The Art of Conversation.

Loneliness - it affects 9/10 people everyday.   ( I actually just made up that stat.)  
But it is a serious issue for some people, myself included. 

I have just moved to a new city, a new university, and a new life experience.   This change has challenged me already and its just been over a month.   I had to take a good hard look at myself the other day - after wondering why I've been feeling so unfulfilled and lonely; I realised that I assume people will make the first move.  4/10 times - someone will. (Another made up stat)   But, what about that 60% of the time when no one comes up to talk to you?    My first reaction is to dive into my purse and fish out my phone so that I can seek comfort in my Facebook "friendships" thinking " Well, if no one cares in real life I'll just Facebook creep everyone else's lives until I get a message or a like or... something!!!!".....AHHHHH..... what is happening to...society!?    (Talking to myself now)  Get your face off of your phone and take a second to realise that you are in a room full of real people and it wouldn't hurt you to make conversation with...someone...anyone!  Life is outside of your comfort zone.

My mother is full of good advice and she has told me for years now to "be an interviewer" when on a date, meeting new people, talking with old or new friends... because people love to talk about themselves.  I had forgotten about this skill, until a few days ago when my mother kindly reminded me to pour into people instead of waiting to be filled yourself.  Aka.   Put energy into getting to know someone else and often that energy will be given back.   The effort you put in will be what you get out of it.   
I put this tactic to the test, and "interviewed" someone new, and it was extremely rewarding.  I had a real genuine conversation and learn more about a new colleague.     

We've (I've) become so complacent and lazy with real friendships and have relied heavily on social media to cover me during awkward silences/moments/boredom.  But what would happen if those silences became non-existent and we filled then instead with genuine questions about another persons day or life?   I bet you our society would become less self-obsessed and more community and relationship driven.   Just a challenge ya'll out there, (and to myself)  next time you find yourself about to flip through Facebook on you iPhone try hunting for someone to strike up a good conversation with.  It is as simple as, "How was your day?"   I truly think that if we can curb our constant craving for a social media fix and invest that time and energy into other people, we will be a happier, healthier society. 

Happy Conversing.  

learning to be thankful

wooo...  It's been a long time since my last post, and since July I have moved to "The Winterpeg," as I call it.

It is funny looking back on my first month in Winnipeg, it has been filled with countless new faces and names, and upon introducing myself as "new here,"  within a moment notice I am warned about the winters.  This courtesy warning is given often as if I thought coming to Winnipeg meant a suntan year round accompanied by mild and enjoyable climates.    Yes, I knew about the outrageous winters, the insane wind and temperatures not for the timid prior to booking my flights and despite these characteristics I have committed myself to three years in the winter wonderland of Winnipeg.
My experience in Manitoba, (Which happens to be the FIRST time I've ever been in the prairies)  has been enjoyable.   I have had the privileged of watching my first prairie sunset on a farm, on a hay bale with good-new-friends.    I've invested in what I believe to be a really (really) good winter coat, and a pair of sorel's.  Winter wear I've always been able to avoid investing in while living in BC, so... I am set.    Thankfully this first month has been mild!

This weekend marks my first Thanksgiving away from my family, and there are tiny cracks forming in my heart when I get phone calls from my loving family wishing me to be there with them at our Cabin in the BC boonies.   Every year for the past 10-15? (I've lost track)  years we have packed up our things and loaded ourselves into our vehicles and scooted ourselves up to our Cabin just outside of 100 mile house.   What makes this experience so wonderful is the lack of technology to vi for our attention.  It is just good -old fashioned family time, spent around a fire, the living room, a turkey...spent together.   I am finding resemblances of 100 mile in Winnipeg... Maybe it is the dry chill in the air and the leaves clapping in the wind as if joining in on the thanksgiving celebrations?   This similarity is both comforting and upsetting.   I found myself desperately wishing for a teleporter today, as I tried to busy myself with activities for one.    This has been a day of thought, and thankfulness.    I've decided, instead of dwelling on the absence of my family, I am going to be thankful to have such a wonderful family to miss. I am thankful for the grey day it was, because it highlighted the yellow hues of leaves and made the surprise of sunshine later in the day that much more appreciated, I am thankful for the tall oak trees that shield my little white house and all the millions of leaves that have trickled down to the ground to create a "fun-must-do" activity for a boring Saturday night.   I am thankful for new friends that have been kind to a new-comer and old friends that have supported me in this adventure.  

I'll try not to go two months before posting again! 
Happy Thanksgiving.

Once upon at time deep in the recesses of my wardrobe...

My body has changed SO much over the last 4 years ( I have hips and thighs now) , and 4 years ago my closet expanded drastically. At that time I had a killer job at BCBG which helped me develop a wardrobe, and style for my curve-less (With the exception of my derriere, that has been with me forever)  I essentially was a pencil, the "wow you kind of look like a boy from the front" kind of pencil.  :|  not awesome.    At that time I was a tiney-tiny 0-2.   I guess with age, and stress :| (again, not awesome.) Your body changes.   I am finding now, that I have gone through some sort of weird time warp and I now have no idea when or how my clothes have lost their lustre on my body.   My shift dresses are less shifty- more bodycon... ahoo.   The pencil skirts that became a staple back in 2009 are more like ankle warmers now and the jeans I purchased at the time have mysteriously shrunk!  As the French say, Le Sigh... So instead of lamenting the loss of these items, and surrendering to the " I don't know what the heck looks good on my body now" feeling... I decided to raid my closet tonight in an attempt to find some consolation in there, and a few outfits suitable for summer. These are what I found:

Jacob Skirt-Forever 21 belt (best $5 belt!) Thrifted Banana Republic Blouse)

Club Monaco Shorts- Thrifted-Joe Fresh Tank
-Forever 21 belt- Joe Fresh Sunnies

 

Zara Blazer

Thrifted Esprit sweater
Joe Fresh hat

The Skirt is Club Monaco - Thrifted
Grey Tank - Joe Fresh (Love the fit)
Aldo pumps

 

Bcbg Maxazria Vest - (One of my favorite purchases)

 

 

Oh Baby, Baby

This weekend I was fortunate enough to be asked to take maternity photos for a friend of mine.   This is my third maternity shoot, and I am learning how much I love to look at the world through a lens.   I love how my creative juices start flowing (sometimes more quickly than others)  I love working with wonderful people to capture a beautiful time in life.   So far I have shot in the beautiful sunshine of summer and the frigid cold of December.   The challenge is to always create something beautiful, lasting and unique.  

Photography has always been a passion of mine.  I remember my first camera was a Canon waterproof point and shoot back in the dark ages before digital camera's were all the rage.   Since then I have blazed through about 12 different cameras, and my current fling is a Canon G7.  (sadly its not the G6 - which would have been cool if only for the reason that there is a song about G6's.)  ANYWAYS.   At this point in my life, the DSLR is financially out of reach, but hopefully not for long.    It will be a great day when I can invest in on and stop borrowing from my brother in law.  

Here are a few shots from this weekend:

picture post

visual food for thought.

"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!