05 · 18 · 2013

:)

Oh, hello 30. How nice it is to meet you. I recently shed my twenties, and feel subtly different. Not older, no, and not necessarily wiser, but more responsible for my life. There are so many things I have yet to accomplish, and I’m filled with this glorious optimism that I can DO IT ALL. I have absolutely no doubt about it. Well, at this moment I don’t. Fulfilling goals and dreams that I neglected in my twenties is the theme for the next ten years.

One tiny but incredibly impactful goal, is to smile more. All day, e’ryday.

Ron Gutman does a pretty wonderful job of explaining why we must smile more. Check out his article for Forbes on ‘The Untapped Power of Smiling‘. And then go out in the world and share your sunny smile with everyone.

Also, his TED talk on the same subject:


07 · 16 · 2012

music monday

Hi everyone!

To kickstart your week, here’s a gorgeous, witty little number from Lianne La Havas. Her voice is that perfect combination of sultry and sweet, smooth and peppery. This song is fantastic. Even if you’ve never experienced love with someone twice your age, you can relate to what lays underneath. Just a lovely story about love and acceptance and giving everything you’ve got. Hope you enjoy!

06 · 13 · 2012

pen-love

Besides a strange obsession with stationary, I’m a big pen aficionado. What exactly does that mean? Well, I love pens. These ones in particular. If you write/draw/think with ink, these are the best pens ever made. They make your work that much more magical. Stabilo, you rock my world.

stabilo

06 · 12 · 2012

friendship… and awesome humans

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I am incredibly, incredibly lucky to be surrounded by the most amazing group of friends. We keep each other grounded, give each other sound advice when it’s needed, lend an ear for serious listening, have all sorts of disagreements (always with class, never-ever with shouting/name-calling), make time for friend-dates, and have crazy, almost illegal amounts of fun. I am so blessed to have them in my life, and every single day I thank God and the Universe for bringing them to me. I know what we have is special, not only because it has stood the test of time, but because not everyone is so lucky to have such fulfilling, meaningful friendships in their lives. These are the people who constantly and consistently throw down for me. They are also among the few people I feel truly comfortable being my normal, weird self around. They are family, and I am eternally grateful for them.

What is really nice about my group, is that although we share a heap of similarities, we are each unique in our own lovely ways. We bring our own flavours to the group, creating a really hearty stew of Looooove. It’s really quite awesome. Today, I’d like to highlight one of those flavours here, and her beautiful blog Pocketful of Perspective. Besides being ridiculously hilarious (she makes me laugh until I’m crying uncontrollably), my good friend Renuka is serene, full of wisdom, and Yoda-like in her knowledge of seemingly everything under the sun. Although still quite young, this girl has lived and learned more than most do in a lifetime. I love her dearly, kinda to the point where my heart feels like it’s going to burst, and I am so thankful I get to live my life with her in it. I do hope to interview her one day so you all get a chance to visit with her, but for now, I’m going to leave you with a few quotes from her blog. Completely original quotes, might I add. And then go visit her here. I hope her tidbits of wisdom bring you clarity, advice or just the thing you need to hear at this moment in time.

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06 · 12 · 2012

i love…

Using products which are natural and gentle on me, and this planet I love so dearly. I do not want any crazy stuff going down the drain, and I certainly do not want it leaching through my skin and into my blood stream causing all sorts of weird ailments. I admit, I do not use all-natural, super clean and organic products all of the time, but I am incredibly conscious of what I am purchasing and how it affects me and this big old round home of ours. I do however feel like I’ve come a really long way and fully appreciate my still growing eco-consciousness!

With that being said, shampoo and conditioner seemed to cause a bit of a sore spot when it came to finding the best products out there. I have really fine hair, but lots of it, and it tends to lay flat on my head ALL OF THE TIME. To start off, I went the baking soda and vinegar route, as well as a whole heap of other home-made recipes. Every time, my hair was left looking lank and droopy, and really greasy. Gross.

I then made the switch to natural hair care products already mixed up and bottled nicely, and was again less than pleased with the results. I tried everything. Yet, I did not give up my quest. After many experiments with the really expensive (I’m looking at you John Masters), and the really herbal-y and headache inducing (I prefer my roast lamb scented with the fragrance of rosemary, not my head thankyouverymuch), I found these two super affordable brands and have not looked back.

My absolute favourite, Hugo Naturals Vanilla and Sweet Orange Shampoo and Conditioner:

hugonaturals

100% all natural, soy, gluten and cruelty free, as well as vegan, this stuff is amazing. It’s also free of all of that weird SLS stuff. Every ingredient is naturally derived. It leaves my hair FULL of volume. And it’s incredibly gentle!

And, when Hugo Naturals isn’t on sale, this is my second choice, JĀSÖN Sea Kelp Shampoo and Aloe Vera Conditioner.

jasonnaturals

I love the way this stuff makes my hair look and feel. Their story’s pretty cool as well. Both brands have a huge array of products targeting every hair dilemma you can think of, so you can try whatever suits you best. In any case, if you’re planning on making the switch to all natural hair cleaning products, try these two brands out first. Check them out at your local grocery story in the natural foods aisle, or Planet Organic/Whole Foods/Organic Garage. I’d like to believe I just helped simplify your quest, as well as saved you a kagillion dollars in the process.

You’re welcome.

06 · 11 · 2012

long walks for road blocks…

When I need to clear my head, I take a walk. A really long walk. Or, when I find myself out of ideas for this sorta crazy but awesome project I’m working on, a walk seems like the catalyst for the good stuff to suddenly flow into my head. Since I usually do not walk with paper + pen, I just let the ideas flow, and let my feet carry me forward. I have a great little trail behind my house that takes me through the woods and over a not so sturdy bridge. I meet all sorts of creatures, big and small, and make a few new (human) friends. When I get home, my brain is refreshed, and I’m able to just get to it. Maybe there’s some sort of crazy correlation between the wheels in my head and the movement of my feet. As if my brain were some kind of wind-up toy. Seems plausible. Point is, I can’t just sit there. I need to take action to get the wheels moving.

longwalks

What do you do when you find yourself stuck on something? Do you exercise, meditate, throw down a few pints of ice cream or sit and stare out the window? I always wonder what others do to get over mental roadblocks. I know a few people who hate time wasted, so they utilize these little “breaks” and start drawing up mind maps for other projects. Or, they watch re-runs of Buffy (what, who does that? well, me, when the weather outside is frightful). Everyone has their own prescription, what’s yours?

(Photo by Love Board)

06 · 11 · 2012

music monday

Hello, hello!

Last week I promised you something uplifting, so I thought I would share the song I like to listen to when my soul needs some cheering up. When you aren’t feeling so hot, I swear, this song puts a bounce back in your step. Add it to your pick-me-up playlist, and I promise it will always make you smile!