perched

I had to leave work early today because my chest cold erupted into the chills. I snapped these quick photos on my way home. I'm bummed because I was supposed to go out for dinner tonight and meet my friend's new love. I am so happy for her and this exciting phase of life she's experiencing. I wanted to meet the man who is making her swoon. 

I don't know if it's from all of the vitamin C pumping through my veins, but the bird photos have me thinking about life: 

We are all on our own journey. We each have to work hard, flapping our wings, weathering storms and correcting our paths. Some days we happily soar and everything is clear, and some days we struggle to stay above the clouds. We should always take pause, catch our breath and look around. Soon enough, friends will gather. We're all on separate journeys, but the paths of friends will always intersect.

Yep, must be the Vitamin C.

OR PMS. 

One month of 365 down, 11 to go!

There is more to life than increasing its speed. (Gandhi)

A hard rain's a gonna fall

new stockings

We're off for a night of Fundue (Fondue + fabulous Friends). Happy Friday everyone!!

Interpol at the Orpheum, Vancouver

Heinrich Maneuver Lyrics: 

How are things on the West Coast

I hear you're moving real fine tonight...

Everyone was on their feet, dancing the night away. Fists punching in the air (yep, mine too).  Interpol reminded me that I NEED to go to more live shows. You could feel the electricity from the crowd in the air (among other substances). Interpol was AMAZing. I fell in love with them all over again. A few years ago we caught them at the Pemberton festival and their performance wasn't very memorable. But since then, their live show has gotten so tight. They've never sounded better. Favourites were: NYC, Narc, Success, The Undoing, Slow Hands, Evil - pretty much everything. (A fun little game we played while the opening band was on: try to find people older than us). 

For Jan 27th of 365

sick day

Today I'm at home, feeling like crud: sore throat, stuffy everything. I made a delicious smoothie with blueberries, a banana, avocado, crushed flax seeds and kale, hoping it will work its wonders. My little sweetheart Cooper is happy to have me home, she hasn't left my side all day, except when she decides to stare me down with steely determination (look at me!!!) until I follow her to her food dish. 

Next up: a bowl of soup and the movie Waiting for Guffman. Check out the trailer here. If you haven't seen it,  you simply must. It's by the same dream team that created Best in Show, and it is improvised comedy at its best. I think I'd rank it as my favourite funny flick. What kinds of things do you like to do to feel better?

pieces of me

I am at home tonight nursing a raw throat; feeling and looking pretty green. Hence, the black and white imagery instead of my greenish hue staring back at you.
I'm looking forward to curling up with a new book I bought today: Crazy Sexy Diet -written by Kris Carr. It's her journey about how she has battled back against a rare form of cancer through embracing a healthy vegan diet.  I remember hearing about Kris Carr's inspiring survival story on Oprah, featured in a segment with Dr. Oz.  I loved how she became a warrior, thoroughly researching every aspect of diet and it's impact on the human body. She was a warrior who had to battle the clock to save her own life. Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious. Click : here to view Kris Carr's site.

four letter word

do what you love

What makes your spirit come alive? Yesterday, I got to spend a fantastic afternoon with my dear friend Janet, taking photos at the stables where she rides.  As soon as we drove down the long, winding driveway, I could tell she was in bliss; the smell of the barn, the sight of the horses, everything just made her visibly happy from head to boot. She turned to me and said, "I just love it here, it's a little bit of time I get just for myself." As she got out the tack and prepped her horse for riding, she kept apologizing to me saying, "you must be so bored!" But I reassured her that I was also in my element. Roaming freely around a beautiful setting, camera in hand, surrounded by nature, photo ops at every turn - this is the perfect formula to make my spirit come alive. When she finished riding, we went back to her place for lunch. She greeted her kids with a big hug and I could just tell that she was recharged and excited to tackle the weekend. 

What brings you joy? If you had a few spare hours a week just for you, what would you do? Are you making time for yourself? Passion is a key ingredient to a person's overall happiness. Tapping into your passion can foster growth, learning, create a common bond with others, it can take you out of your thoughts and keep you in the moment.  I think you have found your passion when you feel most connected to the deepest part of yourself; when you feel completely engaged.  

You know it when you see it in others. I just know when I hear my friend Forbes talk about hockey, that she has found a calling - the arena is her church. The sport itself is second nature to her, and skating is as natural as walking. My friend John is the biggest sports fan I know. His depth of knowledge is incredible and his passion for sports is infectious. If you're going to a sporting event, you want to see it with him. This past summer, while out of town for a long weekend to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday, we all took a few hours to ourselves one day before meeting up for dinner. It was interesting to see how people divvied up their time. My friend Art went golfing, Caroline went for a walk along the shoreline, Craig went on a bike ride and I rode through the vineyards with my camera, happily snapping. Everyone was using their precious time alone to do what they loved most. We all met up for dinner, compared afternoons and you could tell our spirits were "topped up."

Take the time to discover what is uniquely you. 

yeee hawww!

so a horse walks into a bar and the bartender says, "why the long face?"

white rock pier

...drink and be merry.

that's amore

Long day. Walked in and was handed this. Whole wheat awesomeness.

the unfortunate future of scrabble

market pitstop

Are we too cut off?

This weekend we rented The Social Network.  Yes, I'm still so old school that I rent movies. It won last night at the Golden Globes for best dramatic film of the year. I wouldn't say it was my top film of the year, but I understand why it won. It is THE film that best encapsulates this era we live in. Everything about this film felt fresh: Trent Reznor's amazing score, David Fincher's brilliant direction and the quick witted, sharply written dialogue by Aaron Sorkin. Mark Zuckerberg, wonderfully portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg, is the founder of the 600+ million member Facebook. It's incredibly ironic that Zuckerberg, who has a net worth of 7 billion and counting, created a social networking site, but he screwed over the one true friend he ever had in the process: his original business partner and roommate Eduardo Saverin. There is no doubt that Zuckerberg is a genius and his mass success speaks volumes about his abilities. In spite of his success, however, you can't help but feel that Zuckerberg's genius and age don't align properly, hence him being swept up by Sean Parker, the fast-talking, charming business shark who co-founded Napster. I know The Social Network isn't 100% factual, that a lot of it is hyped for the interest of dramatic storytelling, but it does make you realize that in spite of all of his success, the biggest creator of social networking, Zuckerberg still turned his back on the one person who believed in him from the start. I know you can't underestimate the pace of technology's breakthroughs, but it does make you wonder if people are becoming out of touch with who we are at the core. Do we pick up the phone as much as we used to when we can read every status update at the click of a button? Are we spending more time online or texting, when we could be getting together for a coffee? You have to give time and breath life into your friendships or like anything else, they will wither.
I was out with some friends earlier this week and we were chatting about the importance of face time - how it's a big resolution this year. Even studies show that having strong social bonds are the most signifiant contributors to overall happiness. If you have five or more close friends who you can really confide in, you are more likely to describe yourself as a happy person. Strong interpersonal relationships boost immunity, help keep depression at bay and combat loneliness. My sister in law came up with a great idea of getting random groups of friends together once a month for a social mixer - to meet new people, to see old friends and to make socializing a priority. I know just seeing friends midweek helps to break up the work week and gives me an energy buzz of feeling reconnected.
Are you making time for your friends?

here comes the rain again

country ride

It was one of those overcast days- perfect for taking the bikes out for a few hours through farm country. I love how an unplanned day can take shape. We made it to Craig's parents' place just before the sky opened up and the rain started pouring down. There's nothing like walking in to be handed a hot cup of tea and delicious cookies. I hope you're having a great weekend! 

date night

352 to go

13 down, 352 to go. I'm excited to see how this year will unfold through my lens. I've never felt so inspired as I have this past year, falling madly in love with so many creative art forms, photography, painting, writing, fashion, music, movies, cooking.  With all of this creative energy buzzing, it just seemed like the right time to attempt a 365 project.  So far the biggest challenge has been the winter weeknights. Leaving for work in the dark, getting home in the dark and trying to squeeze in a few post dinner photo ops has its creative challenges - hence why you're seeing a photo of my dog only 13 days in. Aside from posting a photo daily on my blog, I submit one with my fellow 365ers to a Flickr pool. It is so amazing to log in daily and see the wide range of talent. Some people truly blow me away by how they can create little works of art on a daily basis. Some photographers even taken the 365 project one step further and capture daily self portraits. I definitely don't need to see the size of my crow's feet grow on a daily basis. That would be quite hilarious. "And if you note here, in May, you can see this is where her double chin really takes shape...."
When the photo project is done, I'd love to piece together a montage of my favourites, like this talented lady did here. What is on your slate this year? What would you like to learn more about?

heading out to meet the girls

market flowers

in dreams

    "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."  Eleanor Roosevelt
                                                                                                      

my love