Around These Parts

Just a few snaps from life lately.

I brought this little aloe vera plant home unexpectedly on a neighbourhood walk with my mutt, Charlie. I don't have the best luck at keeping plants alive, but surely hanging out in my sunny bay window is a better fate than languishing inside a crammed convenience store. Any green thumbs out there have any tips for me?

I had a really nice Saturday – brunch at the Marche with friends from out of town, an afternoon trying on makeup at Sephora with Laura, a sunny walk to a dumpling joint, a relaxing evening watching Freaks and Geeks. All in all, pretty much perfect. And I picked up my ideal watch while I was at it – an ol' reliable Timex, with a stretchy gold band and big, plain face (plus it's got Indiglo! A practical delight since 1992!) I've needed a watch replacement ever since the numbers on my old rose-gold fave flaked off and this one, with its 10-year battery and old-man seal of approval, is sure to last me a while.

The pan-fried dumplings from Dumpling House, my new favourite Chinese place in the city. These were crazy good – the fillings are deliciously savoury, the outsides the right amount of chewy, and the lace-like pan crispiness adds a nice textural difference. Dipped in soy sauce with a dab of Chinese mustard? Consider my mind blown. I went on Friday at lunch, and couldn't stop myself from bringing Laura the next day. Their noodles are those amazing, thick Shanghai-style ones, so don't miss those either. Plus it's super cheap – an order of noodles and a pan of dumplings is enough to generously feed two, and comes in well under $20 with tip.

Perhaps my favourite mani to date. Both colours are American Apparel – the grey is Echo Park, the yellow is Neon Yellow – with a coat of Seche Vite on top. I just did two coats of the base colour then thickly dabbed the yellow along the edge (I find you need to go really thick with neon colours, or have a white base underneath).

Swap Scores

Amanda hosted a swap on Saturday and it was so much fun! I drank too many mimosas and forgot to document the actual swapping activity (also, I was too busy secretly burrowing away pieces that I wanted so only I'd know where to find them. All's fair in love and swap!!). Instead, I made some of the girls pose with their favourite piece that they took home. Here are the lovely ladies and the stuff they scored.

Name: Jamie

Item: Black handbag

I love it because: It has a long shoulder strap and I love the gold and black colour combo. 

Name: Sarah

Item: Black lace babydoll

I love it because: It's black and it's free. What's not to like?

Name: Jessica

Item: Denim vest

I love it because: I feel like Springsteen

Name: Caitlin

Item: Plaid shirt

I love it because: I have a love affair with plaid. Also, it's a good colour and super cozy.

Name: Stephanie

Item: Houndstooth sweater

I love it because: It's classy but cozy!

Name: Katie

Item: Black skull and crossbones cardigan

I love it because: It fits and it's fun.

Name: Karen

Item: Striped tee and blue ceramic necklace

I love it because: Stripes are perfect to dress up a tee for spring!

Name: Laura Kathleen

Item: White denim shorts

I love it because: I can never have enough pairs of shorts... I wear them all year round.

Name: Amanda

Item: Suede bomber jacket

I love it because: it's the perfect neutral colour, plus I feel a bit like a lady greaser

All in all it was a perfect day, and I think we all went home happy (and with more room in our closets). Thanks girls!

All Up in My Business

I know I've not been around much. But seriously, with a packed work schedule, unbelievably beautiful weather (double digits!) and a time change that's had my days starting in slow-mo, you're lucky to have caught me at all. I haven't been browsing the web much, but what I have been doing is practical – I have a question, I need an answer. Questions like...

What should I eat for dinner?

This Flank Steak and Arugula Salad from Martha Stewart, duh. This was pretty easy and also crazy delicious. The idea of using salsa as a salad dressing base is pretty genius too, Martha. Oh boy, let the season of salads begin!

I also made a pretty delicious roasted beet, wilted beet greens and goat cheese salad this weekend but, as per usual, forgot to take photos because I was too busy chowing down. I promise, I'll do that recipe up proper and soon – I'll definitely be making it again. Until then, this version with oranges looks pretty delicious.

via Dinner with Julie

This simple tomato soup recipe on 101 Cookbooks has also been calling my name. Coconut milk, a poached egg and fried paneer? Count me in.

via 101 Cookbooks

What should I wear?

Right now, I'm wishing for ankle-grazing long flowy dresses, but worn without sweaters, so warm though it may be I'll just have to wait a bit longer.

I'm obsessed with this dress from Tarantula Sisters and it still hasn't been bought. It's calling my name, I swear it.

This one, also from those sisters Tarantula, is also pretty rad, but it's sold, THANK GOD.

How babely is this girl on Street Peeper's blowout?

This Karen Walker model's hair and makeup look are pretty much a platonic ideal. F/W 2012? Try right this fucking minute.

Oh, and today I doubled up on leopard print without knowing. It's days like this I think, how many babies been made offa me, you know?

That's Revlon's Copper Penny, American Apparel's Summer Peach and a random art brush black.

As always, my Pinterest is where it's at.

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.

The View From Here

Now that I've got an iPhone 4S, I've been taking a lot more pictures lately. I didn't realize how little I felt like doing that with my old 3G, as the camera was pretty grainy. And so, of course, I've taken to Instagram. Follow me if you feel like seeing more.

Charlie got some new boots because the salt was stinging his poor little paws. He's got the rubbery kind that look like balloons, and he hasn't seemed to mind them at all. The sound of his paws sticking to the floor is pretty much the highlight of my week.

I've been wearing this bright green glitter polish all week – it's from the Muppets x OPI collection, called Fresh Frog of Bellair (thanks, G!). And I finally made it out to Topshop this week and picked up this chunky brass ring. The small bands are from H&M.

My bestie Gillian, waiting for me to buy a stack of magazines before we saw Beauty and the Beast 3D. Such patience.

Poor little Joey. He's my boyfriend's mom's dog, and is just the cutest thing ever. He gets too hyper though, and needs to take crated time-outs when we come over. With his dark tear stains and lonesome expression, I thought he looked like a jailed bandit.

Dispatches

There's too much cool stuff in the world today for me to keep it to myself.

via the Examiner and NASA

There's been a rad new planet discovered! Called Kepler-22b (for now), its 1.6 times the size of Earth, features temperatures similar to southern California's and has a calendar year of 290 days (about 2 months shorter than Earth's). So, essentially, there's a retirement planet nearby where you get old faster but live like a king. It probably never rains either. Before you pack your bags, know that they're still trying to figure out if it's made of rock, gas or liquid. Fingers crossed it doesn't go all Melancholia on us.

The New Yorker posted this cool little story about fear and writing—how writing can calm fears, or exacerbate them. I fall on both sides of the divide, in equal measure. Writing! What a curse, what a joy! (Oh, also, if you're excited about The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo, as I am, David Denby's review has caused quite the uproar by going against the studio's embargo on reviews of the film published before December 13. The producer Scott Rudin and director David Fincher have both decried his actions and banned him from future screenings, even though the review was very positive. Oh Hollywood, you DO go on.)

via

These Maryland convicts have been transformed by a program called Knitting Behind Bars, which does exactly what you'd think it does – teaches hardened criminals how to knit. I've long extolled the benefits that I think knitting has on me personally (besides the warmth of knitted goods, that is), and I totally believe that it would have a really positive effect on someone in prison. The inmates all seem to have a really great attitude about knitting, and it even helps them reach parole more easily, due to the calming effect on their demeanor and that they're giving back to the community. Knit on with yo' bad selves, guys. (It also really reminded me of a great TAL episode, Act V, where prisoners perform the last act of Shakespeare's Hamlet.)

I thought this was a really cool local news story: a teacher in the middle of a first-aid lesson on CPR and defibrillators actually had to USE it when a student's heart stopped in a nearby class. Now he and the other teacher who helped restart the kid's heart are up for Emergency Medical Services Citizens' Awards. Talk about good timing (and heartwarming? Ohhhh...)

via

I saw The Skin I Live In this week, and let me tell you, it was every bit as amazing as I thought it would be. Beautiful, lush photography, gorgeous people and performances, and a melodramatic, twist-filled plot that kept me absolutely hooked. And looking back, the trailer makes perfect sense. I'm still trying to parse out what all the complicated layers of meaning suggest, but all I can say is, the less you know about this one going in, the better.

And also this week, I read the first book of The Hunger Games in less than 26 hours, with about 6 hours of actual reading time. Talk about a fiction hurricane. I'm getting the next two books this evening, and I expect the rest of my week to be detonated, with me curled up in bed, furiously flipping pages. A serious ton of fun (and I was impressed by the trailer for the upcoming film adaptation—they only cover the introductory third of the book.)

Life of Late, the Second

Alas, I am busy as a bee today, so I've got a few recommends to tide you over.

Rebecca Coriam: Lost at Sea is the story of how one young woman (and over 171 people like her) have disappeared off cruise ships in the past eleven years. Coriam was a crew member on a Disney ship, and details about her probable death have been obscured by the company, the lack of investigation and the nature of international waters. Food for thought – especially those statistics on the higher instance of sexual assault aboard cruise ships. Thanks to Karen for the tipoff.

via Vanessa Jackman

I've been wearing my hair like these backstage Tory Burch SS 2012 models for the past few days. Perfect for hair that's a day or two dirty – you just use a bit of hairspray and backteasing just near the middle of your head, smooth the strands overtop and tighten your hair elastic at the sides. Easy peasy and perfectly polished. Many more photos available at Vanessa Jackman's ever lovely website.

via Rebecca Like Nails

One of my goals for this weekend is to try this pretty watercolour nail tutorial. I can see it being very lovely with a palette akin to Starry Night or maybe one of these beautiful paintings by Michael Cina. Plus it looks way easier than the marbling technique that I never had enough patience to try.

via Closet Cooking

Speaking of plans for this weekend, I'm about to eat my face off. Tomorrow I have plans to make these mexican baked eggs, and later I'm probably going to indulge in a pot of this french onion soup and this roasted beet salad. It's going to be a magnificent symphony of food.

via Smitten Kitchen

I've had to take a break from knitting as my tendonitis has flared up again, and it couldn't be more poorly timed. It's the holiday season! The time to be making cozy, soft, cushiony, knit-with-love goodies! So, aside from babying my arm in alternating hot and ice baths, I've been planning what's next on my needles. In my dream world, that includes these goodies (all with patterns!)

Gina's Brioche Cowl via The Purl Bee

Marian via Ravelry

Short Row Sweater via The Purl Bee

Crocheted Chunky Circle Scarf via People Webs

Love Socks via Ravelry

Laura and I are going to see Melancholia and I'm megapsyched. Sure, it's going to be depressing, but it's also supposed to be sumptuous and gorgeous. We can soothe our rattled nerves at the Grace Kelly exhibit we're also checking out. Baby's first Lars Von Trier!

I'm about to start an extra long weekend, and I just can't wait for it (tomorrow!).

Have a great weekend guys, and I hope it's filled with lots of the good stuff.