A Note on Design
At Home In Love
Beautiful Nomad
Camille Styles
The Coveteur
Cubicle Refugee
Culture Club
Cupcakes and Cashmere
Design*Sponge
Domaine
Garance Doré
GOOP
Hall of Style
J.Crew Tumblr
Just My Type
The Londoner
Love the Design
The Makers Project
The Man Repeller
Refinery29
The Selby
What Ali Wore
Your Daily Life Guide
Remember when Gilmore Girls was cancelled and we were all like, “Nooooo! Bring back Rory & Lorelai! I need that fast talking mother-daughter duo and their never ending stream of snacks and shenanigans in my life.” Well this is kinda like that. Except without the bootcut jeans, but definitely with the snacks.
I’m going on hiatus. But unlike the three generations of Gilmore women, I promise not to come back in a four-part “year in the life” series where I’m jobless, aimless, and unclear about who fathered my child (KNOCK ON WOOD!). Also, this break isn’t the result of a showrunner getting pushed out the door.
It just feels like the right time to take a little break and focus on other endeavours (like publishing more editorial work and taking advantage of opportunities to collaborate with crazy creative folks in travel, fitness, and tech). I’ll be back, and we’ll pick up right where we left off.
Thank you for sticking with me for the last three and a half years. It’s been an incredible ride.
This isn’t goodbye forever, just a fond, à bientôt. Until soon my friends. xx
I’ve been off the radar a little bit recently. Kind of like that hiatus in your journal, you know the one.
Dear diary,
It’s been soooo long since my last entry…
We’ve all been there. I’m sorry for ducking out for a while and thank you for checking back in to read this.
I saw the #presencenotpresents list above on Instagram the other day and with Christmas just a few sleeps away, I felt inspired to write a word or two on the subject.
Presence not presents.
It’s such a simple thing but something I’ve struggled with for a long time. For years my family would go off the deep end with presents at Christmas time. We’d build mountains of gifts under the tree, full of beautiful and thoughtful things, but still things that none of us really needed. And it feels ungrateful to say, because of course I loved and appreciated the gifts I received. But at the same time, none of them made any of us any happier. It’s as if with each new item I added to my closet, my home, and my life, I lost sight of the other beautiful things already there and felt guilty for having so much.
It wasn’t just receiving gifts that was the problem, but giving them as well. If I couldn’t find the perfect gift to give, I felt like I wasn’t sufficiently honouring the recipient, like the only way to adequately demonstrate how much I loved them was to shower them in an excessive display of beautifully wrapped presents, each one saying, “do you see how much I love and value you? can you see how much you mean to me?”
I say this in the past tense, but it’s still a struggle. A friend told me recently that she stopped giving presents at the holidays - “your presence is enough,” she said, “try it.” But just thinking about it makes me anxious. Yes, we’ve cut down on our Christmas (over)consumption, but show up at the holidays without any gift at all? What would people think? Would they think I was being rude and selfish? Inconsiderate? Ungrateful? Would they think I hadn’t thought about them? Didn’t care about them? Only cared about myself?
So I haven’t practiced this yet, but seeing this list makes me stop and think. Maybe the way to show people that we care isn’t to buy them something, but to give them something. Namely time. And attention. And love. To be present. To listen. To share a moment, a smile, a laugh, a hug.
As Kahlil Gibran said,
You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
This Christmas, when I turn up, I can’t promise to come bearing gifts, but I can promise to come with plenty of hugs to share, smiles to give, and joy in my heart.
Merry Christmas everyone. May your light burn bright the whole season through.
1. Pantone has announced the 2017 Color of the Year, via Fast Co. Design.
2. How 25 years of Photoshop changed our perception of reality, via Deutsche Welle.
3. Forget this golden rule and you might get banned from Uber, via Uber.
4. Can going paleo make you sick? Via Well and Good.
5. The current employment model is no one’s cup of tea, via Huffington Post.
6. The craziest Oreo flavours from foreign lands, via Huffington Post.
1. How to snap gorgeous shots for Instagram on your iPhone, via Later.
2. The 2016 Haters Guide to the Williams-Sonoma Catalog, via Adequate Man.
3. Farinata, socca, torta di ceci - a gluten-free flatbread with just 4 ingredients, via the Kitchn.
4. Can’t read a word in this Swedish post, but I’m in love with this living room, via Elle Decoration.
5. An apropos read this time of year on living with less, via the New York Times.
6. Elizabeth Gilbert on fear, authenticity, and big magic, via Marie Forleo.
1. Madewell’s favourite stylist reveals the right way to wear a bodysuit, via Madewell.
2. Speaking of bodysuits, this basic black number is a classic choice, via Aritzia.
3. Is it time to quit social media for the sake of your career? Via NY Times.
4. The top wellness trends coming in 2017, via Well and Good.
5. The buzzy travel destinations that will be on everyone’s radar next year, via My Domaine.
6. A recipe for a delicious and nourishing cold weather soup, via Dishing Up the Dirt.
There is officially one month til Christmas, and to celebrate, today’s Friday Faves are entirely ho-ho-holiday-based. Let the countdown begin!
1. Feeling crafty? Here are 12 DIY decorations to make before Christmas, via My Domaine.
2. A hipster nativity scene, the perfect gift for every bearded barista in your life, via Modern Nativity.
3. The GOOP holiday gift guides are here! Bring on an $8,300 yurt, via Perez Hilton.
4. Holiday outfit ideas from Jenna Lyons, via Who What Wear.
5. 6 links in one! The healthy holiday game plan, via Well and Good.
6. 6 easy (and festive) appetizers for your Chrismukkah party, via the Greatist.
1. These recipes “en papillote” are easy peasy to make, with almost no cleanup, via Refinery29.
2. Dying to try this luscious braid and other 5-minute styles, via Byrdie.
3. I’m a total copy editing nerd, so I love this guide to proper markups, via NY Book Editors.
4. LOL if you currently have more than a dozen tabs open in your browser, via The Onion.
5. Scientists say this playlist will lower your anxiety by 65%, via Sporteluxe.
6. Hold the iPhone, another new release of emoji is on its way, via Slash Gear.
1. The truth about sponsored blog and social media posts, via This Renegade Love.
2. 8 baller Airbnbs, via Refinery29.
3. This artist is calling BS on your motivational Instagram posts, via Dazed Digital.
4. 24 things women over 30 should wear when they’re fierce AF, via Warning Curves Ahead.
5. The Dalai Lama explains what’s behind our collective anxiety, via The New York Times.
6. Popcorn polenta with mushroom jus – for when you’re craving something heavy, comforting, and warm, via Lady and Pups.
A terrible, no-good, very bad thing happened last night. I’m not going to talk about it, because I’m afraid if I do I’ll tumble into despair about the state of the world and the tragedy of this outcome. I’ll climb up onto a soapbox and likely won’t get off for a very, very long time. So instead I’m going to share with you a random thought I had today.
In a move toward becoming more grounded, I recently downloaded a meditation app called Headspace (shout out to my friend Emma who started working there not long ago. British GQ called it the happiest office in the world!). I’m now on Day 4 (it’s a slow road to enlightenment) and today, as I sat there listening to the soothing tones of some British dude guiding me through 10 minutes of peace and calm, I thought to myself, “I bet this guy’s exes hate that he’s the voice on this app.” Ha! I told you this was random.
When I hear the Headspace narrator I picture a regular British guy in his mid-thirties, probably with glasses and a laid back disposition (this is the guy you want around when shit hits the fan because he always keeps his cool). Odds are he’s had a few relationships in his day and Headspace claims to have over 6 million users. Surely there must be some crossover. Some of those could be random, like you’re browsing the App store, looking for some help on your journey to meditative bliss, you download this app, press go on Day 1 and BOOM! Your ex is in your ear, blabbing to you about watching your thoughts pass by and you’re thinking, THIS IS NOT WHAT I HAD IN MIND WHEN I WENT IN SEARCH OF PEACE!
Or even worse, maybe his girlfriend or boyfriend had already been using the app, maybe they were even super into it as a way of supporting their partner, when suddenly, heartbreak. And now the thing they used to use daily to get them into the flow, instead creates a Vesuvius-level eruption of heartache and rage. That would really suck.
So yah, that’s all. Just wanted to share. Because it seems that after last night’s results I need meditation more than ever. Maybe we all do. Except for the exes of course. They’re just going to have to turn somewhere else.
1. Sarah Jessica Parker thinks it’s important to stay curious (have to say I agree ;), via Fast Co. Design.
2. 13 of the best hacks for finding a cheap flight, via Refinery29.
3. The perfect ‘uniform’ style for every type of job, via The Coveteur.
4. I’m not sure what pine pollen is, but this fig and quinoa salad sounds delish, via The Chalkboard Mag.
5. #CelluliteSaturday shows regular women in their beautiful natural state, via People.
6. The supermoon is on it’s way! Here’s what you need to know, via Mashable.
1. This Insta phenom traded ab selfies for self-love, via Sporteluxe.
2. Killer layered looks for Fall, via The Vault Files.
3. Finally, an easy way to determine healthy portion size, via Wake the Wolves.
4. A beginner’s guide to cutting out sugar, via Well and Good. (I so need this in my life!)
5. Instagram confessions – the crazies thing people have done for a like, via Refinery29.
6. A new women’s-only club in NYC from Lena Dunham’s BFF, via Fast Co Design.
As some of you already know, I’ve spent a lot of time in the tropics this past year, exploring what life is like in Bali. I’ve had to get super comfortable with riding motorbikes, undrinkable tap water, families of five on motorbikes, 100% humidity every freaking day, children who don’t look old enough to be in school driving motorbikes, territorial geckos who sh!t all over everything, motorbike traffic… did I mention the motorbikes? I’ve also had to make nice with all manner of tropical wildlife. While my Aussie friends seem to be quite comfortable with all the creepy crawlers running around this island (that’s what you get when you come from a country where most of the wildlife is deadly - the worst we have in Canada is bears, and they’re cute when viewed from afar), I’m definitely not as relaxed. My philosophy is, you stay out of my space, I’ll stay out of yours, meaning if I see you out in nature, I’ll give you a wide berth, but if you come into my house, it’s game on. This is the most recent addition to my lineup of questionable tropical experiences. I hope you enjoy it more than I did.
Sunday morning I went downstairs to make a quick brekkie - eggs and toast. Whenever I go to use the toaster or the Vitamix I always, ALWAYS, give them a little jostle first because that particular corner is a favourite hiding spot for the geckos who live in our villa (territorial little fuckers). So Sunday morning I give the toaster a nudge, nothing comes out. I put my toast in and press go.
Maybe 30 seconds later I sense something is very very wrong. I go over to the toaster and give it another bang. Still nothing comes out, but it's smoking a bit, which seems kind of odd (I’m sure you can guess where this is going and it’s not looking good for the wildlife).
I try to peek in but I can't see into the dark toaster so I unplug the cord, flip it upside down and what falls out?
My toast.
Ha! You’re getting ahead of me.
I put down the toaster, tiptoe closer, peek inside… AND THERE IS A FUCKING GECKO FRIED IN THE TOASTER!!!
It looks like he got stuck behind the wires. And I'm freaking out because I have NO FUCKING IDEA how to handle A TOASTED GECKO!!
I mean really, is anyone prepared for this type of tropical tribulation?
What am I supposed to do with this fucking toaster?!? I can't put it back! What if someone uses it? I’m pretty sure gecko guts have got to be toxic (or at the very least, highly unappetizing). But I can’t get the gecko unstuck. So what did I eventually do? I left the toaster on the kitchen table hoping the housekeeper would dispose of it and made a mental note to buy a new toaster. Because while you might be able to convince me to try Vegemite as a spread, I’m drawing the line at gecko. Barf, just barf.
1. These “read-it-later” apps will help clean up your browser tabs (repeat offender!), via Refinery29.
2. Did you hear? Statement earrings are in for Fall 2016. Via Vogue.
3. My favourite travel guide is back and better than ever! Via Nectar & Pulse.
4. 8 DIY Halloween costumes inspired by activewear, via Well and Good.
5. See what happens when you eat vegan for a week, via The Every Girl.
6. 5 things that will improve your morning in 60 seconds or less, via Sporteluxe.
Morning routine: brush teeth, wash face, moisturize, lather on sunscreen. Face – check. Neck – check. Knees – wait, what?
Ladies, hold the phone. Apparently I’ve been applying sunscreen wrong. Face, neck, chest, back. I’ve got them covered. But knees? A friend of mine recently revealed that she makes sure to slather her knees in sunscreen every day because she doesn’t want saggy old knobs connecting her thighs and her shins (full disclosure, we’re on a tropical island where it’s shorts all day every day, so it’s not like she’s SPF-ing under her jeans – that would just be weird). But apparently my knees are going to look A HUNDRED because I have not been attending to this newfound (to me) task. Have all of you been putting sunscreen on your knees and not telling me? Was this some conspiracy to flaunt your teenage-looking knees to the rest of us who weren’t in on the secret? And is this just one more thing I’m meant to worry about as a woman?
Eyebrows need to be threaded. Skin needs to be lasered. Bikini lines need to be waxed. People are shaving and dyeing and weaving and extending and all sorts of ‘-ings’. God forbid we have any body hair below the neck. And now, to add to our list of worries: saggy knees. Actually, Google tells me this is a thing. In 2006 Demi Moore apparently underwent cosmetic knee surgery to remove saggy skin. And if you believe the Hollywood Reporter, Hollywood is awash in “knee anxiety”. Celebrities are rushing “to unwind the clock on leg joints”. That’s a direct quote. There’s even a name for this much feared bodily disaster - “kninkles”. Yes that’s right ladies, just in case you don’t have enough to worry about with wrinkles and cellulite and cankles and underarm jiggle and saggy bums and big bums and flat bums, now you can add kninkles to your list.
Do I sound angry? Maybe I am. Maybe I’m tired of people/society/media pointing out all the things that we need to “fix.” Maybe instead of buying into a lifelong struggle to correct the things about ourselves that we’ve been told are horribly wrong (spending tens of thousands of dollars on treatments and products to fix them), we should accept ourselves for who we are and give thanks to our bodies for holding us day in and day out. Maybe we can engage in a lifelong journey of learning to love ourselves instead of fighting against the inevitable effects of aging and time. Maybe we can find happiness without perfect shoulders, perfect abs, or perfect knees. Maybe we can say that kninkles are the result of years of long walks, squatting down to pick up yummy babies, and biking for miles on seaside rides. But what do I know? I don’t even know how to apply sunscreen correctly :P
1. These photos taken from space make you realize just how tiny we really are, via Vice.
2. See what happens when a school replaces detention with meditation, via Upworthy.
3. Gluten free breakfast bars from Oh She Glows, via Well and Good.
4. 5 steps to starting a business while working full time, via The Every Girl.
5. This shower inset in a watercolour print is absolutely stunning, via Pinterest.
6. This instagram account is a bit bonkers, and I mean that in the best possible way, via @milk.
1. An interview with Lena Dunham and Amy Schumer (comedy head explode), via Lenny.
2. You’ll never guess what food these earrings are made of, via EJ.
3. Sweet potato muffins make the perfect on-the-go breakfast, via the Toronto Star.
4. The best travel websites you’ve never heard of, via Refinery29.
5. 8 healthy habits that are cheaper than your morning latte, via The Chalkboard Mag.
6. Talking to strangers is good for you, via the Globe & Mail.
1. 52 fashionable street style shots from NYFW, all shot by the amazingly talented Mauricio Calero, via Sidewalk Hustle.
2. Read what happens when a mom tried to help her 13-year old daughter find tampons, via Scary Mommy.
3. This blogger pokes fun at Anthropologie furniture and it’s so good! Via L.G. Tumbletown.
4. See how gummies are made behind the scenes. I don’t think I’ll ever eat jujubes again :( via Huffington Post.
5. 4 rituals that will make you happier according to science, via Business Insider.
6. The sports bras you should be wearing, via Furthermore.
