Vogue: The September Issue.

It's the end of August... And there has been something bugging me for about a week now...

The September issue of Vogue.

Those of us who read the glossies every month (and even some of you who don't) know that September is always the biggest issue of the year. It has more ads for the upcoming Fall collections. But it also has the most supreme content of the whole year. And, again, this is for any fashion mag, not just Vogue.

For example, Harper's Bazaar had great coverage "The Best Bargains For Now"... The piece listed examples of classic essentials (like the LBD) and styles that you could pick up for less. They also gave you lists of places where you could actually buy them.

They also had another story about "The Burka Ban Uncovered"... Which was a controversial piece about France and the imposition of a dress code that President Sarkozy recently proposed. It could ban Muslim women in France from wearing the burka. It was a piece that helped draw me into the magazine for an hour or so.

Shit! Even InStyle I found fascinating this month. And some of you know how "down-hill" and "silly" that magazine has gotten in recent years. But even they won my attention span for an hour with their information on beauty products and their "10 Ways To Look More Polished" piece.

But Vogue?

I laugh, because it has really gotten so bad in the last year. I flipped through the September issue. I was bored by it. I'm sorry, but I don't find Charlize Theron to be fascinating. And her pictorial, though she is a classic beauty, was dull.

And I know, I KNOW, that the September issue is always more heavy on ads than content... But it took us till page 278 to get to the "Up Front" section. This is the piece that notes the magazine's content "starts here."

I feel like Vogue is getting more and more out of touch with readers. I don't expect the magazine to appeal to everyone... But it just isn't exciting anymore. And I am sorry, but I could really do with less silliness from Plum Sykes. The last solid story I read from her in Vogue was a year or two ago, when she wrote about the buttons on her designer coat. I agreed with her that often designer coats are great quality except in one area: the buttons. They pop off very easily. And you then learn to develop your skills with a needle and thread - ensuring secured buttons. As for this September's issue... I could really give shit about "Country Couture."

And the piece on Hugh Jackman... Dear Anna Wintour... If we must learn something about him personally, could you at least include a shot of him with maybe his shirt unbuttoned? I know he is very talented, and "yay" for him trying to help revive Broadway and all... But I saw him in a suit all during the Academy Awards this year. Can I see him with his shirt off, just a little?

I just can't recommend Vogue as a "must-read" on a monthly basis, people. Harper's Bazaar, Elle, InStyle - YES. Vogue? No.

It is on the verge of being more appropriately called, "Out of Vogue."

Sprinkles Cupcakes... SQUEE!

About a month ago I went home to Arizona for a very, very short trip. In fact, if you blinked, you would totally miss me. I was there for about two days, not counting travel time.

Why the quick trip all the way back west? To go bridal gown shopping with Red, my younger (and only) sis!

Having worked in the bridal industry for a few years in my early and mid-20s, I seem to have a ridiculous amount of knowledge in the following areas:

• Wedding Planning
• Wedding & Gift Registry Planning
• Bridal Gown & Bridal Fashion (I have even been to Bridal Fashion Week in NYC. I have met many bridal gown designers - the big ones.)
• Wedding Etiquette

So, of course Red was welcome to tap into my knowledge, should she feel she needed it. Plus, as the Matron of Honor, it is my duty to help her with whatever she needs for the wedding. And one of those things was trying on wedding gowns till we found the perfect one for her. So a whirlwind gown shopping trip we had. But, despite all the gown trying-on, we managed to sneak in a snack that I had never had before...

Sprinkles Cupcakes!!!

Yummy!

I only had one... But the one I had (Lemon Coconut) was sooo dreamy...

It looks like I imagine Heaven to be: Light, fluffy and coconut everywhere! Only in Heaven, there are margaritas too.

If you are ever in Phoenix (or parts of California and Texas), you should definitely give these a try. But only if you are a cupcake connoisseur like me!

SpaMedica Toronto: "We Don't Service Your Kind Here."

Wow. I had my first anti-American experience today in Canada. And I am a little peeved about it.

I was exploring options for laser therapy face treatments in my neighborhood. There are a number of spas within walking distance form me (since I live so close to public transportation), and I called the one right around the corner from my house to see about setting up a consultation to see if I would be a good candidate for a particular treatment.

They were very nice on the phone. We started to set up the appointment, and then it got a little odd. The nice lady (and she was nice) asked me for a credit card number to secure the appointment. The only credit card I had was an American Express.

"Can I give you my American Express," I asked.

"Oh," she informed me, "We don't accept that card. Only Mastercard or Visa."

"Well," I said, "I have a Visa debit card from an old bank account in the States. I can use that for it. But you take debit in the office, right?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "But I have to ask..."

She had something to ask me.

"Yes?" I indicated for her to proceed.

"Are you American?" she inquired.

"Yes," I said. "But I am a Permanent Resident of Canada now. I live here permanently."

"Oh," she said. "I am so sorry. But it is against our policy to see Americans."

"I beg your pardon?" I asked. "You won't see me because I am American?"

"Yes, it is against our policy to see Americans," she confirmed.

"Why?" I asked.

"It is just our policy," she stated.

"But, I live here. I work here. In fact, I do a job many Canadians aren't yet qualified to do. I have a husband who is Canadian. I pay MUCHO taxes here. I own property here. I own property right around the corner from your fancy spa," I explained.

"I am sorry," was all she could say.

I thanked her, because she was very nice. But my only thought was, "This is bullshit! I didn't even vote for that asshole Bush, and I am being discriminated against for being an American!"

So I found an email address for the spa. And I sent an inquiry as to why they don't treat Americans. I made sure to include the link to my blog at the bottom of the email. I got a phone call response within an hour...

It was then explained to me that they couldn't treat Americans because their medical insurance and liability does not cover them seeing American patients. It does not matter if they live in Canada and work here. And the fact that I receive Canadian medical care does not matter either. Since it is a private spa, they don't take OHIP. But their medical insurance specifically does not allow them to cover Americans. Even ones that are Permanent Residents.

I still think it is bullshit. And let's be honest... It really is their loss. I mean, one Google search of my name turns up this blog. And one could easily determine with a few clicks that I really, really, really, really like spa treatments. And have been known to blow a shit load of AMERICAN $$$$$ at spas in Boston.

That is okay though. I have found another spa in my neighborhood that appears to want my business. And it actually has better reviews online. But in case you wondering people... be aware that SpaMedica in Toronto at 66 Avenue Road doesn't service Americans.

The Bridesmaid Dress.

I've never been a bridesmaid. Only the bride. My plan was to go through life with never having to be one, but my younger (only) sister had another plan for me. She asked me to be her Matron of Honor for her wedding next Spring/Summer at Disneyland... And of course I said, "YES!"

She did it for me. And I made it really simple for her, being my only bridesmaid. Now she is doing the same for me... Even letting me (more or less) pick out my own bridesmaid gown. The only stipulation she has is that it be a deep purple.

So far, I have found one that I think is amazing and will really work next to the wedding gown that she will be wearing...

Not only is this a fun bridesmaid dress, but it is something I could very easily get away with wearing to other weddings as a guest. Or out to dinner.

It's strapless (obviously) with a sweetheart neckline and an over-lay of black bobinette. Underneath is the deep eggplant color. And the whole thing has a deconstructed feel to it. It adds "whimsy." Which is perfect for a wedding in the Magic Kingdom.

I am still gonna look to see if I find anything else fun... But I think this is the one I will be ordering after the new year.

Now to find accessories... (Though I am hoping she will allow me to wear my Diors with this dress.)

Sergio Rossi Riding Boots.

Fall is getting closer by the day. I know we technically have about three more weeks of Summer left... But let's face it: For those of us in the North, there really hasn't been much of a Summer.

Today, it was 63 and really windy here in Toronto.

So this means that Fall is coming even sooner than expected. Which means I need to get things in gear and really start thinking about my Fall wardrobe. The one thing I know I absolutely need are flat knee-high boots.

While out wandering around yesterday afternoon, I spotted these riding boots in a show store nearby...

They're by Sergio Rossi and they are divine.

However, I choked when I saw the price. And then I started thinking about the 13% tax that would be added to the price. And then I found myself wondering if it would be cheaper for me to buy them online and have them shipped here from the U.S.

And you know what? It would be. By $1.

No lie. It would cost me only a dollar less to buy them online and have them shipped than to buy them at the boutique in my neighborhood. Which means I would probably just buy them locally. (If I had the cash to buy them!) My time and not having to track them through shopping interfaces is worth more than $1.

They are amazing boots though, aren't they? A gal can dream... And try to find something similar but cheaper.

Best Cure For Menstrual Cramps.

My hormones have been really wack-tastic in the past month.

All of the sudden, I find myself doing the following - which I KNOW are all hormone-related:

• Crying for no reason.
• Getting angry for no reason. (Though, this could all be pent-up anger. People in Canada are so nice that I have all this anger built up... And it has nowhere to go except to silly stuff. Like how my husband doesn't make a bed properly.)
• Breaking out worse than ever. (Swear to God, it is like I am on fertility drugs, or something! And honey ain't working! I am considering laser therapy to kill bacteria and certain glands that are making me break out.)

Then, this morning, I woke up with the worst cramps I have had in a very long time. THE WORST.

I used to get this type of cramping when I was a teenager. I would resign myself to bed for a day, and occasionally leave my room for hot baths.

My Mum once tormented me by saying, "When you are 21, you can have a wine cooler to make them go away. For now, you just have to suffer through it."

When I was ready for college, I put myself on the birth control pill and stayed on it for nearly 10 years. Not because I was sexually active... No. I went on it to keep myself from continuing to be the complete bitch I was to friends and family. And to keep myself from having the pain each month. And to keep myself from missing classes or work because of the debilitating pain.

I went off it years ago, though, to give myself a break from the hormones. And I never really had a problem with the cramps until I finished up this 60-day challenge. Seriously, I think the challenge kicked my hormones back to the days of my teen-aged years. (I mean, I can do Eagle now - on both legs. And that is a pose that helps heal the sexual organs.)

So, this morning when I woke up in pain, I stayed in bed for a few extra hours. Then I got up and had a hot bath. By the end of it, it was noon. And I reached for the only bit of alcohol we had in the house...

The Veuve Cliquot that the previous owners left us.

I popped that bad boy open and proceeded to sip 1.5 classes over the next two hours while watching How She Move on HBO Canada.

That is the best cure for menstrual cramps ever. Angsty-teen dance movie and really expensive champagne that I didn't buy.

New Favorite Gadget: Pineapple Corer & Slicer.

Before I left Boston, I went to Crate and Barrel and picked up a few kitchen tools. I didn't get to use them before they got packed to bring up here to Toronto. ( The hand-held mandolin has been trashed though, since Sunday night's incident.)

Since unpacking over a week ago, I have tried them all out. And out of all of them, the one I was dying to use the most has proven to be my absolute favorite...

The Pineapple Corer & Slicer.

It is the easiest thing to use in the world. And you shouldn't have to worry about cutting yourself while using it.

You simply slice off the top and bottom of the pineapple. Then you line the center of the gadget up with the core of the fruit.

Next, you start twisting clockwise while pressing down. And the pineapple starts to swirl around the base of the gadget.

When you are at the bottom of the pineapple, you pull the gadget out using the handle, and you are left with the fruit wrapped around the base in a perfect continuous swirl. You are also left with a nice shell where the fruit-meat once was.

Then, you yank the core out of the center of the gadget, where it ends up as you press it down on the fruit.

A nice core!

Not everyone likes fresh pineapple. I do. I love it. So this gadget was a no-brainer for me to get, and I am glad to see it actually works.

How Many Bags Are Considered "Too Many?"

Yesterday, I got an email from Frogger:

Did I tell you I did a huge dump of handbags?

And she listed off all the bags she had decided to keep in her rotation. She had narrowed things down to about 10 bags. But she added, "OMG, it still looks like so much" at the end of her email.

I told her that she is "packing light" compared to myself.

But it is different for everyone... There are people who use every bag they own and rotate them frequently. There are those who use a bag for a few days and then switch to one of their other favorites. There are people who quite a few but only use a few. There are even people (the horror!) who own two bags and only ever use those two.

I am one who owns a few and rotates them every few days/weeks. I don't own an obscene number. By the looks of this photo, I would say I own less than 20...

Don't be shocked!

That's not too many when you consider I have had some of them for nearly NINE YEARS. And the last time I bought a bag (not counting the Lululemon gym bag I picked up in July) was June 2008. (My vermillion Balenciaga number... Still my fave.)

My problem is that I, unlike Frogger, don't purge my bags. I keep them forever and ever and ever. And depending on whether or not I am working, I use certain bags more than others. These are the ones that get heavy rotation when I am a working gal...

How many do you own??? And do you treat them all equally?

Comforting Evening Ritual: Orange Mint Tea.

Slowly, I am trying to ween myself back off the large amounts of coffee I seem to love ingesting each day. To start, I have cut myself off from evening cups.

Except for on Saturday nights. On Saturday nights, a Starbucks Caramel Machiatto is my dessert. (Yummy!)

Instead, I have started drinking an herbal concoction that is surprisingly tasty...

Orange mint green tea!

I take two tea bags, orange and minty green. and combine them in a large cup. The green tea gives me a nice caffeine kick as well as some extra antioxidants. And the orange tea combined with the mint is is very crisp and sweet.

Am I the only weirdo here, or do others mix tea bag flavors together in one cup or pot?

Fallen Hem.

Oh dear.

I wore my blue graphic print shift dress to work today. I had a client meeting first thing in the morning, and because I am lacking in the "dressy work clothes" category, I wore this same dress again.

I seem to wear it once every two weeks because it is one of the few decent dresses I have to available for client meetings. Or, it was decent until today...

I discovered halfway through the day that I had a "fallen hem."

Thankfully, it didn't fall until after my client meeting. But I had to sit the rest of the day with the hem like that. And it bugged me to walk around with it because I could feel the undone hem against the back of my knees.

I felt unkempt. And normally, that is okay with me. But when I make an effort to dress up and look nice, it is not okay.

And now, I have to figure out how to hem the dress. I don't really want to take it to a professional to be fixed. I should be able to do it myself, as I do have a sewing machine.

The Canadian ER.

As of today, I have been here in Toronto for three months.  Earlier this week, I got my OHIP health care card.  It allows me to receive health care here in Canada.  Government health care.  

Since I have been here three months now, the card is officially active.  And thank GOD!  

See, at about 8pm, I was making my lunch for tomorrow. It included a cucumber salad.  So I was in my kitchen using a mandolin to slice my cucumber into perfect and equal-sized rounds.  I wasn't paying attention though...  And... well...

I had an accident.

Under that once pristine white kitchen towel is my pinky finger from my right hand.  Yes, it is attached to my hand.  (LOL!) But, I managed to slice a huge diagonal chunk of the skin and tendon off of the top.

EEK!

So off to the ER at Toronto General Hospital I went.  I wasn't sure what exactly to expect.  A government-sponsored health care system and it's ER?  I mean, sure, I grew up an Army brat and had government health care... And it was fab.  But an ER in a foreign country?  

I figured I'd be in there for hours and hours.  I mean, last Summer when I had my once-a-decade UTI, I was in the ER for two hours.  And there were people there who had been in it for SEVEN hours.  So a Canadian ER, I thought I would be in for at least three hours. But nope...

I walked through the doors of my house 90 minutes after I left.  My finger bandaged up and supplies given to me to redress it in 48 hours.

What the fuck are we Americans so afraid of when it comes to government health care?  My experience so far was very pleasant. And I was home in time for Mad Men.

How The Husband Makes A Bed.

I have a rule in my house...

"Whoever gets out of bed last has to make the bed."

On days when I get out of it last, I inevitably change the rule to be, "Each person makes their side of the bed."

I can do that though. I am the wife.

Today we followed the standard rule. The Husband got up last.  But when I came back upstairs from making breakfast for us, this is what I found...

This is a "made bed?" Not in my house!

THIS is a "made bed."

After five years of marriage, he still hasn't learned how to make a bed properly.  This may be a lost cause.

I Only Have Two Problems...

That was my response to the head of the personal training department at the new gym I joined when she told me,"You eat way too much sugar."

As part of joining this new gym, I had to have a fitness evaluation. It sounded like a big deal, and there were all these rules I had to follow before meeting with The Head for my evaluation... Like:

• No drinking alcohol 24 hours beforehand.
  
• No drinking caffeine 12 hours beforehand.
  
• Have a small meal a few hours before.
  
• Come in rested.
  
• Write down every single thing you eat for the preceding three days.

At my last gym in Boston, they were serious with their evaluations - which were mandatory. They were free. But you didn't have to do them. In Boston, they would do the following in the session:

• Measure blood pressure and resting heart rate.
  
• Measure your weight.
• Pull out the pinchers and measure your body fat composition.
  
• Measure the girth of all your limbs.
  
• Ask you what your fitness goals were.
  
• Make you run on a treadmill with increasing intensity to see where your heart rate would hit the maximum.
  
• Sit-up measurement.
  
• Flexibility measurement.
  
• Push-up and plank measurements for core.
  
• Balance measurement.

All serious stuff. I figured this would be more of the same thing, only more intense, because there were rules and I had to write down everything I ate.

Well, it was not as intense.

They did the following:

• Measure blood pressure and resting heart rate.
  
• Measure your weight and you body fat ratio with a special scale..
  
• Measure the girth of all your limbs.
  
• Ask you what your fitness goals were.
• Sit-up measurement.
  
• Flexibility measurement.
  
• Squat measurement.
• Push-up and plank measurements for core.
  
• Diet analysis.

It took a total of 35 minutes. And five of those minutes were spent trying to sell you on personal training sessions.

Argh!!! So annoying!

I explained to The Head that I did personal training for two years. I learned a lot. I had a lot of fun. I gained quite a bit of muscle. I didn't lose a single ounce, though that was not my goal with personal training. It was to learn how to make my workouts more creative and use the equipment properly.

I am not doing PT again. I know how to do these things myself. Really, I do.

I had a trainer who taught me how to run and do intervals on the treadmill, despite never having liked to run before that. I know how to do many various exercise with free weights. I stay away from the weight machines, for the most part, because I know free weights are more challenging for me. I know various boxing routines and circuit routines.

Really, a trainer would be bored with me. I pick things up quickly and am able to do them properly. My only problem is consistency.

Well, that, and sugar.

I Joined A Gym Today.

After we left Boston, and I had to surrender my Equinox membership, I said I wouldn't join a gym.

"Only Bikram yoga for me, thankyouverymuch!" I proclaimed.  

And I meant it. I was not gonna join a gym.  But you know what? I also said I WASN'T gonna do a lot of things...  Like:

• Get another search engine marketing job. I held out much longer than The Husband thought I would.  I held out returning to work much longer than a lot of people thought I would.
  
• Drink coffee. I just can't stay away from the stuff. Please don't ever ask me to.
  
• Eat broccoli. I actually like broccoli now.  But only in its raw state. I can handle it being sauteed. But it has to have a hard crunch to it still.
• But light-colored living room furniture. Almost immediately when I sat down with the design consultant, my eyes flicked towards the lightest, creamiest fabric swatches.
• Pull back-to-back Bikram classes. I had done plenty of doubles, just never back-to-back ones. And I figured the B2B ones were for people who were "show-offs."  Or complete masochists.  I actually enjoy the occasional challenge of a B2B class now.
• Join a gym. I did my two years, with personal training sessions twice a week, at Equinox. I loved every minute of it. But besides being expensive... I found that I ultimately went to the gym LESS when I had a trainer than when I didn't.  I was much more motivated to go when I was relying on myself to get my body worked out.  But when I had a trainer, I would just go my two days a week, and that was it. LAME!

What's changed the game now, though, is the fact that a gym similar to Equinox is right around the corner from our house.  

Seriously... It takes three minutes to walk there. It is in the same building as the Whole Foods I shop at.  It opens at 5:30am and closes at 11pm on weekdays.  It is open from 8am to 8pm on weekends.  They have two different yoga studios in it... And they even have a HOT YOGA studio - though it is not Bikram yoga, and I will not be practicing hot yoga there.

It is just too convenient to not join.  And they gave me a really good deal because The Husband joined it the other day.  I like spinning classes. And I like strength training with weights.

I will NOT, however, be doing personal training sessions again.  They were awesome. But I am not motivated to go to the gym on my own when I am also doing PT.

Mark my words: No PT.

My Girlie Hand Towels.

Back when I worked for the Evil Empire, I got to take advantage of the legendary company "Tag Sales."

"What's a 'Tag Sale,'" you ask? Let me tell you...

A "Tag Sale" at the Evil Empire happened a few times a year. It took place right in the middle of the huge office space we occupied at 26th Street and the West Side Highway. At the sale everything that was no longer needed was sold for a fraction of the cost. So, all the props from magazine photo shoots... Dishes that were out of stock from the catalog... Samples the buyers had picked up for the catalog, but never decided to take on... It was a magical thing. And there were strict rules about the sale...

• You had to line up for entry.
• You had to pay in cash.
• You had to accept that some things would be "sold" to important people within the company before the sale even began.
• You had to take whatever you bought right away. No leaving it to pick up later.

People got rude. People got pushy. There was great stuff to be found at great deals, but you needed to make damn sure you had the energy and endurance to get through it. As soon as the sale was "open," people would power walk to whatever things they had their eyes on. So it was an excellent cardio workout.

I scored a few good things which now have proper resting spots in my home. But the things that probably waited the longest for a proper space are my girlie towels...



Oh how I love these! We used to sell them when I worked there. They were pricey too... Almost $30 a piece. When they were discontinued and all the leftover stock was made available to purchase through the sale, I picked up about 15 of them.

Over the years, I have given them out as gifts. But I never had a place for them in my own home until this house. Because now I finally have a bathroom all my own, and they can go in there. I don't have to hear The Husband complaining about "girlie towels in the bathroom."

They are in my bathroom. And my bathroom is (finally) girlie.

Lait Pitcher.

A few years back, The Husband and I were having cereal one night after dinner.  (Cereal, because it is loaded with sugar, is more of a dessert for us than breakfast.) As I was pouring the milk into the bowls, Human made a comment...

"In Canada, you buy milk in bags."

"Bags?" I asked.  "That sounds gross. Why would they come in bags? And do you just leave the bags in your fridge to pour from? It sounds messy."

He rolled his eyes and said that he "didn't know why they came in bags."  And that they "just do."

"Well, when we move there, I'm not gonna buy bagged milk," I informed him.

"Then I guess we just won't ever have milk," he said.

"Guess not," I confirmed.

I guessed wrong.

This morning, I had a grocery delivery to stock up on stuff for the house. One of the things I purchased was four litres of milk...

Yep, that's them bagged.  Here is what they look like individually...

You buy a special "lait pitcher" to serve it from...

You just drop the bag in and cut a hole on one corner.  It's not creepy like I thought it would be. In fact, I found myself wishing I had bought a more fancy pitcher for my "lait."

Walk-In Closet: It Can Save You Money.

One thing I will note about having my own closet is that it is much easier to see everything you own...

This is only one third of my closet.  It is actually in an "L" shape pattern.  Having the built-in shelving really helps me see and organize everything that I have got.  

In Boston, everything was tucked away, I would forget about stuff.  I never wore dresses, because I forgot I had them tucked away in the back of the closet.  And it is much easier to see all my beloved jeans.  Today I pulled out my pair of Red Engine jeans to wear to work. I hadn't worn them since probably February.

FEBRUARY!

I really should have said, "screw having an office" in my last apartment. I should have turned my office into my own walk-in dressing room, rather than having the shared one with my husband.  Having shelves where I could see everything nicely organized would have saved me the tons of money I spent on clothes I didn't need - all because I forgot I already had something similar but forgot about it.  

"Outta sight, outta mind."

I will never go without a walk-in dressing room/closet ever again.  I will forgo a living room or bedroom before I go with out one.

Healthy Dish For The Weak: Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles.

Muggy. That's the only way to really describe what it has felt like outside the past few days here in Toronto. 

It is "hot" (like, 85 degrees... Which, being from Arizona and practicing Bikram yoga, isn't hot at all)... But it was also very humid this weekend. You take two steps outside and your clothes are sticking to you.  You sweat in places that you didn't know could sweat so easily. (Like the middle part of your back... Which takes to sweating easily because you long hair ends there, and the added weight against your clothing causes enough heat.)

So I decided this weekend that I was gonna have Popsicles. But not just any Popsicles... I was going to make them myself, with my new Popsicle molds. And I was gonna have them be gluten-free, organic and all-natural. No sugar. No corn syrup. No artificial flavorings. However...

Searched as hard as I might... There weren't really any Popsicle recipes online that fit these descriptions.  I found some that included soy milk or dairy... But I wasn't in the mood for heavy dairy or dairy substitutes. I wanted fruit.  And juice.  So I made my own recipe...

Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles

• Juice from 6 lemons
  
• 3/4 cup agave syrup
  
• 4 cups filtered water
  
• 1 cup strawberries, stems removed

Throw all the ingredients in a blender and puree till the strawberries are liquefied and the mixture is hot pink.  Divide between 6 Popsicle molds, with only 1/2 of an inch of room at the top. (I left too much space at the top of mine.) Set the handles in and freeze for at least four hours.

Hmm...  Yummy! 

... And did I mention they are all-natural?

Best Travel Coffee Mug.

I own a house now. So this means fewer Starbucks visits.

(Expect Starbucks' stock to go down based on this decision.)

Now, because I am no longer including Starbucks coffee purchases in my monthly budget, it doesn't mean that I am no longer drinking coffee. Oh hell no! I am very much still drinking the liquid gold. Only now, I have to make it myself.

Yep! As soon as found the boxes containing my kitchen stuff on Friday, I searched for my coffee maker and bean grinder. Then I went to the Whole Foods down the street and picked up some Illy Espresso beans. (I usually prefer to use espresso beans for my coffee at home. STRONG!) I set my auto-timer on the coffee maker for 7am, and I enjoyed some both mornings this weekend.

Then this morning came... And it is "back to work" for me. My usual habit is to just pick up a cup on my way into the office. But in my effort to economize, I decided to use something I hadn't in a really, really long time...



My OXO travel coffee mug!

This thing is amazing. It does not leak. I keeps liquid HOT for hours. And it holds about two cups of coffee, which is more than enough to kick-start my day. And, if I find I do need a refill later in the day, I can take the mug with me to the Starbucks down the street and have it filled at a small discount.

This has officially become my new work must-have accessory!

Same Desk, Different Office.

Back in Boston, I had a room of my own. I used it as an office.

To be perfectly blunt, though, it was barely bigger than a closet. In fact, we had a "dressing room" off our bedroom that was the same size as my "office." But because I made use of every single space in that room, and made it my own, I loved it. It held a couch, a chair, and my desk. And that's about it...



Here in the new home in Toronto, I have my own office again. Only this time, it is much bigger. I have two closets in it, which hold all my crafts and books. I have a private bathroom off it, with a huge shower. I have a smaller window than I did in Boston... But I made up for the lack of natural light with a new girlie lamp.

Here are some views of the new office... (Please keep in mind, though, that I am still unpacking and cleaning. This room isn't "done" yet.)







The one thing about having so much storage space... My desk stays relatively clean now.

Back In The Bikram Studio.

"Bless me Father (Bikram)...  For I have sinned.  It has been two weeks since my last Bikram class."

It had been two weeks since my last class.  Till I went tonight after work.  And here's how it went:

• The progress I made in the poses during the 60-day challenge stuck.  After a two-week break, I can still cross both legs in Eagle.  Woohoo!
  
• I sweated a LOT LESS. My towel still had dry spots at the end of class. There were no puddles, like I was used to. And the room was just as hot and sweaty as it had always been.
  
• I had no acid reflux.
  
• My head did hurt in some poses.  And I did get dizzy.  I need to work on remembering to breath.

It seems like my body performed better after taking a good break.  I think practicing consistently every single day can take its toll. Your body needs at least one day a week for rest. Perhaps that is why Bikram designed Teacher Training to go Monday through Friday with doubles, a morning class on Saturdays, and Sundays off.

Now that I am working, I am establishing a set schedule for practicing: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays.

That is more regular than my practice was in Boston. So it is a good start.

Cancun: It's Not Just For Spring Breakers.

"I'm gonna get so smashed!!!! It's gonna be (Tom) Cruise-azy!"

That would be what I would say about my upcoming trip to Cancun if I wasn't the refined old woman that I am now.

Actually, who am I kidding? I am not old. And I am not refined. But let's pretend I am anyway... Because Halloween weekend I am going to Cancun with Frogger for another one of our traveling adventures, and it will be a refined vacation.

How so?

Well, we will be staying at an adults-only resort. Which means no obnoxious Spring breakers and no little kids.



Sure, it's a romantic getaway resort... But it will be plenty relaxing for two gals. Hanging out by the pool... The beach... The spa...

It will be two and a half days of kick ass bliss! And I will be welcoming it greatly, as it will just be starting to get cold here in Toronto and I won't have seen Frogger for five months.

Ahhh!

We will be due some girl friend time. And some tequila. And since I am not going away to teacher training (tear), this will help cheer me up a little. At a much cheaper expense of course. (Having worked in the travel industry still has its advantages!)

I can't wait to get "Cruise-azy" on Halloween!!! CANCUN!

Furniture Is Arriving!

The first of our multiple deliveries of furniture has arrived. Today we got most of the furniture that we ordered back in June for our living room, bedroom and guest room.

Yippee!

Here is what the living room looks like...





I decided that because I don't believe in formal dining, I would take the space reserved for a dining area and turn it into a less formal sitting area. The sitting area towards the front, which has a coffee table instead of the ottoman, is the more formal area. I am still waiting on two oriental rugs for each area, as well as two formal sitting chairs for the front area. Those are going to be arriving in mid-September. So I will have to wait. :(

Our bedroom furniture arrived as well...





We have mattresses coming on Friday for both our bedroom and guest room. But here is what the guest room bed frame looks like...



I can't wait for it all to come together! Our Boston stuff arrives on Friday. So we are almost there!!!

(This furniture... This is part of the reason why I am not going to Bikram Yoga Teacher Training this fall. I didn't realize exactly how expensive furniture was... I mean, I was used to IKEA and Crate and Barrel on sale stuff. So, I failed to budget properly. Lesson learned. Saving up again!)

Julie & Julia & Ghetto Beef Stew.

I saw Julie & Julia this afternoon.  And yes, I liked it very much.

I read the book a few years back.  I hated it. I found it boring.  I LOVED the idea: A writer cooks her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  And I was very jealous that the author had a copy of the cookbook... As I had looked for it and knew it to be out of print and very difficult to find.

But the Julie & Julia book was "bland." There was no excitement to her life.  She was just merely cooking her way through the book and writing about it.  There lacked growth on her part.  But not in the movie...

No, in the movie, Julie had her ups and downs... And you saw her growth. And it whisked well with Julia's life, and learning about her ups and downs on the path to getting her beloved cookbook published.

The movie is very much worth the $$ you will pay to see it. It is beautifully shot.  And the story was adapted very well to the screen...  Which, to be honest, was surprising.  Because, as a Bikram friend of mine told me a few months back - after we watched the trailer for the movie:

"I don't know... It's being done by Nora Ephron. She is responsible for such disasters as Bewitched and Meg Ryan."

But Ephron did a fantastic job.  Perhaps this is due to having to work with material that is very closely based on two true stories.

No matter...  I left the movie so inspired that I immediately walked to the grocery store at the bottom of my apartment building and bought the following:

• Skirt steak (They didn't have anything fancier.)
  
• Baby potatoes
  
• Sliced mushrooms
  
• Onion (Sliced)
  
• Butter
  
• Beef broth
  
• Baguette
  
• Flour (I didn't buy this. I forgot. But it is important for the recipe.)
  
• Gamay Noir (A red wine that goes well with mushrooms.)
  
• Coke Zero (What did you expect? I am an addict!)

I browned the beef in two tablespoons of butter and some olive oil. Then I took that out to rest. I threw in the mushrooms and two more tablespoons of butter. Once those had cooked for about five minutes, I threw in the onion slices. Those cooked for another five minutes, wilting down. I think I threw in some seasoning at that point.  Then I opened the Gamay Noir and swirled in a good amount... Probably a half a cup.  Once that had cooked off (after a minute or two), I poured myself a glass to drink.  And then I dumped in a whole cup of beef broth. And I also threw the beef chunks back in, to finish cooking.

Meanwhile, I had thrown the potatoes into a pot with cold water just covering them.  I had set them to boil, whole, while I was cooking everything else.  I drained them after the beef broth went into the other pot.  And I cut each potato in half.  Then I tossed them into the pot too... Along with a tablespoon of pancake mix, as I didn't have any flour or xanthan gum to thicken the stew up.

It worked well. The whole thing worked well, after I let things cook for a few more minutes and allowed the stew to thicken...

Yum. 

I served this with chunks of the baguette. The Husband loved the meal. And it took just under 30 minutes to completely cook.

Go see the movie.  It will inspire you to cook, even if you only have access to a shit-tastic kitchen.

Closet Fun: New Use For Tie Rack.

The people who lived in our house before us did a fantastic job with the closets.  And I mean EVERY closet.  But what I love most are the bedroom closets. In particular... Mine...

Yes, it is huge. Funny enough, though, it was the husband in the former household who used this one. The wife had the smaller one, which I have assigned to Human, my husband.  As to why the husband in the former household had the bigger one, I have no idea.

I mean, everyone knows that chicks have way more shit to put in them.  Or they should know that.

Anyway...  Because my closet formerly belonged to a man, it has 35 hooks along one section for ties and belts.  Since I don't wear ties, or really belts, I am finding a different use for them...

To hold my scarves and necklaces!

The Husband (Human) wanted to switch closets when he saw the tie racks. But I assured him that I would find a use for them. And I did.

Ain't no man gonna take my closet away from me!

Twenties Girl.

I don't enjoy chick lit much these days.

My fascination with chick lit began 10 years ago when I graduated from university. I switched from reading text books to reading novels. And the first few novels I picked up to read were The Girls' Guide To Hunting And Fishing and Bridget Jones's Diary.

I was hooked.

Shortly after I moved to NYC nearly nine years ago, I saw a book in the Barnes & Noble in Union Square that caught my eye... It was hot pink... And it was called Shopaholic. It was by Sophie Kinsella. Since then, I have read every book by Sophie K. Some have been disappointments. But her newest one is not...

It was a FAB read!



Twenties Girl was a totally fun read. It is about a young woman struggling with what many of us struggle with: career, misguided love, money and a ghost.

Okay, well.... Maybe not all of us have to deal with ghosts. Rather, we deal with metaphorical ghosts. But all the other things I can relate to. I'm not going to spoil it for you, but this is a good (and quick) read. It is worth the time and money investment to read it.

And that's not something I can say about a lot of books these days.

House Painting.

The first stage of fixing up my new home is done... The painting!

One of the reasons The Husband and I decided to buy the house we bought was because the family living in it before us thought of everything... Fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors, California shelves in EVERY closet, beautiful shades of buttercup yellow on most of the walls throughout the house... Except in two areas...

The master suite bedroom and the room upstairs which will become my office.

Eek!

The master suite was a beautiful chocolate brown with a leather-looking effect on the walls. I decided to have it repainted a soft aqua color...

Before



After



My office was originally a little boys' room. So it was painted a dark blue. They even painted the ceiling. I had it repainted in a lilac-gray color...

Before



After



Both rooms are much brighter and softer now. The Husband and I hired two painters who spent three days priming and coloring the walls. It was so worth it. And we were lucky enough to only need these two rooms painted.

Now, all I need is my furniture. The first delivery of stuff arrives on Wednesday. Then Friday. Then the last round on Monday.

I can't wait!!!