want to spoil it. Just know that it's a very thoughtful film with an ironic ending.
I went to my first yoga class in over 4 months tonight and remembered how much I used to enjoy it. The hiatus began after I started personal training but I decided it was time to get back into it so I re-scheduled my training during the week. I have to say that the strength training has made a difference. My chest and arms are much stronger now and I'm able to maintain a proper chaturanga pose during the sun salutation series.
I've also noticed that my yoga pants are looser, which means I'll have to go shopping for new ones. I love Roots' Mantra pant - half the price of Lululemons and a better fit for my curves. A bummer on the one hand because I want to rein in my spending but "yay" on the other because I've slimmed down!
The other buy I've got my eye on is this Lululemon yoga bag with room enough for my clothes and my mat. The one thing I didn't miss about yoga is how I turn into a complete bag lady. I walked to work with 4 bags today - my purse, my mat bag, my gym bag with my change of clothes, and the bag with my work papers - which is cumbersome at the end of the day because I usually head out for dinner after class with AL and there often isn't enough room in/around the table for all my many bags. It's time to consolidate!
I spent a mostly lazy Sunday in today. I couldn't bring myself to go out into the cold, so cozy and comfy was I, alone in my own home.
I played The Holiday and Bend it Like Beckham on DVD again while I took my time going through my semi-weekly cleaning routine of dusting and vacuuming. Truth be told, it should be at least weekly given how much dust collects but I really hate housecleaning so only do it when it becomes too much to bear.
I was sitting on my sofa looking around afterward thinking how much I love having my own space. I thought back to the great (and cheap!) mirrors I saw at Winners yesterday and mused about building a collection of star-shaped mirrors to hang on the wall behind my TV.
And after finally(!!!) ordering photos to print and frame, I took down the ghetto newsprint I had on the wall above my couch and re-imagined that wall too, given the art print I had plaked recently. Stay tuned for the Before and After!!
All this to say I was very content in my anti-socialism. It's times like this I wonder if I'm too extreme in my introversion.
I love Mibo Studio's prints - particularly as birds figure so prominently in their designs. I marked 2009 with their free calendar and it continues to delight as I framed 3 of my favourite images to hang in my dining area.
Here's the link to their latest, the 2010 Year-at-a-Glance planner for free download. Enjoy!
I remember once upon a time when I used to be neat. This was maybe 20 years ago, before I had so much "stuff." As I got older, I accumulated more and more things, which led to me becoming the clutterbug that I am today.
Aside from watching a ton of movies, which weren't on my holiday To Do list, I had a number of chores I'd been putting off for-ever, including #6, tackling my "desk clutter" and that's what I spent a good 8 hours - no joke - off and on dealing with yesterday. I filed, recycled and shredded and this is what it looks like now:
I didn't have the foresight to take a before shot as I hadn't thought to blog about it but I'm just so proud of how it looks. Seriously. I'd forgotten what the desktop looked like since the last time I saw it was over a year ago, when we first set my study up. It makes me smile, that's how happy I am to be able to actually see the surface!
Now, I'm not really into New Year's resolutions because like 99% of the population, I tend to break them - and also because I always see September, with it's association with school and my birthday, as the true start of the year - but my goal is to keep my study as neat through the year as the day it started. Impossible? Time will tell.
Next up on my To Dos: de-cluttering my living/dining area.
I don't want to spoil the story so I'll just reiterate the spare description on the back cover:
