A week or so ago, I snuck away from the city to enjoy summer as it is meant to be enjoyed, and I just returned today.  While I did try writing several times,  I was invariably pulled offline – seduced by something simpler (or sweeter).   This year, I savoured every moment at the lake, and as I made my way back, I couldn’t help but ponder what made this trip such a success. 

I suppose it could have been the unexpectedly long stay, or the fabulous weather, or the time I got to spend with loved ones, but really I think there were many more than just a few key ingredients.

So, without further ado, here is my secret recipe for this year’s summer vacation.  Here’s hoping yours turned out as smashing as mine!

• One  bicycle ride around the lake (ok. Just one, I know, but my bum hurt.  There is a reason some seats are more expensive!)
• A stack of of magazines to read
• My statement sun hat
• My suitable swimsuit
• A totally cool tunic topper
• One new tube of glimmery gloss
• Tons of late afternoon dock time 
• At least one super-fun furniture finding mission
• A few of games of tennis
• One finished fall fashion wish list
• A summer blockbuster at the world’s wackiest theatre
• Space to cut & paste my tear sheets outside
• Too many sweet treats to admit
• One fancy grilled salmon on a cedar plank
• Several summer cocktails, including a few Gin & Tonics, Coronas with Lime, and a glass or two of my new favourite, the 2009 Ladybug Rosé by Malivoire.

Image sources: Bike, Tennis Racket, Swimsuit, Statement Sun Hat, Tunic, 2009 Ladybug Rosé, Gin &  Tonic, Corona with Lime, Magazines, Smashbox Lipgloss, Grilled Salmon on a Cedar Plank, and Peach Pie.

The novelty of leaving my job has passed, and the tough slogging early on has begun to bear fruit.  Slowly, the business is starting to take shape and my confidence is growing.  I’ve settled into a comfortable pace, and know now that the downs are always followed by ups.  In fact, they’re usually a sign of an important development!    Obstacles are easier to identify, and increasingly, I find myself able to embrace where I am instead of worry about where I should be.  It’s  not always easy, but being in business has turned out to be both enlightening and deeply rewarding.

Interestingly, as an employee, I was always acutely aware of time.  I could never seem to escape the feeling that I was wasting it working on stuff that was slow to change, and I feared it was going to run out too soon – before I had the time to do what I wanted to do.  I selfishly hoarded those rare spare moments that happened to come my way, and always craved more. 

Now, things are different.  Now, my days are spent productively turning my dreams into reality, and finally, time is on my side.

The past is just the past – savoured instead of squandered – and the present is almost always about  doing what I want to do.  Most significantly though, the future – while impossible to predict – is more markedly under my influence than it has ever been before.   Often, I find myself feeling like I have nothing else but time – and let me tell you – choosing how best to use it can definitely be daunting.  It’s also downright empowering. 

So what does this all of this mean?  Well, for one thing, I’m perceiving progress.  I’m actually going forward instead of spinning my wheels, and I’m having fun.   Living this way is profoundly satisfying rather than selfish, and my happiness begets benefits far beyond the obvious grin I wear so much more than before. Oh, and as if the smile wasn’t enough, this girlaboutOtown is also stopping to smell more roses these days, and enjoying the randomness of life as much as someone pursuing a master plan can!

So, how about a roundup of random stops I’ve made in the last little while?  To smell the roses, of course…

Image source.

Lunch at Absinthe Cafe at 1208 Wellington.  Hot day outdoors, cool indoors.  Stylish surroundings and great service.    Tuna Nicoise.  Simple.  Fresh.  Divinely delish.   Need I say more?

Image via Umi Café.

Iced Tea at the Umi Café at 610 Somerset West.  While I didn’t stay long, I was lucky enough to experience a truly great conversation in this community-oriented coffee house chock full of local character(s).   This is a café that takes culture seriously, and clearly, a place people return to regularly.  Count me in again.

Photos by me.

I went to Ombrella Pizza Cone at 527 Bronson Ave., home of Ottawa’s latest culinary craze, and tried the Pizza Cone.  Yes, I did.  It’s exactly as it sounds.  Call it a snack or make it a meal, but it comes in the form of a cone.  Curious?  Why not stop by and decide for yourself if the Pizza Cone is here to stay… 

BOLO, as its known, is where bloggers step out from behind their screens, take to the stage and read something they’ve written.   While those who blog may share their lives online, getting up in front of a group is another matter, and it’s not for the faint of heart.    I have always admired those who manage to “appear” at ease, and was inspired by those bloggers who braved the crowd last year. 

Organized by Lynn of Turtlehead,  BOLO Round Two takes place tonight at 7pm at Irene’s Pub in the Glebe and features quite the line-up of local interweb enthusiasts.   Lynn even went to so far as to write up several very kind profile posts to preview who we’ll be listening to. 

Aside from the short stint on stage, I’m looking forward to seeing those bloggers I’ve come to know, and to meeting many more.  Blogging has become a big part of my life, and an opportunity hang out and hear the insights and anecdotes of other bloggers can’t be overlooked.

Anyway, the venue is a bigger this year, but I hope the audience remains well behaved.  They were an exceptionally friendly bunch last year, but tonight, there will be more beer.  Wish me luck.

Better bloggers, better Tweeters.  Faster writers, better readers.

Better designers, better dreamers.  Better cooks, better cleaners.

Healthier eaters,  less stressed.  Better parents, better dressed.

More worldly, more informed.  Better prepared to weather a storm.

More business-minded, more up to date.  Less prone to whine, less often late.

More discerning, more profound.  More successful and renowned.

Better organized, more flare.  More politicized, more aware…

Anyway,  from time to time it is good to step away.

To take a few days, just to play.

When I do, I never forget you -  my girlaboutOtown crew.

Instead, I take a rest.  So when I come back, you get my very best.

Besides, the only way I am truly free…

is to remember there is nobody who alliterates as well as me.

And that’s a guarantee!

Images 1 & 2 from we heart it.

I was away, attending a memorial service for a family friend.  As is usually the case for me at funerals, I learned a lot about this fine father that I had not known prior to his passing.  With sadness and a touch of regret, I listened to the stories of those who knew him much better, and incorporated the impact of this loss to them.  Smiling at times through my tears, I also wondered what else I might have missed. 

There among many adult children whose aging parents were also present, I pondered the real possibility that many of my peers will soon be faced with the same scary scenario.  The passage of a parent is something we are never prepared for, and yet we always know deep down that it is inevitable.  How is it though, that we are supposed to face to the future without support from the very source of ourselves? 

My parents are far from old, but they aren’t getting any younger either.  My relationship with them – which continuously shifts and changes – is the oldest, deepest and most significant relationship I have.  Reflecting on their mortality at a time when we celebrate mothers was particularly poignant in the context of this moving memorial.   Somehow, since this weekend, I appreciate my parents more, and I want to make sure I don’t miss anything important about them.

Add to this contemplative mix, my role as Mom to the little girlaboutOtown who is growing up far too fast.  Her evolution into radiant individual is inspiring to witness, and I am only just beginning to grasp the meaning of motherhood.  To try to explain to her how profoundly she has altered my existence is almost as impossible as expressing my ever expanding love.  All I can hope for is that someday, she will see me as more than just her mother, and instead as someone worth knowing something about.

So, on this bright and sunny Monday, I sit here thinking.  As Stephen Covey has challenged us all to consider, I wonder what might be said at a memorial for me, and what my personal mission statement should be.  

While it may seem sort of sad, I would rather look at living with my end in mind as an opportunity to aim higher, change for the better, and stay true to what I value most.  Oh, and in these moments of stillness, gratitude feels good too. 

Thank you. 

Last Tuesday, I was lucky enough to attend another successful Fuchsia Factory speed networking evening for women.  Hosted by the good folks at Phillip Van Leeuwen in the Byward Market, the event offered this budding entrepreneur plenty of encouragement and inspiration.   Founder and owner Tina Yelle definitely has her business heading in the right direction, announcing news of the Fuchsia Factory’s expansion to Toronto.  Yahoo!  You go girl! 

Wednesday, I spent the day with my mother.  She and I are working to document her history through photos, letters and personal mementos.  Neither of us are terribly disciplined in organizing these important items, and have talked for years about “tackling our boxes of photos”.   So, we’re finally getting to it, and are going to experiment with online book publishing software Blurb.  The project may take many months, but working together we’re going to find a way tell Mom’s story, and  in the process understand more about each other than ever before.   

To break up our day of sifting through history, we did manage to squeeze in some lunch at my new favourite spot, Cuppedia on Main St.   This lovely little coffee shop serves up a small but delicious selection of sandwiches, salads and sweets with a bit of a South American twist.  Trust me.  It’s yummy!

Thursday, the fella and I found ourselves at Ottawa’s Habitat for Humanity Restore looking for landscaping materials.  If you haven’t already been, the Restore is an amazing source for recycled building supplies, lighting and decorative elements.  While wandering the aisles, I had to work hard to resist the acquisition of several rolls of rich-looking grasscloth wallpaper, a wonderful fireplace mantle with marble surround, and a stack of mirrored doors that would have looked wonderful as a floor screen.  Ahhh…if only I had endless time, money and storage space…

Friday, I stopped into meet some new friends at Custom Home Interiors, another very impressive resource for all things interior.  Andrew, Tim and the rest of the expert team  at CHI  sure do have their stuff together, offering one-stop shopping for everything from furniture and fabric to cupboards and countertops to retail and trade clients alike. 

Also on Friday, I spent some time ‘workin’ on curtains’, thanks to some sewing lessons that I received as a gift from the fella.  As you may know, I’m a fabric addict, so I have more than a few yards lying about the house and I’m thrilled to finally be sewing a set dream drapes for my constantly occupied home office.  The fabulous Miss (Laura) Twiss, a local sewer, knitter and crafty clothing designer, is patiently taking me through the steps for lined panels with French pleats.  I must say, I’m less daunted than I once was, and I’m keen to keep going.  I might just have to do-up a few more of my windows with some smashing fancy drapes!  To learn more about Laura’s designs, or about lessons for yourself, visit Workshop Boutique, Wabi-Sabi or the Twiss & Weber website.

Saturday was sod day.  Ugh.  From dawn ’til dusk, I worked my fingers to the bone rescuing our horribly overgrown backyard and restoring it to workable.  Once home to a bunch of thistles, weeds and spindly small shrubs, the space was unattractive, unusable and downright unmanageable.  So, since we now spend so much of our day here at the house, the fella and I decided it was time to take on the tangled mess and to create a bit of a backyard oasis.  For two summers now, we have battled to take control, but Saturday – with the laying of sod – we finally won the war.

Now don’t get me wrong.  We’re still a long way off from done, and we are by no means hyper-high maintenance lawn types.  What happens from here on in will likely be up to nature, but at least for now, we’ve leveled the playing field and found a balance we think we can maintain.  We like what we look at, the little girlaboutOtown will have a place to play, and the neighbours can breathe a sigh of relief! 

Oh, and I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: do-it-yourself landscaping is not for the faint of heart.  Good god I am stiff, and my hands still hurt!

Yesterday, the fella and I were thrilled to leave the wheelbarrow, the weeds and hard work behind us to attend a swank shower to celebrate the impending arrival of a very good friend’s new baby.  Hosted at the home of fabulous local foodie Erin Clatney, founder and owner of DISH Catering, this lovely afternoon party featured chilled Prosecco, fine Canadian cheese, and salty caramel chocolates, among other amazingly delectable delights. 

After slogging over sod, wearing white jeans and sipping bubbles in the Sunday sunshine was a very welcome change of scene!

Photo of Tina Yelle by Melanie Rebane of M-Contemporary Photography.

You know who you are.  You are a girlaboutOtown reader, and you are really important to me.  I write because of you, and because you inspire me to share my silly little stories.  While we may not have met in person, I am truly grateful for your consistent support and encouragement, and I feel like we are friends anyway. 

We love to eat out, shop and see the same shows don’t we?  We don’t mind dressing up once in a while, and from time to time we might try something new.  We work hard and are good at what we do, and we might have young kids too.  We try hard not be completely overwhelmed by our responsibilities, and we make sure to have fun and take good care of ourselves as best we can.  With all of this in common then, one wonders why we haven’t yet met?

Well this girlaboutOtown thinks it’s about time we did.  So, my dear readers and friends…

Why not grab a coffee and enjoy a casual evening of gabbing, gossip and good friends?   Let’s finally get us OTown girls together! 

Join me and my good friend personal style coach Wendy Woods of The REFINERY, who will be on hand to answer your questions about colour, clothes and smart shopping.  Wendy is a certified image consultant and personal style coach who believes, like me, that “personal style is what you choose to wear to compliment your unique life”.  She helps her clients dig deep to discover their inner beauty, to confront their clothing and closet challenges, and to express themselves with confidence.

Anyway, Wendy will be road tripping from Toronto to Ottawa again, and has kindly agreed to help me spice up our first Meetup with some serious style.  We really hope you’ll come!

She is also available May 3-8 if you are looking to book an appointment for some one-on-one attention.  If you’re interested, I have no doubt Wendy will work her magic with you too.

]]> http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2010/04/18/girls-of-otown-lets-meet-up/feed/ 10 http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2010/03/24/introducing/ http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2010/03/24/introducing/#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 03:18:53 +0000 Kite http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2010/03/24/introducing/ In the last little while, several boys I know have suggested that this blog would benefit from a bit more balance.  While they were all quite kind in saying they love to read girlaboutOtown, they told me they feel a bit sheepish explaining why whenever they get busted by others.  Comfortable with themselves and confident in their style, these are boys who care about the community, who want to know what is happening around town, and who get just as excited about creative convergence as I do.  They also said they would welcome a man’s point of view from time to time.

A few ideas have been brewing away in the back of my mind for awhile, but none so brilliant as today’s stroke of genius!  Here I sit right next to a boy – right across my own front hall  -  and sure enough this is what he says to me over coffee this morning:

 “What if I were to post something on your blog?  I’m thinking of going to see the Tony Fouhse exhibit at Exposure Gallery today.  Do you think your readers might be interested if I wrote it up?”  

Duh.   Yaa!  Of course you can!  Did you read my mind?!!    (And yes, I know, you would think we’d have thought of this sooner…)

Until recently, readers have known him only as “the fella”, but since we’re in business together now we figure it might be smart to occasionally use our names!  So today, this girlaboutOtown decided that Malcolm Gibb, my partner and mate, is just the right boy to add that balance I’ve been contemplating.  I realize it might be a slightly slanted opinion on my part, but I can assure you he is a fine man, with a penchant for fun, a deep appreciation for arts & culture, and a pretty unique sense of style.

You can find out all about Malcolm’s in depth take on Ottawa’s real estate market, his demographic analysis of city neighbourhoods, and his unique approach to buying and selling homes over at his website, but here, I hope you will get to know the fella the way I do. 

Lastly, for you guys out there who are following with a faint but nagging fear of being caught, I  hope you will feel better about getting to read something from a more ‘manly’ perspective once in awhile!

Stay tuned…

While I do love to look at all the glamourous gowns sported by Hollywood starlets, I sometimes find watching live just a touch too unpredictable to be comfortable.  Instead, the inevitable trips, slip-ups, and flops make me cringe with embarrassment, and I usually end up leaving the room and waiting for these memorable moments to pass.  Mostly, I’m interested in who wins, what movies I still need to see, and yes – who were the best dressed, but these can easily be summarized in just a few short paragraphs in the next day’s newspaper. 

So, while I remain undecided about my approach to tonight’s Academy Awards ceremony, I do think today’s top-ten list of my favourite film genres is ‘apropos’…no?

Here we go, in no particular order:

1.  Quirky dysfunctional family movies.  Take Little Miss Sunshine, Running with Scissors, and the classic Royal Tenenbaums for example.  There is something juicy yet comforting about other peoples family foibles, especially when they sometimes seem strangely familiar.

2. Cheese-ball romantic comedies (preferably taking place in high-school or at the Whitehouse or both).  Ok.  I confess, I’m talking about Chasing Liberty and First Daughter here, but you get the idea.  Add outrageously implausible romances The Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan, and Monster-in-Law to this list, and it would appear that J.Lo in a starring role is also a key contributing factor.

3. Movies about movies, musicals, and theatre productions.  You know the ones  – Woody Allen’s Hollywood Ending,  State and Main or The Producers, for instance.  I loved Moulin Rouge, Chicago and Nine too.

4. Shameless slapstick movies, made mostly for kids.  Daddy Daycare comes to mind, as does Christmastime favourite Home Alone.  I can’t help it.  I laugh when people fall down (only if they don’t get hurt).  Sorry. 

5. Capers & Cons (preferably involving glamourous international jewel or art thefts).  The Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan and  Renee Russo is at the top of my list in this genre, since it was so elegant and the costumes kicked ass, but there are many others worthy of watching too.   The Italian Job, any of the Oceans movies, or even my dad’s favourite Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are sure to please if you’re looking to live vicariously for awhile. 

6. Mockumentaries:  This is Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind have to be among the funniest.  Admittedly, these often star many of the same actors, but what the hell – I always know I’ll be in for a laugh.

7.  Political comedies:  Recent release In the Loop had me rolling on the floor.  See this movie, and then decide if the political staffers you know would find it equally as funny.  Dave with Kevin Kline was sweet and satisfying, as were Man of the Year and Swing Vote.

9.  Epic intergalactic battles between good vs. evil:  Star Wars (all of them), Star Trek (most of them) and yes – Avatar.  Need I say more?!

10.  Loose Literary Fun:  Baz Lurman’s  Romeo & Juliet was a wild ride, Shakespeare in Love was delightful, and ensemble piece Six Degrees of Separation while not based on a book, makes many a literary reference.

The general trend for me is clear.  This girlaboutOtown appears to be most entertained when she leaves laughing or has a silly grin stretched across her face.   

What about you?  What film genres do you favour?

If you haven’t already heard, I hope you can come!

Thinking of making a move? Feeling overwhelmed? Why not have some fun with your house hunt instead?

The fella and I  combine real estate with design coaching to help you  find the right place, understand the space, and express your personal style.

Please join us TOMORROW at our seminar for homebuyers!

We help you better understand your options and opportunities before you go shopping for a property.

Learn what suits your budget, and where.  See more than a set of rooms.  Figure out how to know if a home fits you.

Design thinking.  So you can start smart and buy better.

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