25 Days Left.

This summer seems as if it's been going on forever.  I finished my exams on 4/21 and have been in summer mode ever since.  The only (slightly) intellectual activities I've been doing are blogging and learning how to sew.  At the beginning of this summer, I published a list on Tumblr (who even does that anymore?)... a to do list of sorts. 

"Being a a sufferer of obsessive compulsive disorder, I tend to make a lot of to-do lists to help organize my life. During the school year, these lists usually consist of things I need to read, write or study. With the summer comes a new sense of freedom. A freedom to explore new things and accomplish certain things you’ve always wanted to. So here are 25 items (so far) on my Summer 2010 list…"
1. attend a concert or better yet, music fest
2. sleep under the stars
3. underwater (draw your own conclusions here.)
4.  buy a pair of Louboutins
5. get my G2
6. go on a roadtrip with my girls (with the aid of a G2 license haha)
7.  party in Montreal
8. skinny dip with random people I just met
9. get into an agency
10. go a week without spending any money
11. clean my closets
12. get published
13. resurrect film photography
14. host a massive house party (and not irritate the neighbours)
15. learn to bartend like a pro.
16. learn to sew
17. go to Niagara Falls
18. go to a Karaoke bar (many times…)
19. watch the movies I’ve always wanted to see, but hadn’t yet.
20. learn to play the guitar
21. practice piano more
22. Go to NYC
23. take ballet again
24. become a Yogi (haha)
25. finish my romance novel "

There were 25 Items on my List, and 25 days left.  So I think it's time to retrospect and see what I have accomplished so far... and take note of the outstanding items.

1. I went to Lilith... massive festival filled with women and many lesbians.  Saw Sarah McLachlan, got teary -eyed.  I count that one as done.
2.  Done :)
3. Done :)
4. I didn't buy Loubous... but I did get a Marc Jacobs bag...
5. Outstanding.  Must. Drive. More.
6. Impossible, due to the fact that I haven't accomplished 5. and my mom isn't keeping her car.
7. Outstanding... but can be postponed till Fall.
8. Outstanding... maybe this is something better left for a Carribean getaway
9. I'm working on it... and confident that this goal can become a reality within a few weeks :)
10. I made it to 6 days, caved and bought a popsicle.  I did pretty good though :P
11. Ah shit... this has been on my to do list forever.  It's still Pandora's Closet in there... "We're going to the closet, Natalie's going to get dressed.  She's going to her closet, to grab her shit and split." Ahh Zaboomafoo, the closet on that show is an everyday reality for me.
12. I sort of did get published... on an online blog that will be left nameless.  They weren't really legit, and the editor was a douche.  So I'm working on getting my better pieces in Chatelaine or Elle for now...
13. Ahh shit.  I bought a pile of film... now I just need to get a new battery into my mom's old Nikon and I will go nuts come the weekend of the county fair.
14. Outstanding!  I can't believe this hasn't happened yet.  :(
15. My martini shaker leaks... so this one's a miss until I get a new one.
16. DONE :) Despite my issues with sewing zippers... I am on my 5th week of lessons at The Sewing Studio and loving it!  Hopefully I will be able to make my own clothes soon
17. I would love to go while the weather is still nice.  Wine tours and Fallsview Casino is in order, but maybe it's best to postpone until the last week of Septmber when I'm legal to do fun things instead of going to Marineland and Wax Museums on the Strip.
18. Will be accomplished Friday night. 
19. Maybe this will happen this weekend... let's see how adventurous I get at Blockbuster.
20. This has been on my summer to do list for 3 years running.  Since I got my guitar for my 16th birthday, I haven't learned more than two chords and Seven Nation Army... I'm a musical fail.
21. I haven't touched the ivories in so long.  I'm actually dedicating myself to this one though, since I'm ashamed of how I've lost touch with that side of my creativity.
22. Dang.  Still no dice.  I'm too broke and have no one to go with.  Maybe I'll get sent for castings??? Perfect opportunity to see the city and work in the Big Apple.
23. I have attended a couple classes... but once my work doesn't fall between the hours of 1130-1 I can attend the classes at DanceTeq more regularly... it breaks my heart how much i MISS dancing ballet.
24. This has been accomplished... I now practice on my own, at the cottage, by the lake... I love the feeling of laying in Shivasana and letting go of any tension in my life.
25. I'm working on it.

      Seriously, but maybe I need to watch soap operas more for inspiration.  My first full length erotic novel will see the light of day...

Jessica Stam - Aldo Fall 2010

Here's a sneak peek from the Fall 2010 Aldo Campaign, starring none other than my favourite model, Jessica Stam

Photographed by the notorious perv, Terry Richardson... the image is retro and chic.  I love the styling of her outfit... it evokes the more ladylike side to 70s fashion with separates and denim.  How can you not love that voluptuous (updated) Farrah hair?

Water and Oil through the lens of Meisel

In the August 2010 issue of Vogue Italia, covergirl, Kristen McMenamy was shot by Steven Meisel.  The 24 page spread doesn't showcase the colours of the season (came and black btw) or the newest it bag.  Vogue Italia is known for its political editiorial pieces and this installment, entitled Water and Oil is no exception.

This image really affects me.  The LV bag in her hand looks like old netting.  And the gloves look distressed, as if they were once long and elegant.  The styling by Karl Templer is ingenious in this shoot throughout.  McMenamy resembles a bird choking for life.  It's shocking, and so powerful.

I thought this was from National Geographic... an Incan mummy or preserved cavewoman.  No, it's just a model covered in oil, and excellent special FX makeup.

The Real Princesses of New Jersey

This is why I love Disney...



They still manage to be pop-culturally relevant by creating satires of current things wrong with television and society.  The Real Housewives is a mindless show (admittedly very entertaining) that is all about status, material possessions and so called "drama"...much like Sex and the City 2.  Demi Lovato looks amazing as a "Jersey Princess" and somehow, the accent works for her.

Souvenir Tattoos

Vacations are meant to be remembered.  Pictures from nights you don't remember (likely to include foggy pics of you skinny dipping at 3 a.m.) and shot glasses are nice ways to commemorate your trip... getting inked on the other hand is not.

Although getting a dolphin near your belly button seems like a good idea (cuz "Swimming with Dolphins in Cancun was like the coolest experience ever!!!") in the moment... chances are, you will only like that tattoo in that moment, while on vacation.  When you come home to your friends, boyfriend and... dare I say it, mother, puzzled stares are bound to follow.  By getting a dolphin tattoo, you also run the risk of falling into the "cougar" category later in life, especially if you have acrylic nails and posters of Justin Bieber on your wall.

Angelina Jolie is likely the most famous tattooed superstar.  Even Jolie has been a victim of souvenir tattoos... acquiring some from distant locales like Vietnam.  Albeit, Jolie is way more mature than a university student, but getting a tattoo in a foreign land opens you up to the chance of contracting something nasty (HIV even...)

Tattoos should be special and mean a lot to a person.  But that doesn't mean you should make a montage of things about "yourself" and ink it onto your forearm.  My tattoo would basically consist of the following four things:  an Omega symbol ♎ (I'm a Libra), Ballet Shoes, A Cat, A Typewriter and why not throw in a Birkin bag while I'm at it?  That sounds like one ugly tat.  In all honesty, if I ever decided to get inked... I would want something that I know I will be happy with forever.  At the age on 19, my life might revolve around clothes, purses and being a blogging catlady, but that will likely change. 

If a tattoo means so much to you, you can wait till you're at home with sterilized needles.

I agree that vacations can be life-changing... volunteering in third world countries can change your perspective and how you treat other people for the rest of your life.  Ok, so instead of getting ink permanently injected into your skin, why not just spread that newly found generosity with everyone, because God knows we definitely need more generous people in the world.

Next time you're away and you feel the temptation of getting a permanent souvenir, why not buy a tshirt instead? 

5 Steps to Make Your Bookshelves Look Trendy...

Bookshelves are normally filled with dog-eared copies of romance novels or textbooks we are forced to buy for school.  I have a fantasy in my head that my bookshelves won't be used as a supplementary storage unit for my overflow of shoe boxes... Because right now, that's probably the only practical use my bookshelves store.  It would be nice to display photos and beautiful "coffee-table books" in their native setting... and put the shoes back where they belong (in the closet, or in my case, in a museum.)

Step One: Get a Bookshelf

Screw conventions.  I want something that isn't white, rectangular and from IKEA - aka my current shelf.  The Biblioteca Shelf from Umbra is way too expensive at $725, but I think it can be recreated by cutting a couple coffee tables in half and screwing them together. 

Step Two: Find quirky and classic bookends

To organize a bookshelf, you need book ends and these ones are beautiful!  From Barnes & Noble ($39.95) they are made of white marble, so they are sturdy and well made (as long as you don't drop them).  The shape is classic and adds a little zen.  Why not burn some incense while practising yoga in between reading Eat, Pray, Love?

Step Three: Set the illusion that you're a grand traveller

Louis Vuitton is known as the purveyor of all things classic and luxurious.  However, these won't break your bank.  Priced at only $34 each, LV has City Guides for Paris, London, Rome, Tokyo, New York, LA, Mumbai and Miami.  They sell the collection in a set (for $130) but I like the different colours for each city.  Even though a vacation to these exotic locales isn't realistic, the stylish city guides can be a getaway on their own.

Step Four: Display memories of your loved-ones, or good looking one night stands.

Do I even need to explain these?  They are awesome and super cheap ($10.50)... again from Umbra.

Step Five: Knick-Knacks

Knick-knacks are essential on a bookshelf.  They fill up empty space (in case your library is lacking...) and should be able to tell a story about their owner.

My family has three sets of Russian Nesting Dolls (Matryoshka) that reside on top of our "family library".  I bought my mother this set of white nesting dolls from Urban Outfitters (approx. $14.50) for mother's day.  The best thing about these guys is that when they are not being admired for their modern (almost clinical) twist on kitsch, they can be used as measuring cups. 

I think I've gotten the inspiration to get rid of my secondary shoe closet.