Apr 29, 2010

I'm not here to spit in your face - I'm here to blow at your back. / A birthday.

So of all the cute photos (of my brother. seriously, he was the cutest baby ever. like, baby/toddler model worthy. will scan and show one day.) I could have posted, I chose this unflattering shot of him. But, in all fairness, check out my receding hairline action. Why did that lady pull my hair back so tight? Note to self, if we ever have kids, let hair loose and wild. Happy birthday, brother. You're as goofy and fun as you are obnoxious. And we're talking bloodcurdling obnoxious.

Apr 26, 2010

Etsy, etsy, etsy. Oh, etsy.

I want this brass shelf by Phoebe Howard. I first spied it on Habitually Chic and noticed it popping up here and there. But I can't find information on it and it's bothering me, despite the one trillion percent likelihood that we could never, ever afford it. It just tickles my fancy; it's my dream shelf. I want to have its babies.

So Apartment Therapy shared their favourite Etsy shops. And, naturally, I tirelessly scrutinized each one. Me likey Hindsvik, olive dear, and bluebellbazaar. Found a lot of wonderful pieces, and then some! Here we go...

Beautiful boxes and crates.

Some sweet prints.

Antique trays.
Antique tins.

More things.

And more.

Drats! The meister tin has been claimed. I had been holding off for two weeks because we were suppose to take a trip to the antique markets, which was canceled. It was cheap too..In any case, piewacket reuses the old tins in a visually appealing way, here.

Apr 24, 2010

Ha! Take that my fat metal friend!

a few years ago the dogre and I were at Ikea (he has bravely suffered through many Ikea trips; I was an addict. and it was my special mission to come up with reasons why I needed a lazy susan, extra duvet covers, cookie cutters, etc). we were in the parking lot when I saw an unattended dog in a car and the weather, let me tell you friend, wasn't good (to be honest, it's hazy to me now whether it was winter or summer...but never-you-mind)! I was furious. I'm one of those people whose heart dies a little everytime a WWF or WSPA bitty airs. moreso than when, say, ...no, I won't finish that sentence lest you non-animal lovers cruelly judge me. okay, back to the situation. I was so upset that I...left a warning note, of sorts. and guess what I wrote? 
next time,  I'll call the human society. 
yes, human! why, oh why, did I miss the e!? I only realized when it was too late...pathetic. but true. and that, mon friend, is one of very few stories that I'm "privileged" to share with you—a story of the brevity of the dogress and her never ending journey to seek justice and protection of all four-legged friends. actually, that would be the one and only story. 

on a related note, my highly academically acheived friend, jeudi, once said, and I quote,
fists of furry.
heehee, hilarious.

Apr 22, 2010

Camel Toe & DT Bistro / A week(end) in food

Sunday night's dinner, in all its glory. Dogre, send a link of this post to your parents! (the dogre's mum often asks us what we eat and how we can possibly cook in such a small space and now we can show her that there's more to our diet than pizza—um, maybe you shouldn't send her the link to this post...just the photos). Dumpling soup, braised tofu, chilli dressing salad, and a little bit of meat on the side (find recipes on my online recipe box here), all haphazardly lovingly cooked by this dogress. Voila! 

We went on two dates this weekend. That's more than the last few weeks combined, me thinks! Firstly, we drove over to DT Bistro, our special spot for dessert and coffee (my favourite is the chocolate flourless cake but everything we've tried thus far has been good—mousse, tarts, cheesecakes...), for a light dinner.
Braised beef short ribs with mashed potatoes, house mixed green salad, passion fruit iced tea and mint orange iced tea. All delicious, especially the orange iced tea!
Secondly, we went on an impromptu date to the waters on Saturday afternoon—dogre style. Meaning: it was chilly and windy, he picked up sushi but forgot napkins and chopsticks, we ended up eating the food awkwardly in the car and took a brief walk before we had to flee because of all the insects. Plus, his eyes were caked with sand (Rocky's, not the dogre's...). All in all, it was fun. I love egg tarts!

Very different compared to the same trip we made last year, when we stopped over for some coffee and pastries at Pain Perdu, picked up deliciously fat burritos, and picnicked on a fallen tree. On that excursion, we had napkins and neither wind nor pesky insects were present. I even made a friend (only to be saddened when he injured a foot and his spirits fell...and other seagulls picked on him) and snapped photos of a family of swans (I almost wrote "sweens")! By the way, no Wrangler for us; used Kia Sportage instead. I find it endearing in an cute-ugly-dog way. The dogre vows to one day get a proper jeep though...
Oh, and he got me fresh flowers! What a beautiful lifestyle it would be to always have freshly cut flowers around the house. But how expensive! The dogre and I have agreed to my reasonable request for a monthly bouquet (that costs no more than $10).
What we don't want the dogre's mum to see: multiple pizza fests, mall food (calzones, greek, terriyaki), pasta, Korean, 7west carrot cake, fresh bagels, soup, DQ blizzards, and more tofu. Clearly, we're not very strict with recent goal towards better eating and health.
By the by, if you haven't tried the canned butternut squash soup by Wolfgang Puck, we can't be friends. I have high standards, you know. Bye.
And lastly, Jeudi and I walked over to Black Camel (the dogre has forever ruined the shop name for me by implanting 'camel toe' in its place...) and I got the roasted veggie sandwich again while she had the slow roasted beef brisket (five days to prepare! dry rubbed and marinated for three, slow cooked for half a day, and then left to "rest" for the remainder of the time). We were stuffed! Don't get the pulled pork though; it's very stringy and tough.

Apr 20, 2010

Cosas Minimas. By Blanca Gomez.

I just realized that the city illustrations artist is the very same person who created the "bonjour mademoiselle" and other works. The very prints that I had pestered the dogre about some time ago...to no avail. ho hum!

So again, website here; etsy shop here; & blog here.

I'm inadequate.

We finally have...a POSTAL CODE! Exciting. Oh, post title explanation: Rocky thinks I'm inadequate. Apparently, my commitment to eye crusties wiping is so appallingly lacking that he's learned to wipe them himself. Like a Shiba Inu...

Also, are you aware of his disability? Yes, his tongue is too big and long for his mouth. All you snooty canines of this world really shouldn't take eating so casually for granted!

I love how the Brits call their apartments, flats and their backyards, gardens. I'm going to relentlessly call our itty bitty balcony the gaaarden until you do so as well!
{apartmenttherapy.com}
By the way, if you aren't following The Selby, well, start already! You get to peek inside the fascinating homes of creative individuals.

And check out Present and Correct if you're as big of a stationery fanatic as moi.

Cute cake stands, yes? More pretty things (milkjugs, vases, dishes, etc) here.
{ohjoy.blogs.com}
For $40US, you can fancify your bikes with awesome wooden fenders!
 
From the Montreal etsy shop, red tail fender.

Lastly, you might be tired of my city poster gushing but A Cup of Jo brought new ones to my attention and seeing as how it's my blog and all, well here they are:
 
Originally found here.

I suppose it's time to study for my test now...which is in less than two hours!

Apr 18, 2010

Metallic lucite.

I'm struggling with sleep again. I kid you not, for years I have been telling the dogre that I view his abilities to fall asleep immediately, anywhere, as the most enviable super power (well, maybe next to the power to conjure up food on whim, and puppies...and money). So, I've been going to bed later and later until I finally just didn't sleep at all. And let me tell you, my body is not feeling as fresh as it did when I pulled all-nighters in my highschool years. I feel like a zombie. The good that came out of a sleepless night was that I finished an assignment. It's ridiculous but I'm nearing the end of both courses again. Here's the shoe I used—I tickled my own fancy and added a floral pattern on it!
Since I was still up, I worked on the mother's day cards.Roughly traced and re-coloured a cute design I saw over at Rifle Paper Co. But never-you-mind that. Let's dive in to the pretty things we scored over the weekend!
The dogre and finn's friend held a launch party for her newly opened and fantastical shop, Tabula Rasa, of all things beautiful—old, new, and reworked. It was jam packed and us dogre household didn't fail to bring on the socially awkward. Actually, let's backtrack. Before we headed to the shop, we went to one of our happy places, DT Bistro, where I ran into a former coworker. So how awkward am I? Well, look:
  Tyler: What's up?!
     Me: Good.
Good! In any case, it was good running into him, which is rare for me to say, because I'm that person who will cross to the other side of the street and study my shoes rather than make banal chitchat and niceties with you. The dogre is going to harass me now—he was already huffy when he learned that he models. Back to the launch party, it was retardedly packed and all I wanted to do was thrift through the goods! I'd say a fair portion of the items are in a similar price range as Aritzia ($35 tees) while the rest is more attainable for the likes of me. Case in point, voila ici (I wonder if you're tired of this yet), my new twenty dollar purse!
Awesome. So many compartments. We also met the dogre's twin, in mannequin form.
What else, what else...We were suppose to watch How to Train Your Dragon but couldn't part with the fifteen buckaroos each per tickets. So, naturally, I went and spent ninety dollars at Pottery Barn. Very sensible, I am. Don't judge me! It's all part of sprucing the new casa up for when we resell it, you see...Cute LED lanterns, an antique bar tray, and a floral accent place mat for laptopping in bed (the dogre constantly scorned me for overheating it).
I'm envisioning a hearty mix of stripped wood, metal, and lucite pieces. For example, a lucite coffee table, yes please! Eh? You can do one better and offer me a trunk? Please and thank you.
More neat stuff (yes, neat) at Lonny, an online magazine.

The management company is showing our apartment to potential renters and it's such a nuisance. But the place has never looked so pristine. This afternoon, a guy came to check it out with four friends. And I have to say, I was sweaty. Not because they were hot, but because it was a gang of gays (is that offensive at all? hope not. I just love alliteration, as you're well aware) and after some exposure to stereotypical gay men (former coworkers) I've become sensitive to how "observant" they are. I was very nervous about how they felt of my decorating choices and meekly answered any and all questions they threw my way. I would have fed, bathed, and tucked them into bed if they so commanded it. I was in a room full of Anitas, really (inside joke. don't even).

Links, links links (easier than uploading images):

Cool personalized clear tray. Oh so nice.

And bags.

The most beautiful (and expensive) toaster I can only dream of having.

Half the price of this wonderful Burberry utility jacket here.

Hideousness over at j.crew (I can't believe such words came out of my mouth fingers) .

But this chambray shirt encourages me look the other way:
A sweet bracelet.

A cool but overpriced leather bike frame bag.

An illustrator mesh tool god.

A dream.

A great new (to me) inspiration blog.

Lollipops we will (yes, dogre, yes) soon order.

A collaboration of note design studio and abici results in enviable bikes:
And lastly, Rocky hangs with the likes of Seth Rogan, Paul Rudd, and leggy ladies.
Or not...

Lately...

We've been spotting Volkswagen buses all around the city. Are they holding a convention? :) I've seen more this week than I have my whole life! Have always wanted one—I get giddy at the mere sight of them.
Also, I am the monopoly king. That or the dogre sucks. Oh, and it's important that you know that I'm not the professor—I'm always the mayor. And those two skyscrapers? Mine. Yeah, $2000 if you land on the Powerpuff girls' home, sucker! Yes, we own the Powerpuff Girls edition. And yes, the dogre is Bubbles.

Apr 12, 2010

Running with scissors.

when I was about seven or eight, I was involved in a love triangle. I remember our first minor strife—my uneventful introduction to Jealousy and Inadequacy.  we were cutting our murals with the safety scissors the teacher provided when I noticed the boy looking at my girlfriend's handiwork with approval. I swear to goodness, I have a scissors+(in)accuracy complex to this day. unfortunately, I fear that my lacklustre skills have carried over to my Illustrator activities...nonetheless, voila ici, my temporary wallpaper (click). oh, and more bag lust: the chloe louise satchel.
      {images from net-a-porter-.com}

Apr 10, 2010

Crush and Blush.

PART 1. Have I ever told you that Gmail hurt my feelings? Yes. When I was creating my account, it rejected the name I proposed. Apparently, my name doesn't have enough characters for their majesty-ness. Such a painful dose of reality, it was. Is there a term for such discrimination? Name lengthism? Name character countism? So anyway, this terrible event sprouted my life long battle with name length envy. Do you know how it feels to have such a short name? And on top of that, one syllable? Do you?! Oh, I could shed a saucepan of tears for the inadequacy I feel.

PART 2. Did I ever tell you how a sweet potato almost killed me? I was probably fifteen or so at the time. While practicing the clarinet in the washroom (you know, for the acoustics. sound? what? shut up!) my mum thought it was wise to give me a steamy sweet potato. So yes, I was in there, door closed, stuffing my face with potato in between making beautiful music, when it got stuck in my throat. I thought I'd be found there on the toilet, clarinet in one hand, potato in the other, in my Walmart Mickey Mouse jammies (did I say fifteen? I meant eight...), eyes rolled back, potato dribbling out of mouth and nose...Lesson learned, mon friend, lesson learned! I continued my healthy enjoyment of potatoes over the years, but never, ever, alone. When you's eating a 'tato, be near a mate-o...Just made that one up! Fresh witticism. Ahh, smell it!

PART 3. There's this commercial that's been airing recently where some guy is surfing on this ginormous tidal wave. It scares me. I actually have to look away! I bet it's because I almost drowned in the wave pool at Wild Water Kingdom as a child. I kid you not, I was pulled under for a brief while and had to claw my way back up. Stupid, dangerous pool! I hope they got rid of it and made room for a longer lazy river. Also, I'm uncomfortable with open water.  My imagination just gets the best of me. I freak out over what could be lurking in the water. A dead body? Dangerous creature? Insects?! And, if we're going for total honesty here, I've also got irrational pool fears. Swimming pools! What the crap! When I was younger, I thought sharks or ghosts could get me in there. I told you already—too many horror/suspense movies growing up. So yes, I do not eat potatoes unattended, nor do I dip a single toe into an empty pool. Hey, I'm just being smart, okay? Just like how I chose the clarinet based on size and convenience (the dogre picked some large one, like the sax or something! ha.), I know well enough that the likelihood of escaping the big bad creatures in the water increases if there are more dangling bodies in there with me! Genius. Oops, accidentally typed "genious". Heehee.

PART 4. That classmate I wrote about some weeks ago? The tardy one who thought it necessary to announce her tardiness? The same one who pouts and interrupts class if she doesn't get something. The one that took three painfully long hours to eat a tiny tupperware of dumplings? Her. She brought a box of chocolate this week. One of those large square boxes one might receive for Valentine's Day or as a slap-in-the-face-you're-only-as-important-as-my-thoughtless-choice-to-give-you-this-box-of-chocolate Christmas gifts. It was equally hypnotic to stare at her pop the sweets in her mouth. Couldn't stop watching!

PART 5. Isn't that such an awesome crossbody bag up there? Lust at first sight! I can't even imagine how lovely the cognac must look (sold out). Saved it in my wishlist folder, I did. Dogre? I'm making puppy eyes at you!

Apr 8, 2010

Them possible schemes.

Lately, we've been dreaming of road trips in our very own jeep wrangler. The dogre has been searching and looking and thinking and tinkling (what?) and it's up at the top of our list. Of course, he mentioned the cons: bumpy ride, poor fuel efficiency, cramped rear seat space...{photo by carlos diaz}

Super fun music video below.
Love the music, love her voice! I want it. Tradesies?

Apr 7, 2010

Watch me unfold.

Had a serious (and rare) cupcake craving so we skipped over to Dessert Lady in Yorkville. Got myself the very last red velvet cupcake (topped with cream cheese icing, of course), I did! Also, finally located the video that made me fall in love with Joe Purdy's song, Secret. What a lovely reception venue...Envy pouring out of my eyes and heart.


Please to enjoy the following:



What did you think? Enjoyed? you loved it!

Fridge art; Illustrator style.

This week in my Illustrator class, the lecturer was discussing pathfinders and the type tool and I got carried away and started playing rather than listening...
Remember when I said that my mom never praised me or put up my artwork/grades (and they were darn worthy of praise and display, let me tell you!) on the fridge? Well now, what's happened is that whenever I fiddle with something and I've put in the slightest bit of effort, I immediately scamper off to show it to the dogre. Voila ici, upon "completion", I felt compelled to email these pdfs to him during class. 

And then I messaged him asking if he received it...And then, when he picked me up from class it was pertinent that we "discuss" the "pieces".