circus of emotions

Check out some photos from Taylor Momsen's new shoot in Crash. They're surprisingly fierce!

inaudible melodies

One of my favourite designers at the moment is Erin Fetherston. I am liking quite a few of her Fall/Winter 2008 pieces, although I was not overly impressed by the collection as a whole. Here are some of the ones I enjoyed:

I do, however, LOVE the Spring 2009 collection, and here's a sampling:

Fierce!

I also love the photos of Zooey Deschanel up on her site. Here are two:

dreaming of you

I believe it is time for some recap on the last few days. My weekend was pretty fantastic, full of autumn joy. Emma, Sarah and I went to Kylie's for a goodbye to the basement party, and we had a great time but it was really sad. We had a lot of great times in that house.

Then last night, Maya and Suzie came over for dinner. We bonded a lot, which was nice, and we all share a ferocious love of reading. We had homemade burgers (from scratch), and barbecued squash. Then, for dessert we had apple fritters made with apples picked from my own tree in the back yard, and homemade pumpkin fudge. A good night was had, but I stressed over money troubles all night and couldn't fall asleep until 5 am in the end - not a good thing. So at the moment I am running on pure adrenaline, I was a bit out of sorts and kooky for the duration of the day.

Tomorrow Kylie moves, and in the evening Emma and I are going to head over to New Hamburg and visit her new place. I'm looking forward to it, but it will definitely be a sad time.

To cheer things up though, check out one of my favourite songs of all time, Dreaming of You by The Coral (circa 2002).

ladybird

I am not usually a fan of Cosmopolitan's fashion spreads, as I tend to find them a bit unimaginative, but one of their spreads from last year, "The Perfect Pair," really struck my fancy. I love the feel, the textures, the colours, the setting, and the model. Check out some of my favourite shots below.

My favourites are the first and last one, although I do wish she was wearing a pair of warm ribbed tights in the last.

I am listening to: Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood

long weekend

I am sitting here full of ideas and excitement, so this is going to be one about my favourite things just right now.

Jasmine and I were on the bus Friday morning and talking about Autumn, as I am prone to do. The sun was half risen, and it was glowing over all of the different coloured leaves, the air was crisp and the sky was blue. It was a beautiful morning, and we were wearing our scarves and coats and sipping our Tall Skinny Pumpkin Lattes from Starbucks. It was the quinessential October moment, and Jasmine and I were both fully appreciating it as we waited for our connection. Jasmine mused about how one day we should go to a farm and pick apples, then go home and bake and apple pie, except that she can't make apple pie. I, however, make a mean apple pie, with the criss cross pie crust on top and everything, and it was settled. Imagine going for a brisk autumn gander with a thermos of hot cocoa, only to return to a baked apple pie, fresh from the oven. Then, we could sit down in front of a roaring fire and watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Therefore, any autumn scenario and all of autumn is my top favourite thing right now.

Speaking of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, that is my second point. I love this movie with all my heart. I have watched it every day since October started, and I love Linus. I cannot wait to go to Herley's (one of our local farmer's markets) and choose pumpkins this year. One perfect, one huge, and one strange, as usual. I have to get creative with my carving! I also love everything pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin fudge - and Jasmine says her dad makes rice which is served in a mini pumpkin! Add pumpkin rice to MY list of favourites.

I am also loving Mad Men. The incredible clothing, and the look at vintage Coca-Cola advertisements and JFK campaign ads are incredible! It's just a visual treat. :)
The cupcake beanie from Fred Flare. I know, I know ... this keeps coming up.

My hot water bottle, which is from Chapters last winter (I used my employee discount and the sale, and got it for $10.)

Finally, I am loving grilled cheese sandwhiches and this amazing hot cocoa from Korea, which tastes a little bit like cinnamon hearts and a little bit like heaven.

To Do:

-bake an apple pie

-jump in a pile of leaves

-take an autumn stroll

-find the perfect autumn film

-brew another cup of coffee

-find a perfume that smells like pumpkin spice

Looking forward to: -Two Thanksgiving dinners! -Going to Hurley's and picking out pumpkins, running through the corn maze, and buying pumpkin fudge and apple cinnamon chips -Visiting Kylie's new New Hamburg home -The Thanksgiving/Oktoberfest party when everybody comes home from university -Wearing scarves, coats, and tights -A week outside in the fall, without being sick -Autumn photographs!

re: the federal debate

So last night marked both the American Vice Presidential debate between Palin and Biden and the Canadian Federal debate between Harper, May, Layton, Dion, and Duceppe. I chose to leave the American debate for now, seeing as how I'm Canadian...

I just have a couple of things to say about the candidates right now, but once I review their arguments for an article I'm writing, I will go further in depth.

Firstly, I would like to say I was pleasantly surprised with Jack Layton. Although I find it hard to take him seriously sometimes, he seemed to be able to match Stephen Harper's ease and (unfortunate) grace, while the French men (Stephane Dion and Gilles Duceppe) were left struggling and desperate. I particularly enjoyed Layton's comment regarding Harper's policies which he kept referring to but did not elaborate on. Layton inquired, "Where are these policies? Under your sweater?" Which, of course, was exasperatingly humorous, due to Harper's infamous sweater he began wearing once campaign season started to "cozy up" and soften his image.

Secondly, I was very impressed with Elizabeth May. It was her first chance to participate in the Federal debate, and she was level headed and assertive, and spoke well on her policies. I hope the Green Party gets at least one seat in the House of Commons because more people will take her seriously now.

Finally, I wish Stephen Harper was leading a party whose policies I could get behind. In the debate, although being constantly attacked, he remained calm and smug, and fully confident and eloquent about his beliefs. Although he may not be warm and cuddly, he represented as an eerily effective leader, and I just wish he was fronting something I approved of. Stephane Dion just looked pathetic, unfortunately, grasping at straws and screaming at Harper's nonchalant exterior.

Again, more updates later.

brilliant mistake

I went to school for morning today, and I was able to see my friends which was amazing, I've been getting lonely. I had to come home for the afternoon, though, because the morning was too much! I opened up, of course, the ever trusty Fred Flare to see this lovely message with adorable acorns:

That pretty much made my day. And for some reason art class today reminded me of one of my favourite artists - Edward Gorey! So this blog will mainly be about him.

Edward Gorey is an author and illustrator known mainly for his pen and ink macabre drawings and pictures. My favourite book of his is one of my favourite books of all time: 1957's The Doubtful Guest. It pretty much follows a strange and endearing creature as it enters a family's home and proceeds to do peculiar things such as standing with its nose to the wall, eating plates, tearing out entire chapters from books, hiding all the towels from the bath, and sleepwalking, and does not go away for 17 years.

My favourite page goes: "It betrayed a great liking for peering up flues, And for peeling the soles of its white canvas shoes." Yes, the anonymous thing wears a striped scarf and white Converses. My fashion idol.

Definitely check out his Amphigorey, named for its nonsensical writings. It's a collection of some of his best and most randomly spectacular pieces and bits, and I highly recommend it. :)

While you're waiting, however, enjoy this picture of one of my best friends Stas. Yes, he is naked with a guitar.

Oh, and PS: There are only 50 of those cupcake beanies left, and I would kill for one.