Archive for the ‘friends’ Category
“DON’T WORRY. I’M A NEW YORKER.”
When I was a very little girl, one of my favourite movies was “Crocodile Dundee.” While my fascination with that film still endures, it was also the beginning of a love affair that, to this day, has yet to be consumated. In it, the main character takes his first trip ever and finds himself in New York City. And as Mick Dundee landed in The Big Apple for the first time, I was instantly thrust into a stunning world of fast cars, big fashion, style, sophistication and distinctive people.
It was love at first sight.
Photo: Matthew Field on Flickr
To this day, I have yet to set foot in New York City. Growing up, travelling was never an option for my family, so I never was bit by the travel bug - even once I hit my 20s. On my own, it’s an entirely different story. If I’m going to do New York, I’m going to do it right.
For several months now, Rebecca and I have been tossing around the idea of a girls’ trip. She spent a weekend in NYC a few years back during her stint in Boston, but it was certainly not enough. Everyone that visits the City says there is never enough time, not enough hours in the day - it’s impossible to see it all. And in truth, I don’t plan on seeing it all. I know that would be an impossibility.
What I do plan on is experiencing the City. Tourist attractions and “traps,” as they may be, are designed to lure in those from far away and woo their money from their fannypacks. I’d much rather spend my days there with Becky wandering the streets, snapping photos, buying that which is unique rather than cliche and making a trip there all my own. The only real question is: where do we start? The island of Manhattan is roughly 13 miles long by 2.5 miles wide, but in that area, the possibilities are endless. I want to know the place that gave Sue Charlton her class and her edge.
Photo: James@mannequindisplay.com on Flickr
The tentative plan at this point is to head East sometime in May, 2009. So this is where you who have been to NYC come in: where do we stay, eat, shop, wander? I want to find the unique treasures and the places that will make the trip both memorable and exceptionally special.
THE BOOTS CAME TOO
This afternoon I was invited to tag along and partake in Happy Bollwitt Time with John and Rebecca as they made the short trek to Granville Island. No matter how often I go, there’s always something new to see, taste, experience or photograph. My favourite find this time was Woofles and Meowz at the Kids Market. After telling the proprietor about Benji and Casey, he offered me free dog cookies for the boys! And they say customer service is dead…
RUN, FIT GIRL, RUN
It has happened. There are moments when I can’t actually believe it, but it has happened nonetheless. Between doing it for fun sometimes and making the 3km trek from my office to my gym several times each week, the running bug has officially bit me. Not only do I find jogging doable, I find it enjoyable.
Photo: lgh75 on Flickr
Perhaps, though, I should learn to keep my mouth shut in this regard. You see, my beautiful (in many ways) friend Chelsea convinced me to do a 10km with her and her husband at the end of October. Okay, but really, it’s only 9.5km and we are encouraged to dress in costume, so I’m sure it’ll equate to good laughs and merriment.
I have exactly 23 days to train. That being said, I need to start stepping up my game. I’ve been keeping to a maximum of 4km runs and plan to embark on a longer one this weekend because I know I’m capable. So to you experienced runners out there, offer me your sage advice…
WHICH SCORPION AM I GOING TO SHOOT?
Original Photo: Photos Infinitum on Flickr
THREE THINGS
1. My Hair
Thank you all for your marvelous input and suggestions on my new ‘do this weekend. I suppose it comes with no surprise that “the big reveal” will take place on Saturday, so stay tuned for the drum roll…
2. The Women
Last night, after a gorge-fest on Olympia pizza and Pacific Pilsner beer (what can I say? I’m an Island girl), Amy and I burned off calories by heading across the Burrard Street bridge and found ourselves at Fifth Avenue Cinemas. In the spirit of all things womanly, we took in the 2008 remake of 1939’s “The Women,” starring, well, a lot of women.
In particular, some of those women include Meg Ryan, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bette Midler, Candice Bergen, Cloris Leachman (who was terrific!) and Annette Bening (who is very quickly becoming one of my favourite actresses). Though I felt the movie lacked in character development, it made up for it with humour, relatable storylines and a few fabulous handbags. [website]
3. Stella McCartney CARE
I’ve now had a few days to try out the full line of Stella McCartney CARE products sent to me last week by Matchstick. My tote bag full of delicious-smelling, pretty-packaged, 100% active organic ingredient skin care has proven to be a lot of fun to try! Here’s the breakdown…
Purifying Foaming Cleanser - This by far my favourite of the two cleansers sent to me. It has a delicate and light - yet luxurious - foaming quality to it that truly leaves my skin feeling clean.
Gentle Cleansing Milk - This was the second of two cleansers I tried, and while the idea of a gentle milk to cleanse my skin sounds dreamy, it didn’t feel as though my skin was clean after (and that feeling is important to a girl!) so it’s not the cleanser I’d choose. Smells great though…
Toning Floral Water - I wish I had this a few months ago in the heat of summer! It’s a refreshing, aromatic water mist that spritzes in a steady stream, leaving my skin feeling cool, dewy and fresh.
5 Benefits Moisturizing Fluid - One of two daily moisturizers and this one has been receiving the majority of my attention. It’s a milky, light cream that locks in the love I get from the Toning Floral Water. I’m totally okay with natural, woodsy scents, so this one gets two thumbs up from me.
5 Benefits Moisturizing Cream - This is the sister product to the 5 Benefits Moisturizing Fluid and to me is really no different except in that it’s seemingly got a heavier concentration and a richer viscosity. I haven’t used it as much but have no doubt that it will be fantastic when those drying days of Winter hit.
Nourishing Night & Day Cream - Definitely not something that is necessary on a daily basis, but sometimes a girl’s skin needs a bit of extra TLC. This is where the Nourishing Night & Day Cream comes in. It’s like the 5 Benefits Moisturizing Cream on natural steroids. It’s rich, it’s deep and it’s intense. Use only before bedtime.
Radiance & Youth Elixir, Calming & Soothing Elixir and Nourishing Elixir - Ahhh…the elixirs. My absolute favourite part of the line! Remember those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books we all loved as kids? Consider the elixirs to be somewhat of a “Choose Your Own Skin Today” potion. Each is a heavily concentrated serum intended to pair up with your moisturizer for added benefits, and each is designed with a different skin goal in mind.
I’ve found the Radiance & Youth Elixir great in the mornings before applying make-up for a brand spanking new skintone and the Calming & Soothing Elixir does just that at the end of the day. The Nourishing Elixir is strong and derived of natural oils, so use it sparingly and only when your skin needs a bit of extra attention.
IN SUMMARY
My overall impression of Stella McCartney’s CARE skin care line is definitely favourable! I’ve long been a big fan of natural and organic products when available but find they often miss the mark. While I feel there is a bit of room for tweaking, I am quite sure Stella is onto something really good here.
Suggestions for the future? One absolute essential that is missing from the line is a daily exfoliant or scrub to slough off dead skin cells. Also, I am rather fond of cleansers that take off all make-up - including mascara. It was a bit of a pain in the butt to employ the use of a specific make-up remover. Sometimes a girl just doesn’t have time!
While I can’t say I would purchase the entire line, there are certainly a few pieces that I can’t imagine not having in my bathroom - in particular the Toning Floral Water and a couple of the Elixirs. Stella McCartney CARE is available across Canada at Holt Renfrew and in the United States at Sephora. For more information on the entire line of products, please visit the official Stella McCartney CARE website.
ALL THAT GLITTERS IS OLD
Piping hot Red Rose tea is in a warm mug beside me, the delicate scent of Nag Champa wafts my way from a few feet to the left, a cuddlebug (also known to some as a dog) is contentedly sitting in my lap while another drifts in and out of sleep beside me and tomorrow is the beginning of an equally relaxing weekend.
Curl up with me and with this post. I need to tell you something.
Taking a break from my blog over the past several days has been much easier than I anticipated. While I missed composing and was never stumped for material, the time away has given me much refreshment and allowed me to make some choices about www.Keira-anne.com.
I like to blog, but I am not a blogger. While there are many who consider themselves to be bloggers and immerse themselves fully in the so-called blogosphere - which I am in no way criticizing - there is reason I personally never have. I started a blog so that I could write, share my thoughts, post snapshots of my everyday life and stay connected with family and the large number of friends I had living in places other than Vancouver. I have never been interested in the networking side of it all.
I feel as though I’ve lost sight of why I began to blog in the first place. While the actual writing was always very much the fundamental aspect to my blogging, the slippery slopes headed straight into tightrope territory. Soon, stats, fellow bloggers and blogrolls became of seemingly equal import to the content.
That being said, here’s my bottom line: I’m a 27-year-old woman living in British Columbia’s biggest city. Sometimes I’m a bit of a narcissist. Sometimes I’m not. I love my family and I love my friends. I love dogs almost just as much. I like drinking tea (with a load of milk and a pinch of sugar) and watching movies and pretending I’m a runner. I am downright passionate about the shampoo I use and equally passionate about the causes I throw my support behind. Sometimes I achieve monumental heights in the little things in life and sometimes I totally screw up and hurt people. I’m human and this is my blog.
It’s time to go back to where it all started.
“So, Keira-Anne, what does this all mean?”
Good question - I’m glad you asked! Sometimes the best thing anyone can do in any regard is to simply simplify. Pare it down, weed out the superfluous, get rid of what’s lacklustre and open the windows to let a bit of fresh air in.
The biggest change I am intent on making is pulling in the reigns a little bit. How that will look, I can’t quite say because I don’t know how to describe the change. I want to write real posts about myself without getting too deep into the abyss of it all. Sometimes a bit of privacy is key. This blog will also no longer be a social platform for myself. Instead, consider it a constantly updated resume on life. And no, you cannot have access to my references nor apply for a position.
Secondly, the blogroll has been whittled down. Believe me, doing so was no easy task. Save for the odd enjoyable random read, including only family and close friends is what I needed to do. Long gone are the days of reciprocal link love as a courtesy. It’s nothing personal; instead just something I think is right for me and my blog.
What won’t change is that my blog will still be the place to come to read about all the stuff you deny enjoying reading about. Sure, there’ll be a juicy post here and there, some posts solely dedicated to my unbridled and continuous lust for Javier Bardem and even more posts about one girl’s quest for fabulous hair.
After all, what’s the point in having your cake if you can’t eat it (and get a little icing smeared on your candy-flavoured lips) too?
THE ROOTS OF ROCK AND ROLL
It’s been more than eight years since I last saw Hanson in concert, which also happens to be the last time they played Vancouver. When I found out they were returning to play an acoustic show at the Commodore Ballroom, I insisted on dragging Becky along with me.
I have this thing with Hanson and a need to turn skeptics into believers.
Being the awesome girl that she is (and knowing how much I appreciate the rock trio of brothers from Tulsa, Oklahoma), Becky went above and beyond. Not only did she score us tickets to the show, but also landed an opportunity to meet and interview them, as well as naming me “official” photographer for her writing piece.
Isaac, Taylor and Zac were three of the kindest and most genuine men who obviously have a passion for what they do.
Following our interview (audio will be available in the next day or two, so check back), Becky and I tagged along as Hanson completed a one-mile walk to promote social and humanitarian awareness.
We had time to kill before the show and did so by drinking beer and eating wings. I have beer bloat this morning for the first time ever, so it looks like I’ll be sticking to wine in the future.
While the thought of an acoustic show invokes the ideas of “quiet” and “low key,” Hanson’s show was anything but. The men know how to rock, and they know how to rock it well.
In case you were unaware, Hanson write, record, produce and perform all of their own music and have been doing so for the better part of their lives. Forget the cookie cutter concept.
You know you’re getting old when you’re at a concert, your favourite band is playing and you can’t even stick it out to the end. We left after about an hour of Hanson’s set because neither of us could keep our eyes open any longer. Despite that, the show was fantastic and the day was an experience I won’t soon forget. Our podcast interview with Hanson should be up and airing within the next day or too, so don’t miss that!
My entire set of photos can be viewed here on Flickr.
FULL SWING INTO FALL
It’s not a secret that I’m no fan of working on the weekends (one of the perks of a M-F job), but even though I spent both Saturday and part of Sunday in the office, I didn’t mind. The remainder of my Sunday was spent at Crab Park with my favourite boys, followed by grocery shopping, a nap, South Park and Snatch. Sounds pretty decent if you ask me…
THE GIRL DATE
Any woman who has lived in downtown Vancouver for any significant period of time knows how hard it can be to meet other like-minded women in this city. I am in the midst of my fifth year here and have only just recently began to expand my circle of girlfriends in the last year or two, and even so it has been in a rather traditional fashion. The four women I spend the majority of my time with are women I met either through blogging or though mutual friends.
But what about unconventional means? What about the girl date? And further, do girls date?
Case in point: each morning I get my four-shot Americano from the same Starbucks location. If anything, it’s a brief respite from the beginning of another (torturous) day at the office. The staff there are always fantastic and know me by name, drink and the occasional ginger molasses cookie. There is one girl there in particular, however, that I tend to spend much time in conversation with.
We chat about men, about hair, about weekend plans and anything else random that comes up. The reality is that we seem like very similar girls in a lot of ways and for whatever reason, I get the sense that she’s one of the rare few I could get along with.
Finding girlfriends is hard enough, so letting a potential one slip by could be considered wasteful. Dilemma: I want to go on a girl date with her and dip my toes in the waters of friendship, but is that beyond the boundaries of even the unconventional? Do men randomly ask each other to shoot hoops or “grab a beer sometime” without crossing into comfort zones?
Your thoughts, please.
LADIES WHO LUSH
I can’t stop looking at this. Every time I’ve toggled to that page this morning while sitting at my desk, I’ve died a little on the inside.
I hate you, Internet Explorer. Everytime I blog with you, you squish my pictures and make me look schmucky. I should basically just always use my laptop, me thinks. (Translation: click each picture to see it in my Flickr stream, not looking schmucky.) Safari FTW.
Okay, so Lady Phae wanted to treat yours truly to a divine dinner at my absolute favourite spot. The first time I went to Boneta was on my birthday last year and I have been back a handful of times since.
We let the amazing men of Boneta pick wine for us, and so we had some Italian red vino. My friend Toni claims to be Italian red wine but I am not sure he’s as drinkable.
We had cheese. And crustinis. And cheese.
Normally I’m pretty lush-ous when drinking red wine, but for whatever reason I managed to remain pretty sober. The same cannot be said for my hot date. She’s charming.
“Boneta loves you.” It’s written all over their restaurant, literally and figuratively. We were treated like royalty, and at one point, one of the owners actually stabbed at one of the fresh, local strawberries with my fork and fed it to me.
Being that Jack popped my Pimm’s cherry on my birthday at Boneta, I decided Phaedra needed to do the same, so we capped off the evening with a Pimm’s-based cocktail of our own. Needless to say, it was a hit.
Just yesterday, Duane wrote a blog post that touched down on customer service. I agreed with his points in that I feel as though it’s largely a lost art. I am rather adept in the kitchen and know very well how to pick out a good bottle of wine to tote home, so when I go out for dinner, it’s the service and experience I am paying for.
At Boneta, phenomenal food, killer wine and service to knock your stillettos off are all guaranteed, all the time. Why else would my darling and I have gone two times already?
Thanks for a truly stellar date, Phaedra…