New Job

I started my new job yesterday at the St. Laurent Gap in Ottawa. I was sad to leave all my old friends in London but excited to meet some new people. I had also been off work for ten days so I was glad to be back to check out the spring/summer line which is beautiful, so many pastels and nautical prints. See some of the new looks below!

Black Swan

I liked Black Swan so much I figured I should write a little follow up blob about it. IT WAS AMAZING! Natalie Portman was electric, terrifying, riveting, captivating... she was everything. The movie made me cringe and awe and even sweat a little! The costumes were amazing, without doubt, the best they could have been. I applaud Rodarte a hundred times over. Mila Kunis as well was so sensual and fun, she also lost an amazing amount of weight and looked the part, and she killed the make-out scene, which was highly erotic but so twisted. The mother is the film suffered so much, it reminded me a bit of those ladies on TLC, pageant moms I think they are referred to. The hardest part of the film for me was knowing what was real and what was not. The imagination was so vivid; reality and the dreamworld collided a bit too much for me to really comprehend at times what was happening. Regardless, Black Swan was a wonderful film, very artistic and the acting was spot on.

My Reading List

There have been many books waiting patiently to be read on my bookshelf. Now is finally their time as I have finished my undergraduate degree and have ample amounts of leisure time and a quiet apartment. Don't get me wrong, I have read a plethora of books during my degree (largely a rereading of Harry Potters and Agatha Christies on beaches and holidays) but these are books which I have anticipated reading, many of which are classics. So here it is, my reading list:

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
From Here to Eternity by James Joyce
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins

I've begun with Julie and Julia so as to ease myself into things, I started reading it this morning at the gym and have been enjoying the misadventure of her life so far. Also, the idea of selling a few eggs for $7500 dollars is growing in my mind... better step lightly.

Laundry Day

Today is the dreaded laundry day, where I sort through all the clothes; new, old, coloured, whites, jean, delicates, etc. and try to place them in their corresponding washing machine. Generally I just do cold water everything and keep my whites separate, my colours separate, and my jeans and towels separate, however, I am open to laundry suggestions. It occurred to me that laundry is an art, and that the star is the clothes, and anything that involves clothes is sure to be fun. However, the one daunting thing about laundry is hanging it all up to dry (or at least most of it as I don't really like anything except towels and old clothes to go in the dryer). When you are in an apartment building it becomes such a challenge to find room on that little tiny metal drying rack, then you wait a few days until everything is dry, and rejoice, you can dirty it again! I'm dreaming of summer today, of clotheslines and pastel dresses waving in the wind drying, the smell of detergent in the air. Summer can't come soon enough dear readers.

Friday Night Date Night

Tonight is date night with my boyfriend and we are staying in, watching 'Black Swan' and I'm painting my nails with the OPI breast cancer edition, a very light pink that is my new favourite polish. It is so light and delicate, perfect for everyday and so very feminine, almost a ballet pink. I think an obsession is brewing. I am so excited for the costumes in 'Black Swam' which were designed by Rodarte, a label comprised of the Mulleavy sisters, who are dangerous and daring in their costume making. Their wonderful designs and the extreme make-up used in the film give it such a raw look, the tutus and the red contacts are imprinted on my mind.

Shabby Chic

How do you feel about shabby chic dear readers? I'm in the middle of trying to decorate my new apartment in Ottawa and it is a daunting task. I did pick up a beautiful antique table and I am going to make it over with a bit of creamy white paint and sand paper to make it shabby chic and to match with some cream chairs. My living room and dining room are largely beige and whites, so I think I might throw in some pops of colour with black, Tiffany blue, and dusty rose. This weekend I'm planning a visit to Homesense to try to pick up some knick-knacks and paintings to add some interest to this beige landscape. My bedroom on the other hand is pretty well complete, lots of white furniture, contrasting pillows in a vintage black and white paisley print, and a DIY coffee table benche covered in a striped black material.

For the apartment makeover I'm going to take a cue from the movie You've Got Mail and try to spruce up the apartment ala Meg Ryan, owner of the Shop Around the Corner. This winter I'm going to begin work on a quilt and sew it by hand! It's going to be a daunting task but I think it will be the perfect one to occupy me while I'm out of school. I also really need to pick up some flowers to dry to put in the new vase my boyfriend's mom bought me for Christmas. One thing I really love about the apartment she has created below is the use of lamps. They are everywhere, including the kitchen! They're so country and familiar and shabby all at once. I'm also so jealous of all the bookcases. Books are my favourite things in the world, besides clothes of course. As Kathleen Kelly said, in You’ve Got Mail, "When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does." I think she was very wise.

Ottawa, Oh Ottawa

Last night I checked out some of the shopping Ottawa has to offer. First stop was Byward Market for a little shopping before dinner, I bought a nice sourdough loaf at a bakery and ogled some wool and shearling gloves that were well beyond my price range. After dinner at Cornerstone with some of my favourite girls from London who were up visiting, I stopped by the Rideau Center with the boyfriend. The Bay is immaculate there, resplendent in a massive Ralph Lauren section and a beautiful first floor make-up counter, boasting all the designer lines. I duly purchased a new Diorshow mascara and made my merry way along to the rest of the mall. Highlights included Michael Kors, a large Club Monaco, a Mens and Womens Banana Republic complete with shoes, and a very lovely and large Gap. Of course I had to take advantage of the shoes at Banana Republic (50% off, who could resist) so I bought a pair and Roger and I proceeded to take our chariot home (which now is the bus sadly). To be noted, Ottawa has no H&M, no Forever21. Fairly disappointing but there are other gems out there. Now to discover the side streets and hidden gems housing boutiques and delicious bakeries.

 

Kate Spade Sale!

Rejoice, rejoice!!! There is an additional 25% off on Kate Spade. The Nell flats I have been dreaming of are well within my reach and so is the Jane Street Remy wallet I have been coveting since June.

New Year's Cheers

Hello world,

Laziest blogger ever here! Sorry I've been gone so long but it was the holidays and I've been pretty busy in the interim, moving to Ottawa, filling out MA applications, and trying to get a real life job up here. I'm new to the Ottawa community and would like to get to know people in the blog community here, so drop me a line if you are a local blogger!

Hope everyone's NYE was eventful. I went to a very fun party hosted at a bar in Toronto, called Baby Huey's, which is so exclusive it doesn't even have a sign advertising it (or maybe they just can't afford one). Michelle of Michelle my Belle took me a long and it was a night to be remembered. Here's to 2011!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas loyal readers! Hope your shopping went well and that you will be stylishly outfitted for Christmas. Today just wanted to do a very quick post on Lady Gaga. Love her or hate her, you can't deny she has some serious style. I read earlier she was in at Bergdorf's shopping and was overheard saying to her bodyguards ".... I waited my whole life to be able to afford coming here." That just touches my heart, she is so very human despite all the costumes and makeup. I can just picture her living in New York struggling to make ends meet and looking at the beautiful window displays on Fifth Ave. Remember to be thankful for all that you have been given and all that you are blessed to give, I know I'm trying to today.