Back in Business

They got my internet up and running again last evening, something for which I am very thankful. Hopefully that doesn't happen again any time soon! Today is such a glorious day. Sunny, warm and open to all possibilities. I've got a bunch of things to do and we'll see if I can get at least some of them done. I'm still ridiculously busy these days so this open day all to myself is quite nice, even if most of what I plan on doing is housework.

 Glasses - Random gift

Dress - Purchased from Siam2U on Etsy

Tomorrow is the Ravenswing DIY Fair where my friend Laura and I have a small vendor table. We'll be selling all sorts of things from hemp necklaces to bead-spiders to flower hair clips to leather pouches to... all sorts of things! It's going to be a great event, and I'm planning on bringing my camera to snap up all the fun! Here's hoping for nice weather.

My squish-kitty Caramel is still loving being outside on the terrace with me. Sometimes he gets a little freaked out while I take outfit photos if I happen to be wearing heels or something but now he's hooked on being out there. The minute I wake in the morning it's "Meow - let me out!"

I really love how my hair looks in this photo but I haven't been able to wear my hair down most of the past week. It's just been too hot and humid already, all the more reason for me to cut all this hair off! I'm giving myself until the end of the month to see how I still feel about that. While having it up in a bun like I've been doing keeps it off my neck and shoulders, it's also itchy and severe and boring. There is more and more appeal in having a wild head of mad soft spikes instead.

I finally got to see my good friend Becky at Ritual Nights last evening. It was so great getting to hug her. I had a grin plastered to my face most of the night. There are times and places that just feel good and right and that was one of them.

Anybody else think the world would be a better place with more tie dye in it? This dress makes me very happy, but it's just a smidgen too long. I've a mind to shorten it, but I don't want to cut away any of the prettiness. And that reminds me I still have other things to shorten... Maybe I'll get to some of that today. I hope you all have a really groovy rest of the weekend. Cheers!

Disconnected

It's only when I am at home without access to internet that I realize what an integral part of my life it has become there. It's not so bad when I'm out and about, because I've never had a device that allowed me internet access away from my PC. Even when I had a laptop, it usually stayed at home. So when I spent this weekend with no internet or phone access... I was not too happy. It's still down and I have no idea when it will be up again. It's ridiculous. I've already racked up an extra $25 on my cell phone bill. There's a reason I have a land line! Ugh...

Top - Thrifted from Value Village

Dress as skirt - Hand-me-down from Aunt

Shoes - Sears

I spent my entire Saturday waiting around at home for a technician that never showed up. This still bothers me now, on Tuesday morning. I couldn't listen to the radio online like I so often do, couldn't check the weather, or look up store hours, or browse recipes for dinner, or find out anything and AGH! I don't know how people ever functioned without the internet haha...

I still had a good weekend though, and did plenty of reading out on my terrace. Sunday morning also involved a two hour kayaking foray down the Rideau Canal with my women's group which was great fun, and stopping for a beer and taco salad after definitely hit the spot. I even got a tan, an actual tan and not a burn!

The nights have been warm enough that I've been sleeping with the patio door open. It's annoying hearing some of the night noises again but I get used to the sounds of the city pretty quickly. Once it's hot enough to warrant a fan, its sound helps drown out other noises anyway. Today is heavy and humid and my hands are swollen up and tender. I should move to Arizona. I hope you all had a really great weekend. Cheers!

Mane Musings

If this outfit looks oddly familiar, it's because I wore the skirt and shirt together styled quite differently back in February. The first time around, I knotted the blouse and wore the skirt higher up so it would hit me roughly knee-length. This time I wore the pieces to give a longer silhouette. The belt was necessary or else I would have just been wearing a giant flowing sac!

 Shirt - Thrifted from Value Village

Belt - From Heather

Skirt - Thrifted from the Salvation Army

Shoes - Lulu's

Not too long ago I contemplated hennaing my hair a crazy red. The urge passed (mostly because I don't think hazel eyes and red hair jive). Then this morning I read Kate's post about buzzing her hair, and it got me wanting to cut my own. Short. Very short. Which it used to be, in my mid-teens. Now with summer coming, I'm not looking forward to all this hair being heavy and humid and hot on my skin. Last summer I spent most days with my hair up in a tight bun because I couldn't stand having it down, it was just too hot and sticky. Short would be nice and refreshing.

Not that I don't love my long hair. I wouldn't have worn it this way for so many years if I didn't! But while cutting bangs in December spiced things up, I'm itching for another change. While I don't do a lot to my hair other than wash and comb it, it's still pretty demanding. It knots easily, frizzes up in humid weather and takes ages to air-dry! I'm constantly brushing it during the day. Maybe I'm just super extra lazy, but I'd like to be able to go out on a windy day without worrying about being blinded by my hair. Or whether or not my hair will fall over my shoulders and into open flame / food / someone's mouth.

Not to mention I look frazzled and disheveled most of the time. My hair may as well be styled in a way that plays that up instead of it just making me look well... frazzled and disheveled. I've spent a few hours going through tons of photos and I've settled on two looks I'm considering if I do take this hair chopping plunge. The first is shorter, and can be worn fussed up or smooth.The second is slightly longer but again is messy and cute. I'm leaning toward the second... it looks like something that would take half a minute's worth of fussing and a handful of hair mousse to fix up in the morning, which is right up my alley.

Some people might go halfway first and cut their hair to shoulder or chin length... But that's not how I do things. It's all the way or no way, so far as I'm concerned. I just know it would drive me mad to have hair flipping around my shoulders and it not being long enough to tie up, and long enough to tie is just still too long to even consider it worth cutting. If that makes sense. And my hair is so thin anyway, it's not really meant to be this long. Anywho. Hair rambles. I hope you're all having a good week. Cheers!

It's a Parrot Party

It felt wonderful to wear this romper out in the warm weather. For some reason I didn't get around to wearing it much last year, hopefully I do so more this time around. My weekend was crazy busy. I think I got about five hours of sleep in a span of 48 hours at one point. I headed out dancing on Friday night and things just rolled along and the next thing I knew the sun was rising and the sky had the soft fuzzy cotton look that comes with dawn.

Romper - Purchased from Reluctant Damsel on Etsy

Sandals - Sears

The ironic part is that I kept saying I had to take it easy and have an earlier night because I was going to an open house at Ottawa's Cordon Bleu at ten the next morning. I still attended the info session, but I was running on a two and a half hour nap haha... I felt better whenever I was moving, so the forty five minute walks there and back were really quite enjoyable. The sun was out, the birds were chirping and there was a lovely breeze. It was still early enough for the earth to have that cool morning feeling to it. I was pretty miserable sitting inside but I'm glad I attended the session. I'm still see-sawing between Pastry and Cuisine, now more towards the first than the later. It's so hard choosing.

I had the opportunity to see the kitchens and talk to some of the Chefs, as well as see one of them make chocolate boxes right in front of us. All of the teachers are French Chefs from France and they all have that typical French accent, which amuses me to no end. They seem like a bunch of great characters and teachers. I really want to attend. I'm also waffling between taking just the beginner level and seeing about doing the rest later, or doing the whole Pastry diplôme in one chunk. The problem with doing it all at once is I'd run out of money to live on midway and I don't think I could work and learn at the same time. Not to mention having to take out another ten grands worth of student loans. Me no likey debt.

I'm hoping that having the beginner certificate will be enough to help me along for a while. And as much as I love both baking and cooking, I don't want to be a world renowned chef. I have no interest in touring the world or working in a fancy five star restaurant. I just like making tasty things and feeding people. Not to mention I am totally okay with washing dishes or sweeping floors in a bakery if that gets me in and lets me watch experienced bakers. I am not willing to be someone's office bitch admin assistant though, because I have no interest in moving up in that kind of environment and see no worth in the work.

It reads: A Bad Day on Vacation Always Beats A Good Day At Work!

Now finally I can explain the post's title. A few weeks back I walked by a shop called Fab Gear 64 on Wellington and saw this purse in the window. The shop was closed at the time but it had gotten my attention and the purse (okay, more like giant tote, but I say purse) was calling me. A few days later I walked by again while the shop was open, went in, fell in love and brought it home. Yes. It is covered in crazy partying parrots. My friend said they remind her of elderly people in Miami. They're having a good time though, and I dig it!

This thing is huge and glaring and sticks out. But I love it ever so much. It helps that it is both machine washable and has a wipe-down canvas interior while still being lightweight, perfect for my summer adventuring. Plus it has frigging partying parrots on it, how can it get any better?! I'm now living by their example and just having a good time as much as possible! I think they would approve of my past weekend.

In less than two weeks, my friend Laura and I will be selling crafty things at the Ravenswing Craft and Zine Fair here in Ottawa. Of course I've been procrastinating and am probably more behind in a few projects than I should be, but it's not the end of the world, I always manage to work things out in the end. It should be a great time. I hope you are all having a good Monday. Cheers!

Colourful Soul

This skirt never fails to draw attention whenever I wear it. I guess it's difficult to ignore a fluttering rainbow in a sea of boring! My most favourite t-shirt helps keep the colour going. I'm not usually a fan of t-shirts with designs or images but I love all the butterflies on this one.

T-shirt - Thrifted from Value Village 

Skirt - Gift from Heather 

Shoes - Sears 

I wore this on a day off, out to the mall with my grandparents. While I did find a few things at the Sears, I rarely leave a mall with clothes. It's all too cheap, too expensive, or just not my style. Thank goodness for thrift stores and super awesome friends who send me wicked clothes!

We stopped in at a Lush store, and I tried one of their lip tints; a Million Kisses. I've been using my mineral makeup as lip tints recently but as a longtime Lush addict, I may wind up buying one of their colours too. This one was very bright, but I'm not used to bright colours on my lips in the first place. I could get used to it. I like it looking back on the photos now, when it had had the chance to mellow out a little. It was pretty intense at first.

I received an e-mail from my dear friend Becky yesterday, finally clearing up the details with her return from Africa! She'd at first planned to return sooner but last-minute decided to stay a while longer. She's flying out today though, and arriving back here in good ol' Canada sometime obscenely early tomorrow morning. I'm hoping I can see her soon enough. I have months and months of hugs to give her and we have tons of adventuring to catch up on!

It blows my mind that it was nearly a year ago she first set out across the country to B.C. and then off to Rwanda in the autumn. Our friendship had only just started to blossom and I haven't stopped missing her. There are some people you just click with right away, and she was one of those for me. I've mentioned here before how deeply I care for and cherish her friendship. I can't wait to see what the summer will hold for us. We're both going to be such different people and it's going to be so much fun getting to know all the new things about ourselves again. I hope you're all having a good week so far. Cheers!

Sunny Saturday

Ah sunshine! Such wonderful stuff after all the gloom we've had this week. I am happy to be able to wear this new romper so quickly after purchasing it just yesterday. For a mere $20, how could I say no to such a sweet little strawberry print? Which of course I only now realize I did not photograph up close. Oops... until the next wearing I guess! It was too sunny on my terrace to get decent shots anyway so it'll be a good excuse to wear this again soon.

Romper - Sears

Sandals  - Sears

It's not often I buy new clothes, but I treated myself. The sandals are also new from yesterday, comfy reliable ones in which I hope to be able to trek many summer city sidewalks. I'm going on spontaneous walks on my own again finally... winter had killed that habit but I've got someone to wander around with sometimes now and he's wonderful walking company. It helped remind me I really enjoy it.

Apparently tonight there's going to be a 'super moon'. It's going to be super extra close to the planet, something that happens every 14 months or so. Supposedly it's not going to be an impressive one as super moons go, but it's still going to look much bigger than it usually does. I hope I don't forget to go have a gander! The skies are supposed to be mostly clear, at least.



After he figured out that the chalk wasn't some evil form of punishment for an unknown crime, Caramel decided to join me in the sunshine. He was rolling around happily in the dust, soaking in the warmth and getting all grubby. I don't blame him, it felt so nice. In fact, after I'm done writing this, I'm going back out there to read in the sun for a bit. Then I'm off to my women's tea social for the afternoon. Who knows what adventures the evening will bring me! I hope you're all having a lovely weekend. Cheers!

Worse Than It Looks

So I accidentally cut myself with scissors while at work yesterday, near the base of my finger. When the blood wasn't stopping, I went to see our first-aid person and they sent me to a clinic. It took three doctors before one actually took care of me properly, and that was only after the first two had sent me home with a silly little band-aid. I had been asking for a stitch or two.

Of course several hours later my hand was dramatically dripping blood all over again, and I went to the clinic again where this monstrous thing was slapped on me. It was pretty hilarious and I kept laughing at it and how big and white and obvious it was.



I had to keep this on all night and was finally able to remove it this morning. The tip of my finger has been half-numb half-tingling the last few hours. I have a feeling I'd have been better off just taking care of the damn cut myself. The last doctor said I'd probably nicked a little artery. I just hope this heals quickly! Have a great weekend everybody, and watch out for scissors! ;) Cheers!