Images from the weekend....

 Papa came over for brunch in his new toy. He always tells me he sells carpet, but I'm beginning to think he might just be James Bond. 

 We went to Confederation Park, for the first time ever, and just loved it. We brought a picnic, went on the amazing miniature steam railway, played in the water park, climbed around on the great playground and took another spin on the train (because I was kind of geeking out about how much fun it was). If you're looking for a wonderful place to spend a Summer day with your little ones, I'd definitely add this park to your list.

We also caught this sweet gem of a movie this weekend (Inside Out) with our friends. Everyone really enjoyed it. Have you seen it? I loved the concept: our emotions are brought to life in individual characters (Like Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, etc) and the core memories we create foster the growth of our personality islands ( like Family, Friendship, Goofiness).  Even though Joy takes center stage, I think the movie beautifully illustrates the importance that sadness plays in our lives, and how joy and sadness work together to give our lives depth and complexity. Check it out. xoxoxo

Some things to check out....

This catchy tune....

A hilarious new Netflix show from creator Tina Fey: 

A page turning thriller:

Click here to read an excellent essay about facing our own mortality written by a brilliant neurosurgeon and new father who passed away last week at the tender age of 37

We took our daughter to see her first movie this weekend, and we all loved it: Paddington

If you missed this movie the first go round, it's worthy of catching - and packed with humanity: 

St. Vincent

This is my kind of rom com.....

Amy Schumer is a fantastic stand up comedian. This flick looks like it showcases her perfectly.

songs to check out....

Some of my favourite tunes I'm spinning these days. xo

the way way back....

I really enjoyed this coming of age story. Awkward and shy Duncan (Liam James), spends the summer with his mom (Toni Collette) and her belittling boyfriend (Steve Carell). Duncan strikes up a friendship with the manager of a local waterpark, played by the charismatic Sam Rockwell. It is a funny and heartfelt look at Duncan's journey towards his own confidence. This film perfectly captures one of the rare topics touched upon in movies, the importance of a father figure in a boy's life. I found this movie was the perfect mix of funny, charming and heartfelt. Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell are at the top of their game here.

cool ideas

Have you heard of glow in the dark paint? I hadn't heard of it until I saw the sold out sign at Home Depot today. (What? This product I didn't know existed before this very moment is sold out? Well, I have to have it!)
Here are some cool uses for the paint:

Paint path stones for a glowing walkway at night. Dazzle your guests (and keep them upright!).

Paint ceramic pots to light up  your garden at night. (For those of you who have flowers and plants worth illuminating) - I prefer to keep my weed-riddled yard in the dark.

I love the idea of using glow in the dark paint on mason jars like the ones below and adding tea lights. They'd make great tabletop lanterns for the deck. Click here to get the "how to". 

*images courtesy of pinterest.

brace yourself

Did you ever see that episode of Friends where they were talking about their top 5 and one of Ross's picks (Isabella Rossellini) walked into his local coffee shop and he was so befuddled, he didn't know what to do about it? Here's my ever evolving list of favourite handsome actors:

Javier Bardem. My #1. I remember first seeing Javier in No Country for Old Men and was terrified and mesmerized by his performance. But then when I saw him at the Oscars later that year, in a tux, without that haircut from No Country......well, it was love, love I tell you!
Check out his seductive side in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (apparently it worked enough to seduce his co-star Penelope Cruz...right down the wedding aisle. Whatever.). He's also outstanding as Bond's arch nemesis in Skyfall.

Ryan Gosling. The boy is a talent who happens to, spoiler alert, look amazing whilst acting.
Crazy Stupid Love, The Ides of March, Drive - he was riveting in all of them. From his early days in The Notebook, the quirky Lars and the Real Girl, or to his dramatic turn in Blue Valentine, he's not afraid to show his vulnerable side, which I really admire.

Robert Downey Jr. The charismatic scene stealer. I love his energy, his comedic timing and his resilience. He is THE comeback kid. In his early years it looked like he was busy filling a punchcard on rehab visits but he kept. coming. back. He is Iron Man. 

 Colin Firth. The Charmer. In Bridget Jones' Diary and Love Actually, he is quietly captivating. You just know he'd show up at your door with flowers. He is the epitome of the classic romantic.

Leonardo DiCaprio. There are so many titles under his belt proving his talent: The Basketball Diaries, The Aviator, Blood Diamond, Romeo and Juliet, Inception, and on goes the impressive list of movies he has dominated. But it was The Departed that catapulted him onto my radar. Not only did he hold his 

own against a heavyweight cast, but he shed his boyish image from the Titanic and emerged as a man. 

Paul Rudd. The funnyman. If a guy can make me laugh, his sex appeal skyrockets. I Love You Man, Knocked Up, The 40 year old virgin, Anchorman, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, This is 40: Paul knows how to bring the funny and is likeable in every turn. 

George Clooney. The handsome activist. He's come a long way from the Facts of Life. Syriana, Up in the Air, The Ides of March, The Descendants, or one of my favourites: Michael Clayton, Clooney has proven that he's more than just a damn pretty face. His humanitarian work in Darfur has showcased his intellect and compassion, which makes for a very attractive combination. 

Joaquin Phoenix. The intense one. There's a fire brewing in this man. Gladiator, Walk the Line, The Master: all showcased his brilliance. He will win an Oscar one day, mark my words. He has that intensity that few actors possess. I put him in the same talent pool as Sean Penn. Riveting.

Clive Owen. The man of Mystery. Croupier, Gosford Park, Bourne Identity, Closer, Children of Men (a must see) - he draws you into his world. I've missed him on the big screen lately and look forward to his return in Blood Ties with Marion Cotillard this year. That voice, those eyes, and amazing acting chops? I mean, come on. 

Daniel Craig. Bond. I could have filled this last slot with a number of notable men (Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, any Brad) but when I think of the epitome of handsome bad ass, Daniel Craig comes to mind first. He has erased all cheesiness from the Bond franchise and introduced us to a spy who can hold his own fighting, drinking and screwing like no other. Skyfall is the best Bond film to date and one of the most entertaining movies I've seen in a long time. 

Who would be on your list?

500 days of Summer

Have you seen 500 Days of Summer? It's a charming little film from 2009 that I caught again this past weekend. It's the kind of story I aspire to write one day, a creative re-working of boy meets girl. It takes a nonlinear look at the 500 day relationship of Tom (Joseph Gordon Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel). In one scene, we might see day 120 of their relationship and the next day 14, bouncing back and forth between the euphoric beginning and the cracks beginning to surface. Above is a scene from the film that I found so moving and brilliantly shot about how often our expectations do not align with reality. I hope you get a chance to check this sweet film out. (PS- The soundtrack is outstanding). xo

have a relaxing weekend!

Happy Friday friends! I hope you have an amazing weekend lined up for yourselves. We've got a lot of facetime planned with friends, which I am pumped about.

The hubs and I just watched the documentary The Imposter, have you seen it? I can't get it out of my mind. It's about a Texan boy (Nicholas Barclay) who goes missing at 13 years old and at 16 1/2 a young man is found in Spain, claiming to be Nicholas. He moves in with the family and as an investigation unfolds, more questions arise about who this man is. It's one of those films where you can't look away, the subject matter is so mind boggling - you can't believe it's a true story.

Sleep tight and I'll touch base soon. xo

What's your song?

Last night on Modern family, the men are reduced to tears listening to the song cats in the cradle. It's one of those songs that seems to tug at every man's heartstrings, making them reminisce about their relationship with their father or son.

My friend sent me the ad in the clip above from the Superbowl the other day, and it didn't take long before I was in tears. It's the one song that always guts me, partnered up beautifully with gorgeous footage of the relationship between humans and animals, I really didn't stand a chance. (It's the lyrics "children get older, I'm getting older too..." - that tug at my overly sentimental heartstrings).
I know some of my male friends will tear up because the man in the commercial is drinking Bud.

Is there a song that turns you to mush?

Searching For Sugar Man

I love documentaries, do you? There's something utterly fascinating about well told real life stories - I'll take them any day over fiction. I'm always interested in seeing what makes people tick. 

Last night we saw an amazing documentary called Searching for Sugar Man. It's the story of a brilliant songwriter (Sixto Rodriguez), along the lines of Bob Dylan, who was relatively unknown in his home country, the United States. What he didn't know, was that in South Africa, everyone owned his records. He was a pivotal part of their music collection. In South Africa, Rodriguez was bigger than the Rolling Stones. He was bigger than Elvis. If you owned any albums it was the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and Rodriguez. Sadly, Rodriguez was never made aware of any of this. He worked in the United States as a roofer, doing odd jobs in the construction business. His record company label kept his royalties and never let on that he was selling hundreds of thousands of albums overseas while he toiled away at a very modest life in America. 

Meanwhile, in South Africa, rumours abounded that Rodriguez had commit suicide while on stage in America.

Once South African journalists/music execs started tracing his story, they uncovered an amazing trail leading to a modern day prophet. I highly recommend this documentary to music fans and was thrilled to find out that it has been nominated for an Academy Award. 

i heart organizing

In this month's Redbook magazine, they had a great section on organizing. Here were some of my favourite tips that I wanted to share:

When you're storing a linen set, put everything into one pillowcase to keep the set together.

 Use a cleaning carry-all to store kids books, toys, snacks and cups for convenient car travel.

Use a plastic door hanging shoe rack, to compartmentalize tape, batteries, rubber bands, a dog leash, umbrella, basically clean out your junk drawer.

Buy shower curtain hooks and place them on a hanger. Store your scarves so they are easy to see. 

Keep a laundry basket in the trunk of your car. When you get groceries, simply place them in the laundry basket to save them from tipping over and it makes them easy to carry inside.

Arrange items in drawers horizontally so they are easy to see.

Happy Organizing!

i like to move it move it

Happy Friday lovely friends! What are you up to for your weekend? We're taking the little one to see her grandpa march in the Remembrance Day ceremony. Last year we had a laugh at the usually sober ceremony when it was really quiet and a little boy belted out, "Dad, I think someone farted." His dad quickly scooped him up and exited stage left. Kids. Love. Them.

With less than six weeks until my maternity leave is over, I've been working out harder than ever lately, trying to shake the last of the baby weight. I call it baby weight, but let's face it, after 10 months, it's more likely weight from living large all year. I don't recall turning down too many (any) desserts. But with time ticking, it's become my own version of the amazing race. But instead of participating in daredevil challenges like the amazing race, I'm turning my back on Halloween candy mini treats and weekday drinks. Baby steps right? Last night whilst at the gym, sweating, or shall I say "glowing" like a son of a b, I realized there are certain songs that elevate my energy to the next level. Somehow they get you to tap into your reserves and endure, endure, endure. Do you like listening to music when you workout? What gets you pumped? I thought I'd share a few of my favourites: This song by the Heavy makes me feel like a bonafide rock star. In fact, I'm pretty sure I sing it out loud whenever it comes on my ipod, regardless of the fact I'm at the gym.  This track by TV on the Radio or this song from Metric always give me the extra boost I need.
If you want to lose yourself in a beat, what about this track by Bastien Laval, this song by Ellie Goulding or this song by Ron Reeser?
What kind of exercise do you prefer in the winter? Personally, I love taking classes (dance, yoga, spinning) because I know I will not cut any corners. I also signed up for hot yoga to warm up my old bones. I need variety in my routine to keep it interesting. After all, variety is life's greatest spice apparently (closely followed by cinnamon). How do you stay in shape in the winter?
Here is a quick look on some machines for women to avoid in their gym routines. Also, here's a few smart post workout snacks. 
I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Keep moving! xo

Happy Friday!

Hi lovely friends! What are you up to this weekend? I'm celebrating the big 4-Omg with friends. I can't wait to see some of my favourite faces gathered up in one funky space.

Here's a few treats from cyberland this week:

amazing photos from award winning wildlife photographers
this is the last song I bought
these halloween costume ideas for kids made me laugh
I love Arrested Development, so I think this costume idea is amazing
Do you cling to your loved ones when you're watching something scary? Check out these photos from the fear factory. Clinginess at its best.
Here is a local haunted house for you to tippy toe through.
a positively dreamy dress
braided low-do & fishtail braid tutorials
before you do anything in life, remember to ask yourself this first
Conde Nast readers pick their top 30 hotels in Canada
Check out these amazing cliffside hotels

Have a great weekend friends!

Happy Friday!

Oh Hi! How's your weekend shaping up? What do you have on your agenda? This weekend we're hoping to take little missy to her first pumpkin patch, if the weather holds out.

Do you know have a costume lined up for your little one this Halloween? I like the idea of dressing  Stella up as this little gal because she's got the hair for it. For store bought, or just gathering ideas, how about these costumes? I'm kind of in love with the banana costume found here. Or, if you're really talented, you can try your hand at making a costume, like one of these. But let's face it, at 10 months old, we're really just shamelessly promoting our baby to load up on free treats.

Here's a few things I thought were fun around the web lately:
How perfect is this outdoorsy wedding?
something for the iphone photographer
Check out these photos of cast reunions. This one is my personal favourite. I cannot wait for their new season.
A helpful list of which fruit/veggies you should try to buy organic
Some award winning wines
beautiful autumn photos
the next book I'm dying to read
the most valuable college majors. Hmmm, I didn't see my English Lit degree on the list. Hey, not just anyone can write a free blog and proofread emails for co-workers. Money well spent.
the perfect fall outfit
the last song I bought

Have a cozy weekend friends!

Happy Friday!

Oh hi! Happy Friday to all you lovely people. What are you doing with your weekend? I'm baching it with little miss tonight. After a busy day of dancing in tutus with friends, she's asleep. I have my feet up, a glass of wine poured and a Joaquin Phoenix film queued up. Bliss.

Here are a few things from the interweb this week....
Would you trust a driverless car?
What do you think of this? Vancouver is banning smoking for homeowners in this condo building. Do you think the decision is revolutionary or an infringement of rights?
I am loving the cast in this film
Have you heard this artist's remake of Britney Spears' Toxic? So fresh.
What's your take on the bootie, love or hate? I still favour this look.
one of my friends had us laughing in the dark with this clever product
the always funny amy poehler on parenthood
Thinking of travelling in October? Here are some suggestions from Lonely Planet

look alikes

My hubby has been told by some that he looks like Liam Neeson. Do you see it?

At university, some people called me Scully, after Gillian Anderson on X-Files. I don't see much of a resemblance. I am pretty sure the comparison was because we had a similar haircut with red hair.

Don't you think Nicole Scherzinger (of the Pussycat Dolls) and Kim Kardashian look alike? I promise that is the only time you will ever read their names on my blog.

To me, this is just a win-win situation. Doesn't Grey's Anatomy's Jeffrey Dean Morgan look a lot like Javier Bardem? But Javier has that voice. I'm sorry, what were we talking about again?

Have you ever been told you look like a celebrity? It's usually quite flattering, since most of Hollywood is littered with beautiful people. Okay, maybe if you were told you looked like Steve Buscemi you wouldn't be as thrilled....Who's your famous twin?

Happy Weekend!

Happy Friday lovely people! What's on your line-up this weekend? We're going on a date tonight, which I am so excited about because the weeks can fly by before we get some time to ourselves. Tomorrow is the first day of Fall, my favourite season. I love the colours of the leaves, the fresh air, the clothes, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin scones.............

Here's a few little tidbits I saw in cyberspace this week.......

Have you seen the site From Me to You? I love their cinemagraphs like this one  here or here
How amazing does this porch swing look?
check out this brilliant photograph
the traveller in me yearns to go here and here
I am excited to check out this restaurant
It looks like burgundy is THE colour this fall,  as seen here, here and here
I'm swooning over the cast in this film
this is the last song I bought - I love the dreamy melody

Enjoy!

Happy Weekend!!

Hello Friends! What are you up to this weekend? This morning we're off to a private park that only open to the public a couple times a year. The photographer in me is completely hyped.
Tonight I'm going for dinner with a large group of women. Do you enjoy a girl's night out or do you prefer a mix of men and women? I admit, sometimes getting a word in is a sport itself with women, but I recognize the importance of girlfriends
12 fall activities for the family to get you in the spirit
pumpkin pie, love it or hate it? I, for one, am a HUGE fan.
Love this list of 25 things Tom Matlack wants his son to know
dreaming of a destination wedding?
I have always wanted to visit the picturesque Croatia, especially after seeing these waterfalls
the last song I bought
I am so inspired by this winner of Masterchef
a laugh for all you moms out there, from the brilliant tina fey

Savour your time with your loved ones! Chat soon xo

sweet links

Hi lovely friends! I hope you are doing amazingly awesome. I've seen some fun things around the web lately that I'd love to share:

Did you see Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake do this History of Rap? Check it. So awesome.
How much fun does this run look?
Underwater photography with your iphone. There really is nothing like taking a shark Instagram.
a great summer party idea
this is the life for me
how daring are you?
beautiful wedding photography
pop up dinner party
I hope you are having a wonderful summer so far! xo