OMG Guess what I'm going to see in February?!!

My awesome great Aunt Mary bought me a ticket. I've told everyone I know. I am beyond excited.

Ahh the holidays. I hope that you have been enjoying yours as emensley as I have been enjoying mine. Since arriving home in Halifax I have..

..eaten Lobster twice. (!!)
..spent what might be considered an embarassing amount of time hanging out with my dog Toby
..eaten turkey dinner to the point where I needed to lay down...twice.
..watched 4 movies - two in theatres, two on tv (The King's Speech is a must see, and I will never get tired of watching The Sound of Music)
..had a marathon baking session with Sophia - the best niece ever in the whole world
..drunk copious glasses (bottles?!) of wine
..had the time to sit and read 2 magazines cover to cover AND do at least 4 crossword puzzles (I'm currently working on the giant Globe and Mail crossword - it's slow going)

I've also managed to take a couple moments to reflect on how lucky I am at this time of year. I am fortunate to be surrounded by those I love, and to have a roof over my head and food on the table.

Hearfelt Holiday Wishes to you all!

Hope you find some time to relax and enjoy the company of loved ones. I for one am looking forward to an afternoon of baking with my niece and an evening that includes one of my favourite things: LOBSTER!! (yummmm).

(Can you believe it's "Christmas Eve Eve" already?!)

via French By Design

Yesterday while Christmas shopping, I fell in love with these boots. They were at the Bay (of all places) and they were 40% off and they were sold out in my size. Cue devastation. The blankity-blank employee refused to call other stores to see if they had my boots so I may do some investigation of my own. I mean, for a pair of winter boots these are pretty damn cute - just sayin.

I love everything about these tights.

I want them. I need them. They are the most fabulous.

Image found on Model's Own

OHMIGOD I WANT TO DO THIS.

Covent Garden, tea, opera - it's like all of my favourite things!

There is an extreme cold weather warning in Toronto. First of the season, and the earliest there has ever been one. So I guess it's time to layer up and think cozy thoughts - like sitting by the fire in this awesomely cozy living room:

Weathered wood, gorgeous textiles, fireplace... how lovely it must be to hole up in this space with a pot of tea and a good book.

Image found on Bliss

Oh yeah! Happy 50th Anniversary Corrie! Well I myself am not an avid watcher I have spent many a Sunday morning harassing my mother with endless questions about plot lines and characters as she tried to catch up with the latest drama on this tiny British street.

Day Off Tomorrow. This is what's happening:

Image from Natalie Dee

Hello beloved readers. I'm sorry I abandoned you last month. I wasn't overly busy per say but I spent a lot of time doing non-computer things - like baking, and cross-stitching, and painting and sewing and reading books. It was kind of nice, actually.

Now that it is December I am re-committing to the blogosphere. December also means that I am in full-blown Christmas mode. I've bought a itsy bitsy Charlie Brown Christmas tree for my apartment, and completed it with a blue blanket and solitary red ornament, and am listening to Christmas songs as frequently and constantly as possible. (Thanks 98.1!) Speaking of radio, I've also stumbled across this little gem, which is made especially awesome by the fact that the chocolate Advent calendar my mother sent me got lost in the mail.

I am in Love

...with this house. It is in France (of course) and it is G-orgeous.

"Where fear is, happiness is not.”

- Seneca

via Beyond the Gray

Lately I've been feeling a lot like this:

Maybe not the making out on the edge of an abyss bit, but the pouring rain and the sudden overwhelming urge to scream at the top of my lungs certainly resonates. I've heard people advocate for 'having a good cry' as a means to let it - whatever 'it' is - all out. I'm sure crying until one's eyes run dry can be a good outlet however for me, and especially for me right now, a big loud scream till my lungs are sore seems like it would be much more cathartic. Unfortunately I live in a large city, in an apartment building with shamefully thin walls. Anybody know of any vast chasms in downtown Toronto?

Sooo I haven't been a very good blogger this past week. And so, as per what seems to be the norm when I feel like I'm neglecting my blogger duties I'm going to post a bunch of links that I've collected. Voila:

Really cute wall decor
A lovely post with wise words that I empathize with and would like to adhere to (and a pretty picture toboot!)
The fabulous Brigitte Bardot
Cute cartoon (awww)
If you're in Toronto you should check out some of these exhibits. I'd like to!
Super cute little note

Ummmm not much else to report at the moment. Outside it's dark and raining. Inside a folk band has taken over my apartment. It's been an interesting Tuesday.

Bubbly, Black and White

Thanks to So About What I Said for turning me onto this super fab photo shoot!

Stocism

beautiful photo from National Geographic

Coolest Cafe EVER

This is a cafe in/near Grand Central Station in NYC. It's made to look like a library tilted on it's side. (!!!) I just think this is the coolest thing I've seen all day. Thanks Dezeen!

Envieux

courtesy of Dress Design Decor

In a Jeff Buckley kinda mood.

Today I watched a TV show in which the title character was living the same day over and over. She found it frustrating, and while I'm sure the redundancy would eventually get to anyone I was just thinking of how nice it might be to live the same day a few times over. You would know to pack an umbrella for the un-forecasted rainstorm, or would be able to fit in time with everyone you wanted to spend time with. You could finish everything on your 'to do' list - in some way or another.

Some days I feel like my days are useless - complete wastes of 24hrs - which is a real shame because we only get a limited number of days. If I could go back and start over a few times than I could ensure that I get the most out of every day, or make sure I get at least one really good something out of my day. I suppose the idea is to accomplish this on the first go around. Our silly society sometimes [often] moves too fast for everyone to make the most out of all of our days.

As winter descends, and days literally get shorter I am going to try to get if not everything than a really good something out of my days.

Today's really good something: I had a nice, honest, hour long phone conversation with my dad.

As I type this I am sitting on a Greyhound bus to Ottawa. The bus left ahead of schedule, and now meanders along the highway with hundreds of other cars and trucks as commuters make their way out of the city.

I have been alternating rather regularly between fidgetting, reading and napping...oh and snacking. (A key to surviving any road venture is snacking.)

Awaking from my most recent fitful half-hour nap, it occurs to me that a strange thing about travel - be it on bus, train, or plane - is that as one moves across space/distance, time seems much less relevant.

Being driven along unfamiliar and repetitive roads I have not a clue how far I am from my destination (though the amount of traffic suggests that I've still a ways to go...)

Perhaps I've taken one too many decongestants today, but it seems to me that when travelling the destination is what takes importance. Driving along monotonous highway, or being hurtled along an endless stretch of tracks, or crossing time zones miles above the earth - time slows down, or passes in a way far less noticeable. Irritating kids ask "Are we there yet?!" Not "How much longer until we arrive?" or "How long has it been since we left?" (Then again kids are fortunate enough to live so presently that the passage of time rarely comes into account...)

Anyhow, I know I've still got hours until I get to my destination, but whether I will take note of them passing is an entirely different question.


[Just looked out the window and saw the Whitby GO Station... So that's where I am!]