gorgeous film poster

I found this incredible film poster today on writer Joanna Goddard's blog A Cup of Jo. Isn't it amazing? I would love to have this hanging in a beautiful frame in my living room. It's funny, my goal for this year was to try and dress like a character in a Godard movie (spontaneous dance moves included). I think I'm going to use this poster to keep me motivated and inspired. Why do the French do everything better than the rest of us — and make it look so effortless? Admittedly, I am completely obsessed with French culture and style. In my next life, I want to come back as Anna Karina (sigh).

fun fashion finds

A few of my favourite Spring frocks at Bird right now. Also, you should check out the Summer '09 line from A.P.C. right away. The clothes are a bit out of my price range at the moment, but there are some gorgeous examples of styling done right!

can't wait to see this one

Being the daughter of a children's library assistant, it is safe to say that I have probably read every kid's book in the entire Thunder Bay Public Library catalogue. In fact, I have my mom to thank for giving me a love of words and illustration. She would diligently cart home bags of books for me, my brother and sister where we would ignore the warm hum of the television and pore over the pages for hours and hours. The fact that we're all avid readers in adulthood should come as no surprise. Even today, there is nothing I find more satisfying than returning books to the library— after being read and re-read — and placing them in the book drop-off. 

That said, I can't wait to see the live-action film adaptation of one of my favourite books of all-time — Where the Wild Things Are. It may just be the perfect book. The illustrations are so beautiful and surreal and the story is funny and scary at the same time. Love it! Plus, the adaptation is a collaborative effort between director Spike Jonez and Dave Eggers. I couldn't think of two better artists to tackle this project. From the looks of the official movie poster (which was just released last week), it seems like they've done a great job. I've imagined that world being real for so long, it'll be cool to see it come to life before my very eyes. 

yellow and green

Maybe it's because Spring is in the air, but lately everything in my life has either been yellow or green.

(Homemade broccoli soup with goldfish crackers.)

(Fresh tulips.) 

pretty things

My new moccasins from Soft Moc. I love these slippers — they're so soft and the beaded detailing is incredibly cute. I can now shuffle around my house in style.

rsvp to rachel getting married

We rented the movie Rachel Getting Married and I absolutely loved it. Normally, I'm not a fan of Anne Hathaway, but she was incredible in this film. The movie itself was so engrossing — the way it's shot (with handheld cameras), it's like you're actually in the room witnessing it all firsthand. The acting was unbelievable, so true to real life and how people behave that it was hard to watch at times because it was so honest. Plus, it was nice to watch a dysfunctional family that wasn't my own (kidding, mom!).

If I had to get married all over again (ahem, to Chris), I'd probably want to do it like the wedding in this movie (minus the emotional train-wreak of a sister). If you haven't seen the movie yet, you must just for the wedding itself — it's like the ideal ceremony. The film takes place over one weekend leading up to the big day. It's filled with friends and family, food and music — lots of live music. I really liked how the soundtrack was played live as they filmed scenes with the actors (with the musicians in the room or in the shot). Each piece of music is reflected in the emotional scene of the film. It's so different and inventive and was a joy to watch — twice! I also loved the Bollywood inspired theme. The fabrics and colours were so beautiful. Plus, the guy from TV on the Radio is in it, which was just awesome. Other reasons to rent the film:

1. Debra Winger reappears after a long absence and is outstanding as the distant mother. You want subtext — check out this performance.

2. The relationship between the two sisters is very real-to-life. So much so, it made me look at my relationship with my younger sister in a whole new way.

3. Robyn Hitchcock is one of the musical guests. 

4. The wedding ceremony in the film is any girl's ultimate fantasy wedding — it should be used as a playbook for future nuptials. It was one wedding where when I was watching kept thinking (out loud mind you) "I'd love to attend a wedding like that" over and over again. 

5. It's heartbreaking close to how people are in real life and how we relate and treat one another. 

It's one of the best movies I've seen so far all year. Some people probably won't like it (it does get pretty intense, especially with the handheld camera bobbing up and down throughout the film), but I sure did. 

the first sign of spring

I finally got to retire my winter coat for a lighter version. The weather this weekend was gorgeous! I have to admit, I got a certain satisfaction washing and then storing my bulky winter parka. Now, I'm on the hunt for the perfect Spring jacket — any suggestions? My ideal jacket would be lightweight, red with a hood. Oh and pockets, lots of pockets. I almost found one I liked at Sears (of all places) but it was in the "teen" section and when I put it on, I discovered to my horror that it was a cropped jacket. Um, not to get all Stacey and Clinton on you, but as a 30-something woman accentuating that particular part of my anatomy is not flattering. It looked like I had shrunk it in the dryer. The hunt continues...

Oh and for those of you who follow this blog regularly, you'll notice the scarf in the photo is the one I wanted awhile back. Yes, I broke down and got it. It's even better in person than on the website. So much for fighting ones impulses. 

i love

I love the site {Pretty Cool People Interviews} and this Miranda July interview found via Girl in the Green Dress. Wow, sometimes I am in love with the Internet. I always end up discovering something new through all the great blogs out there. Thanks blogosphere and all you interesting people out there!

head scarves and soft shoe

I am such a fan of the Maysles Brothers — from their Christo documentaries to Gimme Shelter. I still can't believe my parents let me and my little brother watch Gimme Shelter when we were 10 and seven respectively. I can still hear my mother in the background sobbing because the film represented the death of the '60s and my brother wondering why none of the ladies were wearing shirts. While this may seem weird, I should also let you know that my parents once took us on a tour of a slaughter house in the West Indies when we were little so we could see where we got our meat. It was an eye-opener and I'll save the full story for another time. If you can't tell by now, my folks were and still are hardcore liberal, bleeding heart, ex-hippies with a lean towards socialism and unions.

Ah, but I digress. Like a lot of people, Grey Gardens is probably my favourite Maysles Brothers movie of all time and I am so excited that the biopic starring Drew Barrymore is almost here. I've been such an über fan of hers ever since the days of E.T. and would watch her butter toast or file her taxes if I could. According to the HBO website, the movie will be airing on April 18. I'm not sure what makes these women so compelling or their story so surreal and sad, but I have been a fan of both Little and Big Edie for so, so long. The reasons are endless — Little Edie being the original re fashioner and style icon, the explosive, dysfunctional and loving relationship between mother and daughter, the captivating storyline etc. Oh, and let's not forget about the head scarves! You can check out the promo for the movie here. Being such a Maysles Brothers fanatic, I was a little worried, but Drew Barrymore is incredible in the trailer. I think I may be in fangirl heaven — Grey Gardens and Drew Barrymore. It'll be so great to get their full life's story and personal histories onscreen. Such a captivating pair of ladies. After all this time, the mystery surrounding them hasn't waned.

something to smile about

(poster by artist Nick Dewar)

It just dumped another foot of snow last night and I really need something to feel happy about (other than my winter boots being warm and durable). What's better than downloadable free art? Readymade asked five artists to re imagine posters from the "first" Depression as a way to combat the one we're currently in. The results are quite lovely and did I mention free? What could be better at fighting depression than amazing artwork? OK, now I have to go shovel my way out of the driveway. Yes. I. Can. 

oh, now I get it

OK, I admit it — when I first saw Built By Wendy's Spring collection, I didn't get it. I'm usually such a fan of her collections and love the whole "I'm a child of the '80s who aspires to be an extra in Little Darlings and lets all crush on Adam Baldwin" vibe. So, I was a bit surprised to find that her latest offering took a while to grow on me. Then, out of the blue, I got it — and the blue was chambray. More a greyish indigo... but still an epiphany of sorts.

(getting there...)

(almost...)

(got it!)

kisses of fire

My good friend Liz sent me a super, secret surprise today in the mail — a copy of her first EP Only Mountains. Liz is a very talented (and stylish — she also goes to fashion school) Edmonton musician and this is her first album as solo artist Kisses of Fire. As anyone out there who's done it knows, writing and recording an album is not an easy task and it takes a lot of dedication and conviction. Liz isn't a newcomer to the Alberta music scene by any stretch and has played keyboards in bands like The Summerlad. However, this is a very personal project and I'm just so proud of her!

She's going to be releasing a proper CD later this month, but decided to have a cassette release party as well — everything she does is always so thoughtful and fun. The cassettes were limited editions sold at her shows (how old school is that!) and I am so lucky to have copy number six out of an exclusive run of 44 cassettes. I've been feeling out of the loop lately being so far away from all my friends, and this little package has made my day. Since I couldn't make it to her show in person (being separated by three provinces and thousands of kilometres) getting a copy of her cassette was the next best thing — almost like being there! She's the best.

Liz plays minimalist, soulful, piano driven music. It's sparse, melancholic and earnest — which is really rare nowadays. I wish her all the best with her CD release and wish I could be there. 

well-rested weekend

This weekend was so relaxing. I felt like I accomplished everything I set out to do, but only the fun stuff, which was a nice change of pace.

I spent time in my sewing room which I always find enjoyable. My cat has decided to make my sewing basket his perch. He's a 20 pounder and I always think it's so funny and mathematically impossible that he manages to keep himself balanced on it all afternoon.

Got some new reading at the bookstore. This Michael Chabon book that I've been eyeing for a while was finally marked down (to six dollars!) and I had to get it. I just love the cutout cover. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but it really is beautiful. The book is itself is enjoyable too.

I got so sick of all the black and grey I've been wearing lately, that I went out and purchased this lavender Gingham top. I needed a dose of Spring and just went for it, even if I suspect that it makes me look a little too Easter basket-y.

I baked some bread from this recipe. It was so easy and tasted delicious. I think I'll be making this again very soon. It was my first attempt at baking bread and I was proud of myself that it turned out so well. My grandmother will be so proud. 

I found my very first knitting project! My husband is graciously modeling it, shortly after locating the bag so I could take some photographic evidence of its reappearance. I thought I had lost it and uncovered it when cleaning out one of my closets. This was the first "official" thing I had ever made when I first started knitting. I am a child of the '80s. It'll make a great library bag. Hurrah! I love happy endings.

tag — I'm it!

I was tagged by the lovely Tamara who writes the beautiful blog 1/4 of an Inch. I know many of you are old hats at this tagging business, but I have to admit, I was very excited to see this on my comments page. This is the very first time I've been tagged since starting this blog in September. I feel like I've hit a blogging milestone. I'm sure you're all familiar with this particular tag — open the sixth photo folder on your computer and pick the sixth photo in that folder and blog about it.

I was a bit overwhelmed at trying to explain the picture above. It's a bittersweet reminder of my previous life as a music and film journalist and newsweekly editor in Calgary. The photo was taken right before my husband and I decided to leave the city and move back to our hometown of Thunder Bay. We took the photo at sunrise from the balcony of our apartment building. We were both pretty burnt out by that point, from living 12 years in the city and having very stressful lives and jobs. We had gotten to a point in our lives where we wanted some peace and a better quality of life — to get out of the rat race and start making art again. While we both had what some would consider creative jobs, we just sort of felt passionless about them because we couldn't concentrate on the things we found important (art, travel, each other etc.). The morning this photo was taken, we had decided to move on (literally). On the one hand, I was so sad and afraid of making the wrong decision. I knew I was really going to miss my friends in Calgary, who after more than a decade, were like family to me. But deep down I knew that I just couldn't keep up the lifestyle or pace I was living. I was tired and in dire need of reconnecting with my creative side. That afternoon, I told my publisher that it was time to move on. I quit my job and two weeks later we were hauling a trailer full of our worldly possessions from the prairies back to the land of lakes and trees.

This tag was a real exercise in revisiting the past for me in more ways than one. It brought back all those memories of my old life (the free CDs, the live music, my byline), and made me think of a time in my life where I was really uncertain about the future. It also makes me realize that a year-and-a-half later after snapping that photo, that it was the right decision for me. In that time, my husband and I have bought a house, begun work on a documentary, been in an art show and have reconnected with our families and started creating art again. Not to mention that the media industry is tanking right now and who knows if I'd even be in journalism if I had stayed. So all in all, I can't complain about how things turned out. The photo represents the simple fact that you should always trust your gut, even if you have no idea what the future holds, it's always best to do what makes you happy in the end. Eventually everything always works itself out and you just have to wait for your life to catch up.

*** I know I'm supposed to tag six people to do the same but I don't think I'm ready for that yet. Please feel free to play along if you want. Just leave me a note, so I can check out your blog post!