"Uniforms are the best" .....said no one ever.

 

I work at a job that requires me to wear a uniform. It isn't cute.  My white tunic/tuxedo shirt zip up uniform isn't stylish and it sure as heck isn't flattering.... in the slightest. So for 40 hours a week I look frumpy-licious in my super-sexy (sense the sarcasm) secretary uniform. This job has challenged me in more ways than just learning to multitask like a mother of 12, but also to find new ways to feel pretty at work.

My beautifying best friend is a straightening iron.   It transforms my desperate-for-a-haircut hair into something passable, ie. a, "wow you did your hair today" kind of hair style and hides the fact that I am a starving student that has had to trim her own hair for the last 10 months.  If you can hold a flat iron in your hand and have anything wrist/hand motor skills this is the tool for you and your hair.   It is fast (Bonus!) and makes your hair look like more effort was put into it.


LIPSTICK.
I am relatively really lazy at 7:00 in the morning. When I would rather be sleeping than brushing my teeth to head to work, I like simple and easy; something that can't go too awry as far as makeup goes.   The look of little to no eye make-up and a sassy lipstick is SO simple and gives the impression, again that more effort was put into your makeup than actually was.   Please purchase a lip liner and lip stick and let your world be changed by this dynamic duo. 

 

Highlighter.
Highlight the corners of your eyes with a pseudo shimmer, white-sh color eye shadow and voila!  You look like either you've just woken up from a 14 hour beauty sleep or had 14 cups of coffee.  Either way it adds the appearance of hours of sleep to your face and everyone is happy.  You can lightly brush it along your cheek bones for a dewy glow, and under your brows to again brighten your beautiful eye balls. 

Accessories are not always my strong suit.  My bestie is a whiz with whatever is shiny, sparkly or bedazzled and is to be draped on the body.   I try my hardest to take notes from her, so when she gifted me a b.a  bracelet that was both feminine, h-core, pretty and sparkly I was over the moon. 

Braids are a simple, virtually effortless.  They make life so much easier by controlling the chaos that is bedhead. I have a thing, or some people would call it an issue with hair in my face, so the braid curves around the forehead and detains all the strands of hair that would otherwise go rogue is my 2nd favorite hair do.    

My first favorite is the topknot/ballerina bun/sockbun/heyIjustthrewmyhairup-bun.   I love this hairstyle so much.  I think I utilize it to excess.   It is a versatile do, dress it up, dress it down.  It can be bohemian or very high fashion.   uh.  I don't know what I did before THE bun. 

 

 

These are my go-to's.  I am always looking for new ideas, tricks and secrets so if you have any pass them along! 

a little musical food for thought

I watched as extremely well dress people filed in and crossed the foyer of the hotel I work at. I felt envious of the fact that they had an occasion to get dressed up for and wished I too could put on a pair of heels and do my hair for a glorious night out.   This used to be a weekly occurrence for me when "going out" was a novelty.   I have since lost my taste for bars and strong alcoholic drinks, and so my excuse for dressing up on a weekly basis too was lost.   Since that loss I have changed courses and have found myself heading towards a career path that allows me to grow a closet of gorgeous gowns and put on fake eyelashes on occasion.  

Last night I had the privilege to sing at a well attended recital event housed in an amazing venue here in the Okanagan.   The night was filled with ageless music and beautiful singing.  One of the many reasons I love to sing classically is for the excuse to dress up.   The formality of classical repertoire adds an allure for the audience and the performer. There is a reverence to tradition that occurs and is sadly slowly being phased out of society is would seem.

As society evolves our expectations of music and performance change also.  We now expect music to be easy to understand, and a sensory experience when watching a performance.   Popular music has digressed from a high art that conveyed human emotion and musical aptitude to a highly diluted form of something like music.  I feel it is vital for the well being of North American society to protect and cherish these timeless works and this priceless form of expression.  Visual art finds its way to a museum or art gallery for preservation... but where does classical music go?   It must continue to be played or sung and the love of it passed down to younger generations that are more often than not, even exposed to it.  Classical music reveals so much of the human spirit and the ability to create something that resounds deeper and touches a part of humanity that sights alone cannot touch.

If you have never experienced the symphony, or an opera, I highly recommend buying tickets and seeing a performance live.   I believe there is a stigma around this genre that this music is only enjoyed by old prudes. That assumption is just not accurate. I believe the classical world will change to incorporate the younger generations, but first it is vital to protect this timeless music and soul satisfying art!

This duet is by far one of the most beautiful pieces of music.   Feast your ears! 

Day-Adventures 102

Day-Adventures 102

In the summer months time seems to accelerate despite the days being longer. What a paradox. So to maximize the summer lovin' potential I'm starting to compile a list of fun, relatively easy things to do that take advantage of warm weather and the glorious summer months. 

#1 All day road trip -
Pick a spot 3-4 hours away, wake up early, grab a coffee and drive to desired location, and heck! if you had this sweet camper your adventure could be days long! 

#2 Adventure picnic -
Go explore in the wilderness, prepared with a delicious picnic lunch, and some good hiking shoes.

#3 Get "lost" down an old dirt road.  (Maybe have a GPS handy juuuust in case.)

#4 If you are close enough, drive to the ocean... even just to inhale the salty sea air.

#5 Have a campfire.  Make s'mores and sing campfire songs. 

#6 Have a BBQ and dress up the back yard or porch in twinkle lights to add ambiance.


#7 Plan a game day.   I hear some people like to play games with balls.  This is a bit of a foreign concept for me as I have zero ability to play any and all ball sports.  (Sadly) But it is fun and virtually free! 



There you go.   A few ideas to add some spice to life.   What do you do to shake out of routine and satisfy the need for adventure? 

Day-Adventures

 

 

Travelcitis: 

The urge to travel abroad and or have one or many adventures as soon as possible. At times uncontrollable jealousy of world travellers occurs, often accompanied by a lack of interest in current situations. Sufferers of travelcitis experience little relief of symptoms, even when travelling outside of hometown or current living area.  It is recommended to avoid prolonged abstinence from travelling as symptoms will likely get worse with time. 



 

 

My travelcitis is flaring up again.   Talk of travel has been buzzing around me non-stop for months.   My sister and brother-in-law are currently adventuring in Europe, experiencing all the fine things that the U.K can offer... meanwhile, back in Canada, I haven't left home and I am green with envy and travelcitis.   The lack of me in Europe causes me pain.   I have wanted to travel to anywhere in Europe for as long as I can remember, and sought to get myself there straight out of high school.  That dream still hasn't happened, and is making my decision to finish my degree A.S.A.P more difficult to stick to.  

Since my bank account is still starving, and I can't bank on buying a winning lottery ticket, I have decided to get my "adventure kicks" from somewhere more-- local and short term.  In order to do that successfully, as transformation into a "YES woman" is necessary. 

  

 

Be prepared for any day-adventure at any given time...  AKA.  

* Have a bathing suit and towel ready to go in the car, with a bottle of water, book and sunscreen.  

* Put $30 dollars aside a week to do something physical and outdoors - Stand up paddle-boarding, Kayaking, mountain biking etc.

* Have a camera on hand - adventures should be documented.

* Embrace getting lost.

* Have something warm to wear in the event that the adventure goes late into the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 





patience part II

wait.
okay.......................keeping waiting?
yup.
okay...........................................still wait...?
mhmm. 


I'm not very patient, I think you should know this. The game of "wait" is never ending.  Its comes in infinite forms, but always the same idea, always training patience. I wait to go out the door, to wait in a car at a red light to wait in a line I don't want to be in. Meanwhile, I wait for you to text me. I patiently wait for my phone to ring. I wait.  I wait for divine intervention, for guidance and direction certain it will come. 

Time not only makes us wiser, it also can makes us stupider.  We hold out thinking that something better is around the corner, unlike a child, who grabs a hold of what they want with certainty and clings to it for dear life.   As life strings us along we become keenly aware of the details and sublimely ignorant to the patterns that begin to form in and around our lives. Time will illustrate, like the trail of water scaling down a fogged window, the hasty decisions and the repetition that forms along the way. 
 
Patience can be measured linearly, and is often seen with hindsight that is 20/20. 

Patience is apparently a common virtue I struggle with, as this is my second post regarding this blessed gift.  It is a gift. If you have an abundance of it cherish it, as it is a muscle that not everyone has the strength to exercise.

90 day challenge - accepted, again.

Last summer I was encouraged by a friend to join in on a 90 day fitness/health challenge.  To join the challenge I had to come up with a goal that I wanted to meet. My goal was to abstain from sugar for 90 days.  Not all sugars but my weaknesses - cookies, cookie dough, cake, muffins...chocolate...Ice cream.   By the end of 90 days I didn't even want to eat sugar that kind of sugar.  I didn't crave it at all. But slowly I have gotten back on the sugar train.    *le sigh.   I felt great when I didn't consume my normal - copious amounts of refined goodness, so I decided to try another 90 day challenge..

Day 1, I forgot about my challenge and started to indulge in a brownie... a few hours later I forgot again until half way through a Tim Tam. Apparently my heart is in the right place but my mind is lagging behind. Not off to a great start...    
Day 2, I was out and about with a friend of mine grocery shopping, and a gluten free coconut cookie just fell into my hands, and then somehow ended up in my mouth.   So far my 90 day challenge to nix the sweet is failing miserably.

I am still convinced this is a good idea and want to succeed at this goal.  It will just take more will power then perhaps I initially thought. 

Plan of attack: when I am craving a lil' somethin' somethin' after dinner I'll run for a piece of fruit instead, or drink green tea. 

My thought process behind this decision was that I have gotten to a point in my eating habits where I expect something sweet to satisfy my craving after I eat almost every meal, and I would like a little bit of freedom from it. 

Well, tomorrow is a new day, and a great day to start revamping my eating habits.   Two down... ninety to go.  ha!


Happy eating