Gettin' Jiggy Wit It

Thanks, Will Smith, for making my day twice, in completely unrelated ways.

This first – this quote from an interview with Parade:

"We let Willow cut her hair. When you have a little girl, it’s like how can you teach her that you’re in control of her body? If I teach her that I’m in charge of whether or not she can touch her hair, she’s going to replace me with some other man when she goes out in the world. She can’t cut my hair but that’s her hair. She has got to have command of her body. So when she goes out into the world, she’s going out with a command that it is hers. She is used to making those decisions herself. We try to keep giving them those decisions until they can hold the full weight of their lives.”

I love how much he wants to empower his kids. I love that he's trying to create individuals who learn how to make actual choices. And I love that he wants his daughter to be a strong woman, who doesn't just replace her dad with a partner one day.

And secondly, for this moment on the Graham Norton Show (thanks for the tipoff, Karen):

Yeah, I sang along too.

Also note: I can't think about Will Smith anymore without thinking of this stellar Grantland article Bill Simmons wrote about a year ago called "The Movie Star", about how Will Smith is the only true movie star working today, and how that has been his dedicated goal above all else. It really is a fascinating look into how success works, and how Smith was able to essentially game the Hollywood system. I mean, the mere fact alone that I remember an internet article from a year ago speaks to its potency.

How to Move Without Going Crazy

via HomageNews

Moving—even the word strikes me with that familiar crippling fear of change and uprooting. And yet I have moved (on average) once a year for the past five years. I have picked up all of my belongings (usually with the help of a boyfriend, brother, and strong male friend) and put them in a new apartment, house, or building. Each time I think that it'll be a while before I have to do it again. But, you see, I've got wandering eyes when it comes to the apartment market. There are so many possibilities in what is out there—new neighbourhoods beckon, cheaper rent would save me so much money, and a backyard or balcony would be oooooh so nice. And yet there are so many risks involved with getting a new place—at least there are if you are as comfort-driven and neurotic as me. 

I've just settled into a new place. I've now had three sleeps in a new apartment and my stomach is finally unknotting itself and I'm starting to relax into the idea that I won't hate it here. Isn't that a terrible thing to think? But moving is scary and can be very stressful—you don't know how you are going to feel about a place that you've signed a lease for until you sleep in the place for at least one night. 

via Ponita

Some of the biggest stresses about a new apartment are things that you have very little control over where you're going to be until you're past the point of getting out of it. That being said, you can increase your chances of finding a good place by doing some research and by knowing exactly what's important to you. Need lots of natural light? Don't care about access to an outdoor space? Know these things before you look. Here's what I've learned (through much trial and error) is important to me.

1. Neighbourhood, and proximity to life


I'm now living definitely off the beaten track, and I think I'm okay with that. It's not in the middle of nowhere, and it's really close by to some of the coolest people I know, but it's not downtown. I look out the window and I can see the buildings of the city and I think I am in the middle of nowhere but I know that really I'm not. I'm not even as far as the Junction, and lots of people live there! I'm takings walks around the neighbourhood to get to know the place a little bit, and feeling kind of proud that I'm not basing where I want to live on where is popular with other people but where there is reasonably priced rent, a bigger apartment than I'm used to, and lots of interesting things to discover.

2. Noise

The apartment I just moved out of was the first floor of an old house that was connected to the houses on either side. The floors, walls, and ceilings were so thin that I could hear everyone around me at all times—I could hear their conversations, and feel the bass in their music. It really sucked. My new building was made for lots of people to live in, and the noise is so much less of an issue. I still worry that my neighbours can hear my late-night movie watching or 24/7 Patsy Cline records, but since I can't really hear them I'm realizing that it's not going to be an issue.

3. Landlords


I've been pretty lucky when it comes to landlords, but I've heard some real horror stories. Having a good landlord is really important, when you get a leaky ceiling, a broken fridge, or bedbugs (which we will all have gotten soon, if we haven't already) you need someone that's going to be on your side and help you out. A Google search is usually all it takes to unearth the really bad ones, but if you have a good landlord it's kind of invaluable.

4. Windows


It's been about three years since I've been able to lay in bed and look out the window, and I'm totally obsessed (in fact, that's what I'm doing right now). I love that I can see the sky, the CN tower, birds, a giant sign for the Brick, a couple billboards, and the backs of lots of houses. I have window sills that I can sit on and look dreamily out of and watch trains go by. I'm only on the third floor but I can see the city. It's very cool.

5. The perfect place for the cat's litter box.

A good little nook or cranny to stick that stinky box is so important—you don't want it just sitting in the middle your living room or bathroom. Find the perfect space for your cat to shit and you might just find your dream apartment.

Things I Feel Very Conflicted About

Diet Coke
It's amazing, right? I grew up drinking Diet Coke, so it tastes so familiar, so comforting compared to regular Coke, in the same way that milk just tastes better than cream. But it's really bad for you. I mean like obesity-inducing, diabetes-causing, heart-attacking bad for you. But it's also amazing, especially the trashy version with lime. CONFLICTED.

Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now"
I know he's like, the embodiment of evil. I even hate that by listening to this song, it's being tracked on Last.FM  and Youtube and somewhere, my listens are being counted as a win for this colossal asshole. His parts aren't even very good. And probably if it hadn't had such great guest verses, I could move on. But shiiit, BUSTA. How does your mouth even MOVE that fast? I'm chalking this up to a case of assholes being good artists sometimes and not letting white feminist guilt get the best of me.

Ghosts
I actually don't feel that conflicted. What I feel is irrational certainty. I hate ghosts. I hate those fuckers so damn much, and I can't protect myself from them, and I hate it. I hate that I don't believe in an afterlife and yet I believe in ghosts. I hate that oxymoron within myself, but I must accept it because it's true and I encounter that part within me at least a couple times every day.

Money
I'm so good at spending it. Too good. I am highly skilled at spending. I wish spending money on great shit could be my job, because I'd be SO GOOD, and I'd get so much great stuff for such low prices that it would be unbelievable. But the problem is I can't do that with other people's money, only my own, so I'll be broke forever. I'll just dry my tears with all my great buys, I guess.

My Evening Routine
I've started trying to do my general appearance and health a solid and a) remove my makeup nightly, b) wash and moisturize my face, and c) floss. It's a long term goal that I have to keep making short term decisions about until it becomes habit, which it feels like will never happen. It feels like I'm going to have to be like, "Ugh, again?" every time I look in the mirror after brushing my teeth and so I feel like giving up then and there. It supposedly takes up to two months of daily repetition to form habits, and I'm already like, 10 days in. Go team happy skin and gums!

Game of Thrones
There's only one thing I feel conflicted about: why is everyone so goddamn young? I saw the HBO series like everyone else, and thankfully, they aged up most of the actors. Because, really? Daenerys Taragaryen is thirteen? I'm really enjoying the first book, but those details really weird me out and make me feel like a creep, especially during my morning commute.

One thing I don't feel conflicted about?

Weekends. Enjoy yours, everyone.

New Neutrals

There have been a few additions to my daily routine that have just given me a smidgen more pretty every day.

West Elm carries air plants now! I stop in this store so rarely, so it was pure dumb luck that I popped in to kill some time and saw this little beauty just waiting for me to take him home. I've been wanting one of these since they started cropping up everywhere online, and now, this bit of soilless freedom greets me every time I brush my teeth. Fingers crossed he lasts more than a week.

This vase was on clearance at Indigo, and I couldn't resist. A creamy matte porcelain in a knit stitch? How could I have been expected to? Now my knitting needles have a fitting place to hang out when not in a project.

This week's fancy-lady manicure, and it's about as demure as I get. I just sponged the tip on, so it's not very precise. The nude creme is Unclear from the FACE Stockholm X J.Crew collaboration (thanks Stevie!), and the rosy sparkle is First Class from a massive Quo X Orly holiday gift pack (thanks Steph!).

I took the plunge and finally upgraded to an iPhone 4S. And when I was picking out a case, I decided to get something I like looking at everyday, so I ordered this one from Society6. You can choose any of their artwork to be case-ified (mine is from design house RoAndCo, and was used as a textile in Arnsdorf's SS 2011 collection), or you can order them directly through manufacturer Case-Mate and print your own design. I'm in good company too!

My ballet slippers and new tights from Joe Fresh. The slippers still look new, but I promise! I've been going faithfully! I'm in total love with these Joe tights – they are the perfect balance between sheer and opaque and are almost too long, a rarity for my limbs.

These showed up as I was writing this, so I had to include them. These are my first LL Bean Signature purchases and they are AWESOME – thick leather, padded cushion at the heel, ladylike toe shape. These stretchy topped shoes look so weird off-foot, but for wear, I GET them – they hug, so you get no blister-causing slippage. Plus, spending more than $50 on flats means I'm totally an adult now, right? These come in lots of colours and finishes, m'dears, so browse away.

Ah Rats! – The Pet-Friendly Way to Deal with Rodents

Over the past little while, our household had an unexpected visitor. He showed up uninvited, left a mess, wouldn't leave when asked politely, and was generally just the worst. You bet he was a rat, and not just the metaphorical kind.

This is par for the course when you have a preference for older, charming houses of a certain vintage. Ours apparently dates back over 100 years and has the crooked floors and ancient vents to prove it, so this kind of guest was inevitable. Now, never having battled rats before, we were left feeling at a loss as to how to kick out these varmints. We didn't want to get too inhumane, plus inadvertently poisoning dear old Charles (the dog)* was utterly out of the question. So what were us pet-owning city folk to do?

via

Steel Wool
This one's recommended by everyone under the sun, but it's an oldie 'cause it's a goodie. The idea is to stuff any holes or cracks with the stuff to prevent rats or mice from coming through the walls or floorboards – they can't chew through steel wool. It's a good idea to keep a box on hand just in case, as this is really easy to use in a pinch, and can be very effective.

Peppermint Oil
Rats HATE the smell, so it's a good idea to liberally soak a few cotton balls in pure essential oil and leave them hidden in areas of rat detection. It'll just make them back off without causing them any physical harm. As an added bonus, your house will be at a permanent state of low-lying mintiness, and you'll maybe have some leftover oil, which is great for adding to your shampoo when you have an itchy scalp or to rub on your temples when you have a headache.

Disinfecting Solution
You'e going to feel pretty grossed out about your house, so giving everything a wipe down is a pretty good idea. I use those antibacterial wipes, but they're not really the most environmentally friendly or cost-effective solution. You could also use white vinegar cut with water – half and half is pretty good, or even up your solution to three quarters vinegar to a quarter water if you'd like something stronger.

Lots of Chairs
You're going to be jumping up on them a lot, even when there is nothing nearby – you'll just get weirded out and unable to stand on the floor anymore. Don't fight the urge, just get more chairs.

Containers
Everything in our cupboards is in canisters now. We bought a bunch of the stackable Tupperware kind at Honest Ed's and just boxed up anything that could be chewed through, including cardboard and plastic. One day I'll have dedicated containers for bulk items like flour and sugar, but for now, this works  just fine. Anything we didn't have enough space for in containers, I just stuck in the refrigerator, so now my cereal is oh so refreshing. Suck on that, rats.

Patience & Diligence
The most time-consuming part of the solution is pulling everything away from the walls, cleaning up what you find underneath and checking for holes in the walls. Make sure you check under your sink, to the part where the water pipes meet the wall – our hole there was the size of a tennis ball, and they can fit through any space the size of a pencil eraser.

Noisiness
This is your opportunity to get loud. Mice and rats hate loud noises and bright lights, so if you're fighting 'em, don't hesitate to make your presence known. Keep the radio on, the lights up and bang around when you're near where they've been spotted. Seeing rats and being reminded of their general presence is half the problem with them, so keeping them out of your way is a very good thing indeed.

A Healthy Dose of Mind Over Matter
We were having a hard time getting over the general disgustingness of the creatures, but had to find an inner zen to do what needed to be done. Don't dwell on the nasty – think about what you need to do to get past this situation, and only of that. Yes, they're gross, but that's what showers and exfoliant are for.

If you've got any pet-safe rat-fighting tips, please share!

Good luck and happy hunting.

*Note: one thing you do not need is a suck of a dog. Although Charlie is part Schnauzer, which are a ratting breed, he was useless, hiding behind Daniel and I whenever possible. Just know that in this respect, dogs are less reliable than their usual loyalty would suggest. A cat would likely be better suited to the task.

**Note the second: we did think about seeing if someone could take Charlie for a few days so we could set poison and take care of the dicks once for all. We were thinking of doing this for about 5 minutes, until I realized that the rat could track poison elsewhere and we'd have no way of knowing. If you've got a bad enough problem to warrant a poison-based approach***, please make sure to take an extra couple days to thoroughly clean all house surfaces. Your pets will thank you.

***Note the third: we did not have a bad infestation at all. We had, what we suspect, to be one rat that we scared off pretty quick. We found very few droppings and didn't see him at all when going through the house with a fine tooth comb earlier this week. Fingers crossed he stays out!

vive magazine issue 4.1

I'm going to have to toot my own horn today because I'm feeling pretty proud of myself: the digital version of vive is now online. The mag looks even better in print, but if you missed our launch party, don't live in Toronto, or are an online-only mag sort of girl, then you are now in luck. 

READ IT HERE!

All I'm allowed to share with you here are teasers of the two major shoots that we did, the first by Dan Epstein and the second by Alan Poon:

So much hard work went into this mag, from the editors on the masthead to the photographers, writers, stylists, models, copyeditors, everyone—not to mention the bake sale buyers and party goers who helped us raise the money to print this baby. It was not easy, nor did I expect it to be. But the experience of putting this mag together with so many talented people has been invaluable and a lot of fun. We've already started on the next issue, due out in the spring.

vive has a very similar look and aesthetic to what we do here on Burgundy Girls, so if you love us (or love our blog) then you'll enjoy the mag as well. And, if you zoom in just enough, you'll see an article written by Amanda! (And seriously, it's a good one.) We'll soon post a list of the shops and cafes in Toronto where you can find vive, so check back on the blog if you want to get your hands on an issue!

We are always looking for new contributors—writers, photographers, illustrators, bloggers, etc., so please get in touch at sayhi@vivemagazine.ca if you are interested.

Oh, and one more thing. I love working for a print magazine, but the digital version is very special to me, because—let's be real—it will be able to spread faster, be seen by more people, and generally be able to go further than print can. This year, we will be releasing an online-only version or two, and I'm excited to take advantage of the digital platform and push the envelope a bit.

Tapped Out

Feeling a little bummed, a little burnt out, bros. I've been pretty slammed getting my career on lately, but that hasn't left much time for the rejuvenation of my soul, you know? I've been feeling under the weather today, went to the chiropractor and got a wee bit pummeled, and then had to slog home through winter slush, which has finally reared its ugly head. To top it all off, I was planning on reviewing my January Luxe Box for you, but it has yet to arrive. It's in shipping purgatory. No, I'm not kidding.

#canadapostfail

It was at my damn house! They could have left it and they didn't! They even took the time to come back and take the notice card! And now its shipping status is unchanged, and it is back in Mississauga. We just haven't had much luck lately, Luxe Boxes and me.

Anyway, it was the icing to a day that felt altogether too long. So I did the only thing I could do.

I put on my Chainsaw Face t-shirt.

(Oh, you ask, what is Chainsaw Face? Just an easy two minutes that never fails to make me smile.)

Then I pretended I was someplace warm and sunny (which obviously requires mood music).

And I tried to become one with nature.

It's WORKING!

Then I cuddled with this little sausage.

And somehow, everything seemed a lot less awful.

Winter Cold Remedies, the Second

This title is a little misleading, as I am not actually sick. No, not yet, I'm not in full-blown recovery mode like Laura, but I feel it coming. I feel that dull ache starting in my forehead. I feel those chills digging into my bones a little deeper than they normally do. And I am fighting it with all I have before the sickness actually takes root (especially considering I no longer have sick days, eep). That means canceling plans to get to bed early, bundling up, eating healthy and stocking up on my essentials below. If indeed I AM getting sick, I want to be prepared to kick its mucousy ass quick.


Things to Put In My Body
Chewable Vitamin C
I am popping this shit like candy right now. You can't OD on it, so I take some whenever I think of it. I'm really digging the blueberry flavour right now, but orange is a solid choice. And actually, remember to take your daily multivitamin too – I know when I'm in the depths of a cold, all that daily routine stuff falls by the wayside, but your multivitamin will help you get better quicker, I promise.

via

Tea
I know I talk about DAVIDsTEA a lot, but that's because my affection runs deep, and at the very core of my barrel o' love is this one: Organic North African Mint. At once refreshingly minty and soul-warmingly spiced, this green tea will cure what ails you. I love it because it feels like the breath of fresh air your sinuses have been too clogged to experience for days. Resting your nose over a steaming cup of this and inhaling will do you a world of good, sicko.

My runner-up is perfect for sore throats: Bravissimo. It's camomile-based so it'll relax you, and it feels like it coats your throat in honey.

And if you're not the tea-totallin' kind, hot water with lemon and honey. Throw some ginger in there too if your sinuses are loaded.

Soup
Straight up. As a child, it was always Lipton's chicken noodle, so I keep that in my cupboard for a quick fix and easy comfort. If I'm feeling a little housebound and bored after a few days (or if you have a sick partner/roommate and you feel like being really nice), I make some Portugeuse-style chicken soup. The recipe I roughly use is this one, but I don't use the bread, cheese or pork and instead I add in onion, carrot, and a boned chicken breast, then shred the chicken after it's been boiled in the broth. Load it up with whichever veggies are on hand, but make sure you use that rapini – it's rich in vitamin C. Insta-cure.

Wonderbread toast with melted butter
Obvious. This is the easiest thing in the world to make, fills you up, and tastes like memories. You're sick – you deserve bleached flour. As a plus, it won't make you feel nauseous if you're that kind of ill.

via

Raspberry Ginger Ale
Do they still make this? I don't even know if it's still available. It is my favourite drink in all the world, and I think it may only be released seasonally now. Cranberry ginger ale or even the regular kind are good in a pinch. This is especially necessary if you're feeling queasy, and for even more calming power, let it go flat before drinking.

Neocitran
This stuff knocks you out. It's like getting a very good version of drunk, but also satisfyingly warm and filling. For use only if you're feeling truly, untouchably awful, which is a personal rule. I'd get way too addicted if I drank it more than twice a year. I'd become a Neocitraholic, which is just one rung above glue sniffer, I think.

Hot Toddies
If you have to be sociable, at least be sauced. My go-to is a blueberry tea: a shot of Grand Marnier, a shot of amaretto, and black tea (I prefer Earl Grey). I once had a bad case of strep throat the day of a party at my house and I drank these the whole time. I was pleasantly lubricated and feeling fine all night long.
(Alternate drink: screwdriver. Orange juice for the vitamin C, vodka to cut the phlegm and make you feel better.)


Thing to Put On My Body
Consonant Lip Balm
My nose always gets chapped from blowing it so often, so I keep a good lip balm on hand since it's more effective than anything for your face. This one is locally made, unscented and really rich without being greasy in the slightest.


Soft, Shapeless Sweaters
Completely essential. My current fave is this alpaca one I found in the men's section of a thrift store. Cute animals are certified to make you feel better.

My Ugliest Pair of Sweatpants/PJ Pants
Your moment of weakness is their moment of glory. Wear 'em loud and proud, you have the ultimate excuse.

All of My Blankets
I bury myself in duvets, twist myself in afghans, curl up under comforters. I go in full on nesting mode. When I emerge a few days later, it feels like shedding a cocoon of sickness and emerging a glowing, well-rested buttefly. Glorious.


And Beside Me
Good Company
It's simply the best when you have someone to hang out with on a sick day. Any healthy person willing to hang with your sick ass is a saint, your partner or your mom. Fellow sickies are so-so as company because while you can commiserate and have the same schedule (watch TV, sniffling, nap, repeat), they'll also be irritable and annoyingly loud like you. Dogs are swell because they really do try to cheer you up, but also force you to go outside with them which sucks. Cats really are the ultimate in sick partners.

What are your get better quick tips?

Winter-time cold remedies, pt 1

Inspired by the wonderful blog Lawrence, which has been reaching out to other bloggers about what they need to get through the winter months, Amanda and I wanted to share with you a bit of what gets us through. We are both sick—I am on the tail end of a cold and she's just starting one—and even more cold, miserable, and isolating than a Toronto winter is a Toronto winter when you've got a hell of a cold. Check out Lawrence's winter must-haves, and read on for my sad sap winter cold essentials: our fave things that get us through being sick.


Netflix: Since I work from home, I don't exactly get to call in sick. But since I'm on the computer all day anyway, most of my down time is spent watching wonderfully trashy TV online. I love—I don't care if Canada's selection pales in comparison to the U.S., I am just happy with what I have. Right now, what I have is The X-Files and Twin Peaks. I've been watching The X-Files for the first time, and it's so so scary to me. This is my third time around on the Twin Peaks wagon, and I'm enjoying it even more than the first two times. I will continue to watch that show until I die. When I was feeling really sorry for myself yesterday, being cooped up indoors and looking out my window onto a grey, rainy back alley, I day dreamed about moving to rural wherever and taking long walks and eating at the Double R Diner. A girl can dream, right? I also watched 9 to 5, and if you haven't already seen that gem (starring Lilly Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dolly Parton) see it immediately.

Nail art: Another thing I watched on Netflix lately is the insanely amazing Earth Girls are Easy. Have you seen that movie? I wish that Geena Davis was my manicurist, because they have some of the best nails in that movie.

As much as I love these crazy nails, they are just not conducive to my lifestyle—typing, doing dishes, rummaging through my purse—any manicure I do only lasts a few days, so  like to stick with nails that are cool but aren't like works of art. I tried out a new style that I love, seen here, and I think I'll be doing this one for a while.


Knitting: My on-again, off-again love affair with knitting is on, and I've been knitting this awesome turban I found in a knitting book I got for Christmas. I won't show you until I've finished the final project, but you are going to be so proud of me. Most of my knitting is scarves—they're really easy, you don't have the count stitches, and you can knit 'em up while watching a movie. With the turban, it has my full concentration, and a whole bunch of Googling—to learn new stitches.

Wolly socks: You know those ones with the red stripe? They are keeping my feet really toasty.


NeilMed Sinus Rinse: Sorry to get gross for a minute, but this thing, as unpleasant and messy as it is, this stuff has basically saved my life. I used it for the first time on Saturday—you fill the bottle with distilled water and powdered medication and squirt it up your nose. It is honestly one of the worst sensations I've ever felt, but it gets the job done. I can breath through my nose again! I should do a commercial for these guys. I'm a sinus rinse convert.

via savingwithshellie

A "sympathetic" kitty cat: Penelope has stuck by my side through this trying time. Last night, I actually used her as a pillow. I really believe that our animals know when we are sick and try to make us feel better.

Soy lattes: Usually a little bit out of my modest budget, these cups of joy are something I treat myself to whenever I'm feeling rotten. Coffee always seems a little too harsh, but now is not the time to try and kick my caffeine dependancy.

Leonard Cohen's new album: It's called Old Ideas and it's streaming right now on NPR. It's the perfect melancholy sick music. And it sounds a little like Tom Waits, which is never a bad thing.

Dreaming of bettering myself: Specifically, taking these coding classes. You should check out this article written by Haley, a very cool girl, about ladies-only coding classes.

Morning pages

Have you heard of these things? Julia Cameron wrote a book called The Artist's Way, which I haven't read, but I've read about quite a bit. It's a book aimed at writers, and one big piece of advice she gives is to write morning pages. Immediately after you wake up, Cameron advises, you should write out (that's what she says, write them out—no typing!) three full pages. You can fill them with... anything. What you are writing is not to be read by anyone or even reread by yourself. More than anything, it's about transcribing your thoughts. Cameron argues that this helps to open the floodgates of your writing for the rest of the day.

When we write we have several habits that hold us back. We are judging our own writing ("No one will want to read this"; "This sounds like crap, I'll have to rewrite"), we are rewriting sentences, we  move ahead to the next sentence before we finish the one we're working on. Morning pages help with all these things. They are useful to get out negative feelings about our writing. They let us be scatterbrained and write stuff that no one is going to read—this means that you can jump around, you can make up words, you can make no sense at all, and it's all still helpful.

via artuccino

I have done these on and off in the past couple of years; on during times when I am feeling more proactive about doing things to better myself, and off when I'm just lazy. I liken them to going for morning runs, because while they are super helpful, but there are concessions you have to make:

• You have to wake up earlier. Three full pages before you start your day? I do two, single spaced, and that still takes a good 15 minutes.
• It's hard work. You'd think it would be easy, but when you're transcribing your thoughts you actually have to confront those thoughts—and if you are like me, you spend a lot of your time sitting on those thoughts to make them go away. (While that sounds kind of cryptic, remember that the thoughts you are writing down are the ones that no one else will be reading, probably not even you. Honestly, morning pages are just as effective as therapy as they are for writing blocks.)
• You can't do 'em without a coffee. Or maybe you can. But I sure can't! I don't do them as soon as I wake up, or else I would fall asleep mid-page. Just like you can't roll out of bed and hit the road running, there does need to be a buffer in between sleepy time and hard work.

Not that I'm trying to disuade you! This is an exercise that people swear by and do every morning for years, and I think they would help anyone—writer, musician, engineer, lawyer, salesperson. You can read more about them here, here, and here.

But I'd like to give a piece of advice that I haven't read in Cameron's book or in any of the blog posts I've seen about morning pages. After you've built up a good amount of text, say a week or two, go back and read over what you have written. Don't expect much from the writing and don't be judgmental, remember that the point was not to write a masterpiece. Look instead at what you chose to write about. When you see, day after day, the same issues come up in the morning pages, you might recognize something in your life that you are stuck on. In my case, I learned a lot about myself by reading things that I had otherwise repressed. This can help your writing but it can also help you to figure your shit out. 

Try them tomorrow! It's the perfect time of year to start a new positive habit! 

Lessons the New Year has Already Taught Me

Use your brow pencil. This is my new beauty essential, prioritized above even mascara. You look like you've jumped a social class just by thickening up your brows, and you're more expressive too. Get a cheap drugstore one with a little brush on the end and thank me later. If you need help, Jane Marie's oh-so-charming How to Be a Girl video is a girl's best friend.

Eyebrow champion (via)

Trust your Oprah whispers, and trust your best girl's too. I'm nearly caught up with the Kardashians, and I just finished watching Kim's Fairytale Wedding (horf). I was expecting a trainwreck, and I mean, I have the benefit of hindsight, like them krazies did not, but it was pretty damn obvious that something was off. Every 5 minutes, Kim was defensively saying how "everyone thinks they hate Kris until they spend time with him." NO, girl, NO. If everyone hates your boyfriend, it's because he's not a likable person. It's fine to be someone who takes time to warm up to new people, but if you're being a dick to the family of the girl you love, something's wrong. The only one who sensed this deep-seated shadiness was Khloe and after she got her head bitten off for the warning, she smartly backed off.

I'm not suggesting you spinelessly accept your friends' judgements, but it's wise to listen to your heart. Kim was constantly on the offensive, spouting off about their love, making excuses for her man, and jumping down the throat of anyone who showed the least bit of trepidation. If you find yourself making excuses for yourself or others, listen to your inner voice about why you're so quick to snap – you're probably trying to shut down feelings within yourself too.


On the first day back to work, your dog will poop on the rug, even if he has never so before. Have cleaning products handy. Don't take it personally – his love for you just goes beyond the boundaries of polite society.

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If you're looking to make a change, adopt constant vigilance. I am happy to say I'll be heading to a new job soon, and it couldn't be better timed – my office is about to move, meaning I'm avoiding a 2-hour commute. It's taken a long time to get here, but the biggest thing I've learned is to be ready for the right opportunity: if you're looking for a new job, keep your resume updated, your schedule flexible, your ear to the ground. Get yourself some business cards and hand them out to everyone. Have a generic cover letter that takes you a few minutes to customize. Update your portfolio regularly. Be willing to take meetings with anyone, even for jobs you're not really qualified for.

The most important thing is to ask questions that will help you in the next interview – find out what skills are best suited to the work, where the company's headed, what kind of work they're interested in pursuing. That sort of forward thinking only gives your conversation forward momentum and, in my experience, resonates well with your interviewer. At worst, even if that company doesn't bite, you'll have a better idea of desirable skills to work on presenting going forward. For a little inspiration, check out these two posts from Penelope Trunk on asking smart questions.


Taking a break from your habits isn't rewarding. Dance class kicked my ass this week, and rightly so – I hadn't practiced at all over the holidays. Making stretching part of my daily schedule will bring me back up to speed faster, and will allow me to do a better job in class in the future. I'm also trying to adopt this theory with my sleep schedule and prevent myself from sleeping in too late on the weekends – Mondays are just that much harder.


Try on jeans at a clothing swap. This is something I seldom do, since trying on pants can be an arduous and ego-bruising process, and jeans are the trickiest of them all. But I was able to score a pair of barely used Cheap Mondays that fit me like a fucking dream, and it's all because I took the time to take off my tights. Take off your tights, ladies!

(via)

What has the new year taught you so far?

A disguised list of resolutions

Coming home from a vacation is always sad, but time away from real life tends to give me the right amount of distance to know exactly what I want from life, and by the time I get back I am, like, raring to go. Here are some things that I am excited about lately.

Working from home:
Ho. My God. Everyone be jealous of me right now. I am gonna get shit done: I'm going to copy edit like a maniac, I'm going to write a whole lot, I'm going to clean, and organize, bake bread and muffins, and take lots of pictures of my cat. My full time office internship was incredible, but the months flew by and I realized that I had been doing so little of what is important to me. Now I feel like I have a bit more of that time.

Watching more movies:
If you want to get me to watch a movie, send me a screengrab with like Mia Farrow, some French New Wave chick, or Cary Grant. I'll add it to my list. After watching a lot of the Turner Classic Movie channel in Michigan, I realized that watching old movies is a very important thing to me. I'm going to do much more of that.

Enjoying the space where I live:
I hinted at it a few times over the last month or two, but Dan and I went through a really awful experience with some crazy neighbours that we had. Crazy like sociopathic, speed-metal loving, junk collecting, insomniac, homophobic, chain smokers—and we shared a house and a backyard with them. They are now gone, and I'm starting to feel less panicked in our apartment. It's a nice feeling to feel at home. By the way, if anyone wants an old rusted walker or a kids bike, we've got them in our backyard.

Learning about what I love:
I realized in 2011, when I was taking a copyediting class at Ryerson, that even if I love the topic I am learning about, I'm uninspired by a classroom setting with weekly readings, essays, exams, and all that. I like learning by myself, without being tested. I've always considered myself a smart girl, even though my grades, in highschool, university, wherever, have been pretty crap. I'm going to go lots of reading and lots of exploring. Cool.

Running:
I've been running on and off for several years, and I can't stop thinking that it's the perfect way to wake up. Especially if you don't have to shower afterward. Get in shape is always on the resolution list, but for me, running has always been more about clarity of mind than about looking good. Well, looking good would be a very close second.

via shoeguide

Taking more pictures:
You know when you blink and realize that you have forgotten about a passion you have? I haven't taken pictures in months. I started up again while I was in Michigan. Even though my sweet Pentax K1000 is broken and I'm sick of my Holga, I've been using Dan's old Olympus OM1, and it works just fine. Expect to see pretty pictures soon!

Tell us what you are looking forward to this year! It'll inspire us, I promise!

3 Little Steps Towards Big Resolutions

It’s January 4th, so hopefully by now you’ve recovered from your hangover, cleaned up the confetti, and maybe broken a resolution or two. Ahh, resolutions – they offer such promise, but too often we find ourselves reverting back to old habits so quickly.

Most resolutions tend to look something like these:
– save more/spend less
– get fit/lose weight
– devote more time to creative projects and things we love, but have fallen out of the habit of doing
– quit a bad habit (smoking and binge drinking seem to be two biggies)
– spend more time with family and friends

I think the trick to not breaking resolutions is to not aim too high at first. Especially if you’re trying to tackle a few different areas, I think decision fatigue is likely a major culprit of why good intentions fall by the wayside. Decision fatigue happens when you start making easier choices (aka. falling back into old habits) as you encounter more decisions throughout the day or when you’re making more conscious decisions in any area of your life.

Say you resolve to bring a lunch to work every day, which involves having the food ready beforehand, preparing and packaging it, remembering to take it in the morning, then staying strong and actually eating it when your coworkers parade past with their delicious take-out options. That’s a lot of willpower you’re expending on lunch, making it far more likely you’ll break down and grab pad thai for dinner. Girl, I feel you – this is pretty much my life story.

So here are some little suggestions I have for you to make some goals easier for you to accomplish at first. I’m going to focus on the first three, since they ring close to home for me.

1. Use Mint.com
I am really terrible with money. I didn’t used to be back in high school when I managed to save up for a few vacations, pay a cell phone bill every month and indulge in a whole new wardrobe on a pretty paltry retail employee’s paystub. I think I was far better at delaying gratification than I am now, plus there were a whole lot fewer expenses generally. But now, I fritter away money without even realizing it. So a few months ago, I signed up for Mint.

mint.com

Mint streams all the information from your various bank accounts into one neatly designed little system. There are a lot of things it can do—help create budgets, find you lower interest credit cards, etc.—but that’s not what I’m suggesting you do. For now, just stream your accounts in and keep your transactions list updated. If you use cash, spend five minutes at the end of every day and enter all your cash purchases and their categories too.

At the end of the month, you’ll have a pretty good idea of where your money’s going. When I first did this, I didn’t realize I had an $80 per month Starbucks habit. I didn’t realize I was spending more on food than I was on rent. I didn’t know! And yet I had made all of these decisions, every one.

The important thing this gives you is a backup check – every money decision you make throughout the day, you’re going to have to face again when you categorize it. I found this was really helpful for getting me to question my purchases, and it helped me make better choices once I had set up budgets in the system. I now have $50 dedicated to coffee shops per month and when I’m nearing the 30th and my balance is getting low, I tend to choose a brewed cuppa rather than a latte. Simple awareness of your actions will help you become a lot better at saving.


2. Find an activity you love
I am not an active person. I am the laziest schmo to ever laze upon a couch. There was one day over this holiday break that I didn’t even leave my bed – I just marathoned The Wire and got delivery and knit. I’ve been this way my whole life, and I’m not even embarrassed by it.

But I’ve started taking a ballet class. It’s a drop-in one on that starts late enough on Saturday mornings so I can sleep in, and I love it. For an hour and a half, I practice poise and I stretch and I bend and I jump. I forget myself and just move. I’m not particularly good, but it’s an hour and a half of activity per week that I wouldn’t be getting otherwise. Afterward, I go eat greasy diner breakfast with Laura and it’s pretty much perfection. 

Saturday mornings, like clockwork. (image via)

So maybe hold off on buying a gym membership for now, and just find a thing that you like to do. Maybe it’s a dance class that you go to once a week. Maybe it’s yoga. Maybe it’s a local sports league—I know some people who have fun at their weekly soccer game, and another friend plays baseball and drinks beers with her teammates afterward. Or maybe it’s just a walk you make a part of your routine—schedule a powerwalk with your ipod and Kanye to your favourite out-of-the-way coffee hole on a Saturday morning.

My point is, finding an activity you like to do and then finding an hour to do it is a pretty good way to start getting fit. You may not notice a huge difference right away, but it’s a fun way to make activity a more routine part of your life, and will make it easier should you choose to be more active in the future.


3. Schedule some creative time
Too often, we can get sucked into timesinks that don't give us much for our attenion, especially with us being a web-savvy bunch. The worst for me are Pinterest and Tumblr, where I can spend hours looking at beautiful things and thinking, “I could make that,” without spending any of my time actually trying to make that.

So give yourself some time—just an hour even, but it’s best if it’s an evening or an afternoon per week—and work on that thing you love and never seem to have time for. If you like finding music, go to a local show or do dedicated, thorough listen to a new album. If photography’s your thing, spend that time exploring the details of your neighbourhood or head out somewhere new, where you’ve got fresh eyes. If you’re a writer, write something that’s just for you, something that feels good and surprises you. Have a set reading or movie watching time. For me, right now, it’s spending time making jewelry, getting ready to open up an online shop (iieee, it feels weird to even say! Details to come soon!).

Stop focusing on your past or what others might think of what you’re up to: this space is a date with your inner creative self. This space doesn’t have room for anyone else’s opinions (and it shouldn’t even have space for your own), it’s just for you to actually DO. You need to give your creative side some room to play if you’re ever going to get any better at your thing. It doesn’t matter if what you’re creating isn’t living up to what you’d like it to be—that’s what that space is for: practice.

Well, kittens, here’s wishing you good luck. Change can be hard, but making small changes can be the strongest steps toward realizing your goals.

What's In My Bag?

Every time I see Amanda I bring a camera, hoping that I'll remember to put her on the spot and ask her to spill out the contents of her purse, with a promise that I'll go next. I never remember. I'll still get you, girl, when you least expect it. Here are the insides of my purse, with very little editing (I took out a crumpled receipt and a few pennies, but that's all).

Here's my daily purse. It's from Townshoes, I'm not embarrassed to admit. It can be worn about a million different ways, and it's pretty spacious without really looking it. Working at a fashion magazine and trolling the internet daily for deals has it's bonuses.

This baby deserves its own picture. I graduated from University recently, and I had been considering getting an iPad for ages. I won't say it was a surprise, but it was the most generous gift I've ever received, and I still feel like a lucky little girl. I carry it to and from work mostly to read the New Yorker while I'm in transit.

I'll try to go from the bottom left and clockwise here:

• Sunglasses from White Crow. These huge, round shades come with me everywhere.
• A receipt for the only seamstress I've ever gone to. She's up by my parents house and I only get there about once every 3 weeks, but it's worth it. Right now she's got a silk dress that I thrifted and am hoping comes out a tunic dress.
• Matte FX powder that belongs to my best friend—I borrowed this stuff a few months ago and forgot to return it. Too bad she lives in New York. On top is some Joe Fresh shimmer powder that I got for free from a Joe Fresh gift bag at work.
• Visine, necessary for anyone who wears contacts or states at a computer screen all day.
• Lipstick and lipstain in a similarly dark burgundy wine colour. I rarely remember to reapply, so it usually wears off after my first coffee in the morning, or my first beer on the weekends.
• My keychain, with a memory stick, hello kitty pendant, Swiss Army knife with edelweiss (cute!) and about 10 keys. I'm a trustworthy girl!
• Current nail polish and a quick dry top coat, just in case I need an on-the-go touch up.
• Two hair elastics, just in case I need to get my mane of hair off my neck. 
• My wallet came from Dan's grandfather, who was a photographer. It's made by Leica and smells like really old leather. On it is a Post-it that I found in a Diane Arbus biography that I was reading. It says: "Most people go through life dreaming they'll have a traumic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've passed their test in life. They're aristocrats."
• Blue pen, I'll never go anywhere without a pen to jot things down.
• My two favourite rings. They are my babies but I can't wear them and type at the same time. They spend most of their time in my purse, and only come out on special occasions.
• I hang up my bag when I get home, but somehow my cat always sneaks a little present in there for me. She has a life of her own while I'm asleep.

Life of Late

1. I made this Eggplant Ricotta Bake last week and it was revelatory. So easy to make, so rich and delicious, and much better for you than regular lasagna. I had never cooked with eggplant before and now I think I would like to all the time, if only because cutting them feels really fun (fact: eggplant is botanically considered a berry!) I would highly, highly recommend you try this.

via

2. Now that we're on the topic, I really wouldn't mind a bowl of this Mac & Cheese with Roasted Chicken, Goat Cheese and Rosemary either, please and thank you.

via

3. I've been reading some depressing but enlightening articles, like How a New Jobless Era Will Transform America by Don Peck (answer: negatively all over, and men are hit the hardest), and Alone Together (Is Urban Loneliness a Myth?) by Jennifer Senior (answer: yes, sorta).

To cheer you up, you should listen to one of my favourite episodes of This American Life, Rest Stop, or check out this awesome article on Rookie about Kreayshawn and Angel Haze.

4. Charlie got his first grooming since joining our little brood. And they cut off his beard. Do you know how much that killed me? I felt like a bad mother, like I had given Delilah the scissors and snuck her into Sampson's room. I had this sudden irrational fear that I had cursed my dog to a beardless existence, cursed to roam the earth like a pointy-faced ratfink.

Before 

 Then I remembered hair grows, and oh, duh, he's definitely going to have a beard again. Plus, it's two days later and he already looks closer to be his scruffy scamp self. And now he can actually see, that poor hairy bastard.

After. Note how his eyes can actually be expressive now!
This look says "please don't go to work."

He's really cute, right? Kinda like the dog from The Nightmare Before Christmas. All in all, I just learned I have to say, "cut my dog like a schnauzer, please." And that I probably shouldn't get him groomed that same week I'm mad PMSing. No harm, no foul.

5. Scout & Catalogue is killing it with their latest pouches. I'll take one of the blue leopard print or the el corazon in grey, thanks.

6. I've been feeding my Tumblr over at press the pause more frequently now that Google Reader has lost its sharing capabilities. And I'm digging it. If you have a Tumblr, post it in the comments and I'd love to follow you back (through Google Reader even, since that's how I actually see things online). I'm curious to know more about who's checking out BG on the regular!

Hope you all have a great weekend – we'll be having a party for my main squeeze/roomie's birthday, so it'll be a mad tidy up, a fun drunken evening, and then a hungover crash of a Sunday, I predict. I'll try to take pictures, promise promise.

Advice to Sink In Slowly

It's the start of a new month. How we're already through October I'll never know, but I'm making a conscious effort to look at this month as a fresh start. My beloved Google Reader has undergone a major overhaul overnight (taking with it one of my fave online communities). Susan Miller's telling me there are positive changes on the way (ugh, but expensive ones. And let's hope that baby thing doesn't come true either).

I've been feeling in a bit of a slump the past month, but November, man, we're gonna change all that. I'm going to finally get on that waking up thing, and maybe start those routines I was supposed to back in June. With that in mind, advice to sink in slowly seems like a well timed find.

Based in the UK, this project aspires to pass on personal advice and inspiration from graduating students to incoming ones. First years at participating schools are each given a poster, which I think is such a warm and useful welcome. These posters, beautifully illustrated and lovingly conceived, share advice on every aspect of life, from finding inspiration to eating breakfast every morning. It's good advice for all of us, not just students, and luckily, they're available to order at very reasonable rates.

A few of my favouites:

by Liz May

by Nigel Peake

by Thomas Austin

by David Gibson

by Oliver Sutherland

by David Plant

by Gemma Correll

by Owen Davey

Here's hoping you (and I!) find some inspiration today.