Tuesday, January 20, 2009

La Dolce Vita

Now that I got my raise (a modest one, but every little bit helps), despite the global recession, I'm still looking to fail... but that's another post...

Anyways, money is tight everywhere, for practically everyone... and it's likely that we're all gonna feel the squeeze even more in these coming months.

Growing up with a mother who had endured a childhood living in poverty has taught me that being short on cash doesn't mean that life can't be rich.

My mom grew up in a home complete with plywood walls. It made for extremely cold winters considering that she lived much of her childhood years in the interior of B.C. She told us about how she used to wake up on those winter mornings with frost down the walls. She and her siblings slept under those grey scratchy wool blankets. They didn't have a bathroom, but instead had to make treks out to the out house, and bathe in a big tin wash bucket.

She had a doll (emphasis on the lack of plural), and she loved it. While she loved sports, she never got to be part of a team because her family couldn't afford the gas to pick her up after practice.

I have had the privilege of learning from the best on how to pinch pennies, and growing up hearing about her childhood, I have an entirely different view on what it means to be poor, and conversely, what it means to be blessed.

Being thrifty is bred into me, but there's always room to grow. I actually wear my ability to be thrifty as a badge of honour and I am always looking for inspiration and ideas.

One of my favourite blogs is Pink Of Perfection: A Thrifty Girl's Guide to La Dolce Vita.




Just looking at her blog makes me want to cook and craft and enjoy what I have at the tips of my fingers. Like the practice of building muscle, the thrifty/crafty "muscle" must be flexed and worked in order to be built up. My experience over the past year (just over three weeks shy of my buy nothing new), despite my slip in buying shoes the other week, has really taught me that there is potential in a lot of stuff that I would've normally passed by. I was telling my mom the other day that I was talking through the dollar store and I came upon a pair of men's XXL red and black checked boxers and right away my mind's eye flashed an extremely cute capelet.

I joked with my friend Liz that it is an illness. Rarely can I ever let anything be the way it is. I'm constantly looking at ugly, goofy things wondering how they could be altered into something great.

While this past year has greatly improved my "thrift/creative muscle"- I am well aware there are people out there who could put me and my men's dollar store boxer capelet to shame, and I find heaps of inspiration in their ability to squeeze every last drop from a thrifty life so that instead of living life looking at all the things they cannot afford, they see a challenge to use what's available to build la dolce vita

Monday, January 19, 2009

: )

I got a wee raise.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Sometimes

Sometimes I write about silly fluff. A lot in life is silly fluff.

...and then there are moments that life gets very real. Only a few weeks into a new year, and life has gotten very real. My heart has been broken. Not for myself, but for my friends.

Life feels heavy. There isn't much time that goes by that I don't think about them. That I don't whisper a short prayer for peace.

So sometimes I write about fluff because life is too real.

I am not the victim. By no means should anyone feel even slightly sorry for me. My life is good. I believe I am extremely blessed.

But then there are friends who are being stretched, knocked down, beat up... friends who are suffering, who are grieving.

And it is in this that I am learning love. Never in my life have I told my friends that I love them with such honesty and intimacy.

And it is not a one-way street. Despite the swells that threaten to topple- they have reached out to me and shown me love... and I am amazed.

It has cast an entirely different light on all my relationships. It has made me appreciate people in a way I never have before.

A wise friend of mine has said that a person is truly and richly blessed when they have a small handful of friends/family who really do support them, and that the rest doesn't matter.

Another wise friend says that friends are the family that you choose. Not everyone is blessed with the most stable and supportive biological family, and even if they are, there are friends who come along and become sisters, brothers, fathers and mothers.

If I have written more fluff lately than usual, it is because my words cannot do justice to the reality of life. Sometimes life comes down to that which is unspoken: a ringing phone, hugs, tears, laughter, understanding, silence, love, patience, and just showing up.

To Do: Become Friends With Failure

Like I've already stated in my "To Do" list- I want to fail more.

Despite the pain and inevitable embarrassment (as I am somewhat of a perfectionist), I really do hope to get better acquainted with failure so that I don't fear it so much.

I came across this quote tonight. I am going to post it somewhere that I will see it often, so that I am not tempted to slide back into the safe, dull comfort of only trying things I'm practically guaranteed success at.

Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.
- Denis Waitley


PS- no word on my raise, but a girl can dream... and work 60hrs a week.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Bejeweler

When I was a kid, my mom sewed a ton of our clothes. We had THE BEST Halloween costumes because she made them from scratch.

One year I was a princess (I used to tell people that I wanted to be a princess when I grew up... ah the joys of childhood naïveté). My mom made me this beautiful pink dress with a separate bejeweled pullover vest.

I LOVED that vest. I used to wear it alone with only a pair of underwear. I would pretend that it was my gymnastics outfit. More specifically, my "fantastics" outfit. Fantastics was my own special blend of dance and gymnastics. I used to spend hours in the basement doing rolls, pirouettes, flips and jumps. My bejeweled vest made me feel ultra-sassy.

I remember my mom telling me to put on pants on numerous occasions. It used to anger me to no end. Why couldn't she see that I was wearing my uniform- fantastics can't be practiced with pants!!!

Last month a turned 26, and I wanted to buy myself a bejeweler. I was sure there'd be something in the toy store, but I had no luck. I DID, however, stumble upon some awfully pretty gems in Michaels. The moment I got home I dumped them all out and sorted them into colours.

Now to make my fantastics outfit...

Sunday, January 11, 2009

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence

Last week as I was running errands I ducked into our local bookstore to see what I could add to my bookshelf or coffee table.

After a few minutes of browsing I came across the "Funny/Comedy" section, as I flipped open Amy Sedaris' book, I found myself laughing out loud at the pure stupidity of it.


I grabbed the last two copies (one for myself, and the other for a friend who could use a laugh) and headed out into the snow.

While it feels strange to laugh to the point of tears at a book, that's exactly what I've been doing. It's especially awkward when read in a room full of people who have no clue why you think what looks like a recipe book is so funny.

And for some, the humour isn't their style- it's random and stupid at best.

I just happen to LOVE random and stupid.

From what little I have read, here's a few teasers to give you an idea:

When I started this book I fantasized that I would be able to do it on my own and in my spare time (how hard can it be? It’s recipes…). But after a few minutes of trying to type, that quaint fantasy quickly turned into desperate phone calls. It turns out to be very hard to steal a recipe.


On children’s parties:
Children before [the age of five] are too young to understand the concept of presents. You can gift wrap a head of cabbage and give it to a two-year-old and they won’t know the difference... [AND] Children’s parties should have a set time-limit, like "from 2 to 2:30," because, given a child’s boundless energy and the lack of yours, you will never wear them down.


On entertaining the elderly:
It’s never good to stereotype. All of your guests are individuals with different needs. Except in the case of the elderly. You can pretty much count on all of them not liking loud music and being cold.


Even if you don’t want to be the host:
There is nothing wrong with not wanting to be a hospitable person and have groups of people in your home touching your personables. Luckily, this sturdy book wll also inform you on how to be the perfect guest. From the minute you say, "yes I’ll be there," until the moment you say "I’m sorry, I should go," you have an important role in making the party a hit.


A recipe idea:
Take the chewed up cracker that is in your mouth and top it on another cracker and eat it




As I stated in my "to do" list at the beginning of the month, I want to laugh more and take myself less seriously... done.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

I made it 11 months

Until I bought new shoes.

With only a month left on my buy no new clothes for a year (intimates not included... yuck)- I found myself wandering through the tiny mall in White Rock this afternoon- hiding from the rain.

I had hoped to meet a friend for a visit, but she has been overtaken by one of the many nasty bugs going around...

So I browsed... and browsed, and then turned around and browsed all over again.

All the while dreaming of a pretty pair of shoes I had stumbled upon within minutes of walking into the mall.

I have truely loved doing the thrift thing, and plan on continuing it for clothing, but I've had such poor luck with shoes.

It's been a dry 11 months, and today I cheated.

I'm not going to make excuses- I was well aware I was breaching my comittment. You can judge me...

I judge me.

Here's an idea of the temptation I simply couldn't run from:



While mine aren't Prada- they were only $32 after tax.

Monday, January 5, 2009

It's Not So Bad

Like the dark, spiders, and heights, the idea of failing terrifies me.

I'm sure I am not alone. No one likes to fail, but not everyone is as easily deterred from acting on something as I am. Rarely will I attempt something unless I am fairly certain that I will succeed. The mere potential of failure is enough to keep me from pursuing things I actually want.

Sure, the things I do try often do turn out near perfect, but I likely could've told you that before I even tried. I rarely surprise myself because I am so safe with my choices/actions, and that is no way to live.

I need balance. I need to try things that I am likely to fail at because that is the only chance I have to feel the thrilling side of success.

And I need to see that being told "no" or falling flat on my face really isn't as bad as I thought it was.

Hence the email I just sent.

I asked for a raise during a global economic crisis...

Now I got a stomach full of butterflies, and I'll probably jump every time I hear my phone ring or see a new message waiting in my inbox, but the reality is that I have been thinking about asking for a raise since September. Sometimes I try to convince myself and others that I don't pursue things I want to because I am procrastinating... but that is rarely the real reason. The job I am in is not the way a person builds a savings account. I make peanuts, and even with a raise, I'd still make peanuts. I'm sure I'll live my entire life making peanuts... there's not a lot of money in helping "the least of these" and I am completely fine with it.

Peanuts... because I haven't said that word enough.

It's largely symbolic to me. It's about doing something I am afraid of well as reaffirming myself by refusing to belittle what I do.

We'll see what happens. For now, I'll keep repeating what Scotty (who will dive head-first into practically anything... I am so jealous!)reassured me with: "it never hurts to ask."

2009: A Green Year

While I recycle like a fiend, buy fair trade organic coffee, spend a lot on a litre of organic milk and free range eggs, refuse to eat meat, rely on reusable bags for my groceries, carpool when possible and recycle my clothes... I am far from the green person I want to be.

This morning I turned on CBC while going about my duties at work (I'm trying to get that daily news thing down). A story caught my attention: CBC's "One Million Act's Of Green" initiative aimed at uniting Canadians in a mission to do one at least one green thing.

This season, CBC and The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos want to mobilize Canadians to do One Million Acts of Green. In partnership with Cisco, the idea behind the campaign is that one small act can make a big difference.

It’s not about overhauling your life; it’s about one act from each individual amassing to a million. It can be as simple as switching to compact fluorescent lightbulbs, starting a recycling program, or walking to work. You can do one act – or you can do all one million! It’s up to you.

Young and old, parents and kids, small towns and big cities, we want to create an exciting grassroots initiative. All you have to do is go to this website and register one act – or more.


I just signed up and set the page to be my new homepage (sorry Nylon)so that I am reminded to act, improve, be inspired and make some new habits that will make this earth a better place to live.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

As the snow falls...

...I am listening to the perfect soundtrack- aside from Christmas music of course!

I can't take any of the credit, my friend Jacqui told me all about it.

I just went to itunes, listened, and dropped some coin on the 2006 album entitled, "Dance Party in The Balkans"


Alaska in Winter has been my soundtrack over these past few weeks as I dreamily stare out the window at the falling snow.

Aside from treacherous driving, the snow is AMAZING!!! When I am trapped at work, I find myself constantly running out onto the front steps to just take in the silence that seems to only come with a snowfall. And there is this smell that takes me back to my earliest winters when we lived in the interior of BC.

Tomorrow I'm told that we'll see the end of this cold-snap, and January will resume the dreariness that normally characterizes Westcoast winters- so tonight I'll make sure to breathe extra deep, and not complain.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

To Do List


Learn Spanish. Get more hours at work. Balance work an school. Establish a regular yoga practice. Eat more "God-made" foods and less "man-made." Become a sushi-master. Make some new friends at the local old-age home. Teach myself guitar. Re-learn to play my saxamaphone. Picnic. Go to Shi Shi beach. Fall back in love with running. Get outside!. Put live plants in my aquarium. Rescue a canary from the animal shelter. Take dance lessons with Scotty. Hike. Give more home-made gifts. Continue to be a devoted refashionista beyond my one year of "buy nothing new" commitment. Bring back the potluck in a BIG way. Beach walks. Learn the art of the quick-visit with busy friends. Pray all the time. Watch/read the news regularly. Get involved in saving our orcas . Support local talent (go see local bands). Paint. Bake my own bread. Learn to play "99 Red Balloons" on my synthesiser. Take pride in the small things. Laugh more. Take myself less seriously. Surf. Drink water...lots of water. Take time to look at the sky/smell a flower/ lie in the grass. Become less of a consumer (go without or find an alternative). Love and appreciate the people in my life and make sure they know it. Do something I know I will fail at (get over my fear of failing). Get 8 hrs of sleep. Take mini-holidays on weekends. Frame some photos (everything is in digital form). Become more thrifty. Get live plants for my home. Read/absorb my Bible. BE WHERE I AM.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Just Be

I used to be big on the New Year's resolutions, but this year I made some post-trip goals. Being outside in the sunshine on the beaches of Varadero a couple weeks ago gave me time to think about my life. The most recurring thought was that I wanted to live more in the moment.

I am a future junkie. I am always living in the future. Mentally I am always focused on tonight, tomorrow, the coming weekend, next year, the moment Scotty and I are both done school... at times I am *SO* focused on the future that I miss out on the day I am in. Sometimes I can hardly wait to be in the future, only to arrive there and be focused on the NEXT thing.

Last week as my mom and I wandered around in the gift shop on the ferry, I picked up a book of quotes and flipped to one that really spoke to me:

As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are.
Otherwise you will miss most of your life.
-Buddha