friday favourites 15.07.11

well, after my week off, i'm back to fill you in on the little things that made my time better in the last little while. i have an abiding fury with canada post, owing to the fact that i'm stuck depending on them, which has tainted much of my week, but given that i got to celebrate dom's b-day [see my earlier post], which involved getting together with friends at cagibi [which is remarkably similar to what we do almost every wednesday, but involved more drinking this time] and listening to the electro stylings of dj tyg, it's certainly a week that had its high points. several of them, in fact...

1. a cosmetic find :: i wasn't even looking, because i assumed i'd missed the boat long ago, but i managed to score a tube of nars' much-coveted, no-longer-available "strawberry fields" lip gloss. as far as glosses go, i'm a sucker for cheery, saturated magentas, so it does seem like fate that this gloss and i eventually found each other. it's a perfect summery shade, the kind of thing that sort of yells at the sun "hey! i can be all bright and stuff too!" and in fact, that's what i did. you can see the results here. if you're in the montreal area and think this looks appealing, you should consider checking the nars counter at the bay downtown. no one said i got the last one.

MUCH MORE AFTER THE BREAK AND YOUR CAT OF THE WEEK...

i think you're awesome, too

2. my love, justified :: i was kind of horrified this week that i felt compelled to write a letter to fluevog telling them i was unhappy about something. long story short, i've basically lost two heel caps off very lightly-worn shoes in the last couple of weeks. i didn't want to be nasty, and i wasn't, but i sort of felt rattled that after a very long time of being a dedicated e-vog-gelist was i was suddenly feeling a bit shaken.

the response, as i gleefully pointed out to dom, is the kind of thing that should be shown to people in business school. it was prompt, but at the same time, it showed that the person who received it had followed up to get me answers. and those answers make good sense, which is really all i wanted. there was a solution offered and the entire tone was gracious without seeming obsequious or phony. well done!

and fyi, they're having their annual summer sale right now, so it is a great time to check out what they have available. 

3. schadenfreude :: if there is a better feeling for a thinking observer of media than watching rupert murdoch twist in the wind, i can't think of it. oh, wait. but this is really so much bigger.

further proof that gingers have no souls

don't get me wrong. i'm so disgusted by everything i hear about this scandal that i'm finding it difficult to eat while watching the news. i mean, i knew that murdoch's empire was rotten, but this is bad even by the standards of a corporation that allows something it calls a news agency to knowingly propagate lies in the name of inflaming popular rhetoric, so that meaningful issues cannot be discussed in a rational, comprehensive way [assuming they can be discussed at all]. ahem. i'm getting carried away.

it's just that all of the disgust i can muster isn't going to change what's happened. so you'll forgive me if i just sit back and hope that the rot is profound enough to bring down the whole castle. this morning's news that executive rebekah brooks- who was the head of "news of the world" when it was engaged in the worst of its phone hacking and who was subsequently promoted [let's all think about that for a second]- has fallen on her sword is just the latest thing that makes me hope that, just maybe, there is some justice in the world.

4. a job well done :: those of you who follow me on twitter saw this picture, which is what happened when my superintendent came in to paint the recently rebuilt ceiling in my bathroom. apparently, he decided to test the wall to see if it needed some grouting and accidentally ended up pulling most of the wall down. well, to be honest, it was kind of an accident waiting to happen.

but now look at my bathroom.

not only is it freshly painted, but it's freshly tiled and grouted and it's cleaner than it has been ever in this century, thanks to the use of a lot of elbow grease [by the superintendent] and a cleaner that i was told not breathe too close to. [strangely, my asthma has been better the last couple of days.]

i think i'm a little intimidated by it. i feel like i might not be clean enough to bathe there, which is kind of a difficult problem to solve. but damn, it's sparkly and white and large parts of it are newer than the hair that probably still inhabits the drain. not too shabby. not shabby at all.

those are a few of my bright spots this week. feel free to share yours. this week, of course, i'll be reserving time in my schedule to sit down and watch as much coverage as i can possibly stand of mad murdoch's woes, but i promise not too get too smug. i have a feeling he'll weasel out one way or the other.

speaking of smug, i have to say that this is becoming a problem for me. i've recently started forcing myself to button down and keep detailed lists of things i need to do, so that i can track my own progress and not forget to do things for three months like i normally do. the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment this brings should, at best, qualify as "normal", but i've been kind of lax for the last little while, letting myself get intimidated by random things i haven't been getting done, so i feel like i've been oh so very productive lately. i've reached that stage where i can't help crowing about things i've gotten done, which is probably incredibly irritating for people who have to be around me [dom]. so i'll add a note to my list that i have to not be quite so proud of myself. after all, i've been quite productive, but i also accidentally used dish soap in my mopping water.


regular readers of the blog might recall that i have a real love for things purple, so this just seemed like the purrrrfect kitteh of the week photo...

thanks for reading and have a great week!

friday favourites 01.07.11

it's canada day! that's about as much nationalism as i can muster at the moment. it's also friday, which means it's that time where i pause on reflect on the things that brought a few smiles and warm feelings to the week that was. this week can be tentatively titled "sh*t i found on the internet", since it seems like this was the week in which the web decided to reveal its humourous, beautiful and useful bounty to me. hey, it's a big world and it turns out that you can access surprising parts of it while sitting on your butt.


here's what put a curl in my lips this week ::

the bloggess :: a lot of people saw her post last week about picking your battles, enough that her site crashed and things went all crazy. but you'd really be losing out if you didn't take the time to go and look at the rest of her site, as well as her links to her advice columns on parenting and sex [which are ideas that go together, even if you don't want to think about it. don't get a mental image.] you can also peruse her web shop, which has some beyoncé the giant chicken merchandise now that the dust has settled.

beauty and the bullshit :: a blog from a former cosmetic industry insider that helps people like me understand how they're being manipulated. it's fun, it's practical and it's what you've always suspected, but the detail that she gives on how you're being conned is enlightening and gives you an idea of how to evaluate what you see with a critical eye. [assuming that everything is lies is not evaluating with a critical eye. some stuff works and you want to know how to tell the difference.] note :: i've linked to her blogspot address, but i understand that this will be switching over to her own "proper" address in short order.

THERE'S MORE! PLUS THE WEEKLY CAT PIC...



bats. fuck yeah :: i've gone on about my love for owls, but i'm also really fond of bats. last year, when dom and i were at his high school reunion, we were looking through the building so that he could walk me through moments in his past, as well as show me what places gave him some inspiration for his first film project, hallowed halls, we came across one flaying through the school's own hallowed halls. it gave me a strange thrill. just looking at the images that people have uploaded fills me with wonder and, in a lot of cases, makes me squee.

shoe therapy :: it's been a while since i picked up a new pair of fluevogs, so i took advantage of an invite to a "pre-sale" event they had at the local fluevog store this week. in fact, both dom and i indulged and our feet are the happier for it. the sale continues both in fluevog retail locations and on line while stock lasts. please make sure to ask my permission before ordering size 6 in anything. i have dibs. seriously. if anyone would like to buy me a birthday present, it's still several months away, but you can save money by buying early.

bitchcakes :: this is exactly what i need to be reading as i attempt to progress on my diet. perhaps it's the fact that we're around the same age, or the fact that she believes in the importance of saving weight watchers point for booze, or the fact that we're both neurotic, but i find her blog really inspirational. it's refreshingly honest and human and it also makes me feel extraordinarily lazy, because i know damn well i'm never going to be in the shape that she is, but it does give me a good idea of what one determined person can do.

the main problem i've run into with my own diet this week is that i've not been making myself eat small meals on a regular basis, but rather letting myself get really, really, really hungry, which is hell on the metabolism and leaves me wanting to devour huge quantities of food at once. while i haven't necessarily been bad about dieting, i haven't been pacing myself properly, which is kind of key to doing it right. this week, i shall behave myself and be healthy, i swear.

one other thing that i've started to crack down on a bit is making myself record details of my dreams. this is something i like to track, because i like to know what my mind is thinking when i'm not there, but i also find it a great source of writing inspiration. even if it's just one particular image, it often helps. so i'm also promising to be disciplined about that. i'll kick my own butt into all sorts of shape.

i hope that everyone has had a fulfilling week and that good stuff continues to haunt you. feel free to share your high points [or low points, if you need to vent] and, as always, thanks for reading. here's your kitteh pic of the week. this started out as a brother-sister cuddle between seth and julia, which was cute enough, but hecubus decided he wanted in and that he had to be right in the thick of things, which is usually where he's most comfortable.

friday favourites 01.28.11

here's a little something that i've decided to start in the hopes of bringing some organisation to the lovable chaos that is this blog. i've never tried doing a regular feature before, but i figure an easy place to start is just with a recap of some of the things that i've been appreciating over the last week, or at least things that have captured my interest.

ricky gervais :: depending on what you believe, gervais either thumbed his nose at the entire assembled hollywood elite or pulled off the greatest publicity stunt in the history of entertainment. the man himself has pointed out that he wasn't exactly revealing any great secrets (robert downey jr. has had drug problems? seriously? i never knew.) and anyone who's seen gervais do stand up knows that he has a reputation for offending just about everyone, but the evening was still a welcome respite from a lifetime of awards shows that are to entertainment what ambien is to energy. it obliterated the fact that the awards themselves were utterly predictable. besides, anyone who has harvey weinstein hiring a posse of guys to take him out has to be doing something right.

(the following clip is probably not safe to play in front of your coworkers, your family, or even yourself if you're easily offended. you have been warned.)



new additions :: sure, everyone thinks i've lost my damn mind, but there are two new furry faces in my life. one of the most fascinating things about having my own little pride of lions about is that my inner anthropologist gets to observe feline society in the making. there is a developing social hierarchy, as well as a nebulous network of allies based on who is getting along with whom. i'm also wondering whether or not i can use them for strength training, lifting each of them to give myself some weight resistance. i figure i can start with the siamese and work my way up to the maine coon. cuddling as exercise.


leigh-ann white :: aka, my deep tissue massage therapist. i know what you're thinking- massage is a luxury, not really therapy. i'm guessing that if you are thinking that, you've never had back problems. i've had them for many years and no one has ever been able to do anything useful for me until i met leigh-ann. the difference is that, with her, not only do you get a better sort of massage (filled with good hurt), but you also get someone who knows a lot about anatomy, how things get messed up, and how to undo the ravages of time and neglect. of course, at the moment, my back, neck and shoulders probably hurt more than when i first went to see her. the difference is that i don't feel like my breathing is restricted, i don't have numbness and weird tingling in my arms and i can feel things gradually starting to loosen. if you have back problems, get yourself a good massage therapist. if you live in montreal, get leigh-ann!

fluevogs :: ok, i always love fluevogs, but this week is special because the first set of designs for 2011 were unleashed upon the public. and sure, i probably have enough shoes to last three lifetimes, but can i help it if he just keeps coming out with such awesome designs? best of all, this is one of those times where one has the choice of what's new and what's affordable, because a lot of outgoing models and colours are on sale. i already have a list of springtime choices picked out and it makes for very good motivation to get myself back in the workforce, pronto.

the rebellion against post-literacy :: this isn't something new, but since i started following GRAMMARHULK on twitter, i have at least some hope that there are people out there who are trying to resuscitate the english language from the near-death state in which the last years have left it. yes, you can still send text message asking if your friend has arrived at the restaurant before you with whole words, not with : u r in restaurant? (come to think of it, that reads like it might be kind of disgusting.) current opinion holds that, with computers to check our spelling and online resources to provide synonyms, antonyms and translations, the need for individuals to be literate is passe. i hold with the always-wonderful "the oatmeal" that people who use words without knowing what they mean, or who can't spell simple words just look dumb.

so what's making you happy this week? or, if you've had a rough one, what would improve the things that are vexing you? personally, i'm waiting for blogger (hello? hello google overlords?) to come up with an iphone app that will allow me to use this space from wherever my adventures take me. then you'd never shut me up!

what i'll be watching this week :: egypt. sure, we all thought that the first revolution and coup of the internet age was going to happen in iran. remember, we all changed our twitter avatars green for a week or so? you don't remember? well it doesn't matter, because now the first revolution and coup of the internet age is absolutely, positively, without any possibility of doubt (ahem) going to happen in egypt. it's the same sort of story, but the work of internet interlopers wikileaks and the cloud of mystery that still surrounds mubarak's rise to power and the assassination of his predecessor anwar sadat make for a potentially explosive variant.

a woman's right to shoes

many of you may have followed my adventure in shoes during the month of july already. for those who haven't, i've been participating in something called "everyday fluevog", something done for the john fluevog web site (see "where kate's money goes" link on the side), where they post a new photo every day of a footwear fan wearing a different pair of their own fluevogs.

this is obviously a bit of a challenge, since anyone wanting to do it needs to have at least 31 pairs of fluevog shoes. but, as many have already seen, i'm up to the challenge.

so i embarked, with my trusty photographer, on a month-long odyssey of capturing my fluevogs in action, thinking of all the different things that i do in them. you can see a full page of the results here.

of course, there are those who will find my self-indulgence positively sinful. after all, despite the constant exhortations to spend, we are programmed to think that spending on frivolities and spending on oneself is somehow wrong. i can live with that criticism. i have no problem justifying the purchase of shoes when i don't own a car. those are just the choices i've made. those who criticise are probably all wearing crocs anyway.