Hong Kong In Five-Ish Days.

Time has flown!

I can't believe my Hong Kong/Phuket trip is already upon me! I leave next Thursday to arrive in Hong Kong on late Friday night... And things I have yet to do:

• Pick up foreign currency (I did order it though)
• Plan what I will pack (Though I am told swimsuit, beach wrap and empty suitcases would be ideal)
• Plan what to see and do (Tagging along with a travel writer has made me a lazy explorer in my travels... I rely on her for all the fun)

I have the first day of my trip there (Saturday) all to myself. Thinking I will visit the large Buddha.

CN Tower Edge Walk.

I really want to try this...

CN tower EdgeWalk from Tom Ryaboi on Vimeo.

It's the CN Tower Edge Walk. You walk around a platform at the top of the CN Tower here in Toronto. It's 116 stories up. And I think it sounds AWESOME!

However, The Husband does NOT want me to try it.

Like him not wanting me to do it is gonna stop me. And he knows that. But he has added - knowing that I don't care what he wants, as this isn't hurting anyone and that I can't be swayed by guilt - that he doesn't want to now if I am planning on doing it.

"If you do it, and I think it's crazy, I want to know nothing about it beforehand," he said.

I don't blame him. This is probably one of those things you only want to know about after it's happened. But it goes against my personality to not tell him stuff. So if I do decide to do the Edge Walk, I will have to word hard to keep it from him.

Chic Bike Riding.

Everything you need to make sure you are biking around your city in style:

Picturesque bike. (Check)

Shorts. (Check)

Shiny hair. (Check)

Over-sized shades. (Check)

30cm Birkin bag. (Check)

Platform stilettos. (Check)

Lack of helmet. (Check)

Olivia Palermo looks great. However, I don't advocate riding the streets of NYC like this. Certainly not in those heels. And not without a helmet.

John Derian Jolly Roger.

About 9 years ago I had the fortune opportunity (redundant?) to participate in a unique sale of wonderful goods… Which I came out of with a specific taste for whimsical and silly decoupage things…

John Derian things.

I picked up this little gem in NYC today. I was walking around Grand Central Terminal and passed what I thought was just a stationary store. But a plate with a pretty bird caught my eye…

"I know that print," I said to myself. "The glass overlay. Bet there's velvet underneath. Must be John Derian."

So I popped in and flipped the plate over… Yep. It was a JD. And that's when I noticed that merchandised within all the stationary offerings were other JD goodies. Some small. Some large. All pricey.

"I have to get this one with the skull and crossbones," I convinced myself. "I can't find these in Toronto."

The one place that I found that does sell them in Toronto doesn't have a good variety of prints. Plus, they're expensive. So it makes more sense to buy them in the states than in Canada. No large HST. Plus variety of prints.

Done deal!

Traveling, for me, is dangerous to my pocketbook. Imagine if I lived in NYC… I'm sure my JD collection would begin to border on obscene.

Anna Dello Russo: Eccentric Packing Tips.

I love seeing and hearing anything Anna Dello Russo (ADR) does and says.

ADR is an editor for Vogue Japan. She has a long history with Vogue and Conde Nast. And she is a visual and audial orgy of fashion and style. And by that I mean, "She is a bit out of step with the reality of us common folks... But she provides quite a bit creative inspiration and hilariousness."

I don't jive with her personal style. But that is only because I see her as a piece of art, and not a human being. Like other celebrities, she is an example of living art... Meant to provoke and inspire. We're there to observe. Not to directly emulate.

Which is why I it's odd that I find myself agreeing, nearly completely, with her packing tips:

1. The suitcase must be LIGHT as a feather: It's forbidden to pay OVERWEIGHT! Is the only time of year that you can take a holiday from fashion. (Agree that you should pack light. But no holiday from your personal style... Which should be effortless for you.)



2. Is allowed to bring only ONE high heels: Choose it well! (Agree.)



3. BATHING suits a Gò-Gò! (I have no idea what this means.)

4. Don't forget your swim-kit: GOOGLES are personal as reading glasses. (She is right. My Google home page is quite personalized. And I probably wouldn't share GOGGLES with anyone either.)



5. Take an Extra-luggage just for the BOOKS on paper. (Books on paper? This is 2011, lady. And you have an iPad! - See number seven below.)



6. Take care of your BEAUTY-CASE:


UV Protecting Fluid, Moisturizing Gel Cream, Eye Balm Intense, Regenerating Serum, Hydrating Infusion, Cleansing Foam, Oil Absorbing Tonic, Ultimate Sun Protection Cream, After Browning Lotion...


all these are not sharable, you can't borrow from the others, you can't find everywhere. (Agree you can't share. Disagree that you need all this crap.)

7. Update your I-POD, download all the Apps on the I-PAD. (Absolutely.)



8. Complete your looks with LOCAL shoes, accessories, jewelry, hats that you can buy in the place. (Never thought about this before. Not a bad idea.)



9. FLIRT with the mood of the country:

• Be EXOTIC if you going to Amazon,
• 
Be ETHNIC if you going to Anatolia,

• Be MEDITERRANEAN if you going to Cartagena

(Sure. I guess. Good to try something new out in other destinations.)



10. It's time to pull out them FLAT-SOFT-SHOPPING-CASE that you packed in your suitcase! (Good idea! Though mine is just a recycled shopper bag from Whole Foods, and not a Louis Vuitton.)

Comparing Coffee Flavors To Movies.

I think I have mentioned how much I like having an espresso bar 30 feet from my front door.

What I may not have mentioned, though, is how much I like the staff there. They are so knowledgeable when it comes to all things coffee... From brewing techniques to flavors, they are quite opinionated.

And I love this. This and the fact the place has free WiFi... But I digress.

Every time I go in, if I am looking for a cup of coffee and not an espresso drink, I ask whoever is behind the machine what flavor of bean I should get. Currently, there are two flavors they are offering:

• Sidama, from Ethiopia
• Brazil, from Brazil (duh)

I had been going for a Trifecta or Slow Pour of the Sidama most Saturdays when I am in there. It is an aggressively flavored coffee. And when the Trifecta machine is used to brew it, or the slow pour method is used, it has a great taste without the bitterness.

But this weekend, I was able to finally try the Brazil. And WOW! I loved it!

It was gentler, but still intelligent.

I was talking about the difference between the two with one of the baristas this week...

"Which one do you like best?" I asked him.

"Well," he began, "I would say Sidama, but that isn't the mature answer."

I laughed. "Why?"

"Sidama is like the big action 3-D flick you go to see. It has a lot going on, and you just love being in its presence. The Brazil is more like the arty film you go to see."

This made sense.

"So," I said, "the Sidama is like Transformers 3... And the Brazil is like Midnight in Paris?"

"Exactly!" he said.

But then he took it back.

"Actually," he corrected, "the Brazil is more like Tree of Life."

I hoped that he didn't mean that the Brazil was going to prompt me to questions faith and the meaning of life. But then, coffee can make you do weird things.

This Is The Only Clean T-Shirt I Have.

It is my Sunday off from teaching. This means it is laundry day... As this is the only clean t-shirt I have...

Nothing like an awesome free Facebook t-shirt! I changed my profile pic on Facebook to this one. Is that at all uncool? Is that like wearing a t-shirt to a concert that has the name of the and you are seeing on it? I've heard that's an uncool thing to do. But I don't make it to too many concerts, so I was unsure.

Someone should really write an etiquette/style book about these things.

Right Of Passage: A Birkin Designed At Birth.

My friend Frogger, who is coming to Hong Kong/Phuket with me in two weeks, sent me the following message last evening...

I had coffee at a Boston hotel with the PR team, one of whom is from Hong Kong. She confirmed that the Hermes store in Hong Kong is legendary. So legendary, in fact, that when girls are born in Hong Kong an ostrich pattern and color is picked out for them to make their Birkin bag when they reach adulthood.

UNREAL!

Here I am, a mid-30s gal... Dying to buy one... But have no idea if I will be able to EVEN IF I HAVE THE MONEY, as they are hard to acquire in the first place. (No. There is no "wait list." But they - from what I understand - are selective to whom they sell them to in the store.) And little girls born in Hong Kong have them entitled to them at birth!

This topic came up because I told Frogger I must visit the Hermes store while in Hong Kong. Not to buy anything. Just to visit it... Because as she points out, "It is legendary." I arrive a day before she does (being the globe-trotting travel writer that she is she's hard to pin down these days), and she has made me promise not to visit it without her.

She is convinced I will buy something while there. But I will not.

Not even if they have a 30cm Birkin in potiron available.

I will make sure, though, that in my next life I am reincarnated as a female to a wealthy family in Hong Kong... So that I will too will have my Birkin designed for me at birth.

Bikram Yoga: Too Much Water = Puke.

Every other Sunday, I teach back-to-back classes. The first class of the day is usually full of regular practitioners... People who have been a number of times, possibly been coming for a number of years.

So, given that I had all experienced people in the class this week, I decided to push them a little. I decided to not open the door at all.

Now, before I elaborate any further, allow me to explain a little.

Every Bikram yoga studio is unique in how it is built and heated. Some have heating systems hanging form the ceilings and walls. Some have heated floors. Some (like the one I teach at) has a forced-air system. So the heat in this one is pretty consistent throughout the room. I have three levels of fans I can turn on at various points during the class. And my method for this is as follows:

• Warm up Series (Pranayama and Half Moon through Eagle): No fan. I want the bodies to heat up naturally.
• Balancing Series (Head to Knee through Balancing Stick): Level 2.
• Rest of Standing Series: Down to Level 1.
• Savasana: Level 1. Hold door open for 20 seconds.
• Wind-Removing to Floor Bow: Level 1.
• Rest of Class: Level 2.

Well, Sunday, the room was nice and juicy. I had it 42C with 39% humidity. This is one degree hotter than the students are used to it being. But they were all experienced, and I figured I would monitor the bodies to see how far I could push things.

Everyone was doing okay and working really hard. I made it optional to hold the second set of Camel pose extra long, and most students chose to STAY in it longer. I was pumped. They were in the zone.

Yee-haw!

After class though... Whoa!

Most students came out of the room really yoga-stoned. Nearly all thanked me for class. But one of my regular practitioners, who had literally ran into the studio at the last second I was about to lock the door, came out of class feeling a bit off.

Things started to get dizzy for her. She sat down on the bench and felt sick. She decided to lay down on the bench and felt sick. So she sat back up. This is when her body decided to reject part of her practice.

The drinking water part.

She had chugged so much water in class, because it was hotter and because she didn't get a chance to hydrate before class, that her body puked it back up.

It was just a little up-chucking. And it has actually happened to a LOT of us after class. (Me, raising my hand at this.) It is a lesson that many of us have to learn on the path toward Bikram discipline.

You should be coming to class hydrated. (And trust me, I am a great example of whining about how hard this is to do sometimes.) Drinking in class does very little for you. Even when it is ridiculously hot. The less you move your body - outside of the poses - the better.

Gummy Vitamins.

God bless these...

(I can't swallow pills! What of it?)

Louis Vuitton Damier Bags.

I most likely will never own a Louis Vuitton bag. Sure, I could scrimp and save up for one. But they just aren't my style. Most of them are far too easily recognized on the street. And while they are well-crafted and beautiful, they are too sophisticated for my personal taste.

But there are many women in Toronto who feel differently.

I started my day off this morning with my usual Saturday latte from Seven Grams Espresso and reading the NY Times Style section online. And in this week's "On the Street" page and video feature by Bill Cunningham, he showed us how a huge trend in bags right now (in NYC - but clearly here in Toronto too) is the Louis Vuitton Damier print bag.

Since it is Summer, it is the Damier Azur Canvas bag that women seem to be preferring. This is the ivory and silvery-grey checked color. But there are many women I have seen carrying the Winter version of the bag, in (what Mr. Cunningham describes as) milk chocolate and espresso checked color.

After watching the video this morning, as I went about my day I noticed these bags EVERYWHERE. I hadn't really paid too much attention to them until after the piece. But it really reinforced how I feel about most Louis Vuitton bags...

Not for me.

I am a huge fan of trends. I love playing around with them. But this is one I will never subscribe to. Like nearly all Louis Vuitton bags, they are just too sophisticated for me.

Just Getting To Yoga Class...

... is becoming impossible lately.

Even though full time in Canada is technically 35 hours (according to immigration paperwork I have filled out for people on the team) and we require people only put 37.5 hours in their time sheets... I still find myself getting roped into something at the end of each day that does one of the following:

• Prevents me from getting to class
• Exhaust me mentally, making going home and sleeping the only thing I have energy for.

I was hoping things would settle down in the past few weeks. There is still hope. But getting to a Bikram class to practice at the end of the day is rarely possible. My average is once a week lately.

And that is sad. Especially because I am a teacher.

So, last night I made the decision that I would take a cab all the way downtown - near my work - and practice in the 6:30am class at the studio I don't teach at.

Normally, I prefer to stick to my own studio, because I like putting in practice "face time" with the students. But we don't have the early morning classes, so it is harder to get in a practice there.

I discovered that I am more likely to come all the way downtown and practice first thing in the morning, rather than trying to do it at the end of the day. Insane, I know. But my spine is desperate.

And don't even get me started on my inner peace.

You Say "Cornhole." I say "Bean Bag Toss."

Admittedly, The Husband and I don't get out much. Between aggressive jobs for each of us, and a karma job of teaching yoga for me, we don't get much time for socializing. So our knowledge of lawn games is based on the games we played as a child and early adulthood, post-university.

These games included:

• Croquet
• Badminton
• Lawn Darts
• Slip-n-Slide

Oh, and Bean Bag Toss.

But apparently, these days, no one calls it "Bean Bag Toss." No. That is just not cool. It, as we recently learned, goes by the much cooler and sexier name of "Cornhole."

Imagine our surprise when a visit in May to my sister and her husband's house had us awkwardly learning of this new name.

My brother-in-law, a future male nurse, asked us if we wanted to "play some cornhole?"

We weren't sure if this was a funny joke of some kind. Because if you knew my BIL, you could easily guess that it was. But no, as we learned, the game indeed was called "Cornhole."

Then, just a few weeks later, we were in NYC visiting some friends. The husband was late meeting us because he had been doing some business... And in between phone calls with the lawyers, they were playing Cornhole.

"Since when is it called 'Cornhole'?" The Husband asked me.

"I have no idea," I said. "I thought it was just tossing bean bags."

We are so un-chic and sheltered. And we suck at the game.

Calling Cards: The Social Network Of The Victorian Era.

When I was about the age of 10, I developed a fascination with the "Little House on the Prairie" books. These were a collection of memoirs from Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood, which inspired the TV show from the 70s/80s.

(Side note: My favorite from the book series actually wasn't Laura's memoir, it was "Farmer Boy"... Which was about her husband, Almanzo.)

In one of the later books, as Laura becomes a teenager and fascinated with teen things from that age (circa 1882-ish), her Pa and Ma permit her to purchase calling cards.

In the Victorian era, "calling cards" were used to network and build friendships. Just like social networks do today.

I never thought much about Laura's fascination and appreciation that her parents let her spend money on them. Back then, you asked your parents permission for everything. But my friend Bail mentioned today (on a social media stream, no less) that she was considering setting a trend, and re-entering the Gilded Age by procuring some calling cards.

These Victorian calling cards (to have Laura Ingalls Wilder tell you about them) were beautifully-crafted cards - similar to business cards - on which only the owner's name was written. Leaving them at someone's house meant that you had stopped by in their absence.

I guess if you stopped by and they were home, you didn't need to leave a card.

So different from today.

So different, yet similar too.

A co-worker was telling me a few weeks ago about his daughter - who is nearing her teen years - and how she wants a Facebook account. (If I had a dime for every parent with a child between 8 and 12 who tell me this same story...) They told her (as most parents do) that Facebook's terms of service require you to be 13 to have your own account. And even then, most parents are hesitant to give the kids their own accounts. (Who can blame them?)

The kids all seem to respect their parents enough to ask, rather than just going and setting one up themselves. So it is like Laura Ingalls Wilder's time, when she had to ask to have the calling cards made... So that she could network with friends.

You Can't Always Be The Pilot, I Guess.

I know, I've been a writing machine this weekend.

This is what happens when you make a decision and relief sets in... What also happens, though, is your subconscious works on reaffirming this decision with some wack-tastic dreams.

Last night's dream...

I was on an airplane, one of the regular commercial ones. Only instead of sitting in a seat, I was sitting at a desk in the plane. And instead of having pilots fly the plane, it was my team members flying the plane. I am pulling pins out of packages at my desk, but carefully, as to not spill them everywhere. That's when I start to feel small turbulence - light ones - on the plane.

I get up to go and check on the team, but decide, "They're only small bumps. And this is bound to happen. No big deal." So instead, I go in search of the bathroom. I find it, just as it always is on regular planes, next to one of the airplane's main doors. But as I try to fully close the bathroom door, I see that it tugs on the main door... Which starts to open.

"Ugh!" I say in frustration. "They didn't check the main doors before we took off. Now we are in flight, and we won't be able to close the bathroom door completely. Annoying."

And then, I wake up.

I was telling The Husband about this dream this afternoon, on our Sunday stroll. I was explaining to him that I need to have a "no talking to me for five minutes after I wake up because if you do, I will forget my dream" rule. And then I went on to tell him about my dream from last night.

He laughed. And agreed that dreams really do help reinforce - on in some cases, inform - what is going on in your life... And how your brain is interpreting it.

The message in the dream is obvious. Little annoyances. But overall, nothing to worry about.

Fall Couture: Ethereal.

Taking the time to go through the Fall Couture pieces this weekend, I noticed something with two collections that I ultimately love, but notice some similar themes...

And that makes me wonder, "Is there some secret 'masters of the universe' meeting where designer leads get together and decide which trends to push out? And does Anna Wintour head this society?"

It's odd how designers collectively decide to follow a theme and produce something with that in mind. And the two designers I noticed it mostly with were Givenchy and Elie Saab. And the theme was "ethereal" and "lightness."

Givenchy's collection was short and sweet. Feathers and an ethereal feeling of whiteness and lightness.

Image Sources

Elie Saab... I love his stuff. So do a number of female celebrities, most notably Halle Berry. He had his signature ethereal and lightness look going on too.

Image Sources

Murakami At Versailles.

I love fashion books. Designer collections... models shot by fashion photographers... If it's collected and put into a book with a pretty cover, I am a sucker.

Even when they cost a chunk of change.

When I went to the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty exhibit at the Met in NYC last month, I walked out with the book in my hands. It is an inspirational book. But that one only cost $45. Today, I ventured over to the bookstore and paid more than double that for a book.

One that isn't a fashion book.

Murakami Versailles...

The first time I learned of Takashi Murakami was in 2003. It was when I was reading the NY Times Sunday Style section, and found a picture of a delightful pink Louis Vuitton Monogram bag with cherry blossoms on it.

I loved those flowers. But certainly did not buy the bag. (This was before I developed a taste for designer bags. But this is probably one of the things that helped me develop a taste for designer elements.)

While I don't have a particular taste for Japanese pop art in my style, I do have an appreciation for it. Especially when it is juxtaposed in a palace with gilded and mirrored halls.

It may not be fashion... But it is fun - and makes me giggle - to look at.

Frites: Discriminating Texture Preference.

The Husband took me out for a lovely brunch this early afternoon.

Eggs Benedict! Yum!

However, while the EB themselves were delicious, the frites that came with them were nasty.

Frites should always be long and skinny and CRISPY. What I was served at the Bloor Street Diner were a sad attempt at frites. Soggy... A little too large... They should call them "fries" and not "frites."

The eggs were poached to perfection, though. So all was well.

Emma Watson: HP Finale.

Emma, I love you. (Despite cutting off all your hair... Now that it is finally growing in more, you look stunning again.)

It was the final premiere of a Harry Potter movie ever, and therefore, one needed the dress to end all finale dresses...

(Image Source)

Absolutely fantastic.

If I ever ave a fancy ball to attend, this is the exact look I want to emulate.

LOVE.

"It's Like A Really Important Designer."**

Fall Couture. This is where art and fashion truly hop in bed together, and produce one of the following:

• A gorgeous and heavenly creature
• A really ugly babe, one whose mother wouldn't even want it.

The couture shows are fun, either way. They are meant to infiltrate your mind with aggressive opinions one way or the other. And when we get a rare treat of being able to see a show from a designer who truly marches to his own beat, while giving prominent parts of the fashion world "the finger", we consider ourselves lucky.

This is the case with Azzedine Alaia.

Sweet Daddy Alaia has not done a show since 2003. And as the NY Times writer Cathy Horn points out, he "has brought the world to him." He has been focused on creating in the past eight years, that taking time to follow the expectations - in terms of sharing - has not been a priority. And what he pushed out onto the runway this week demonstrates what his priority has been.

And the outcome is beautiful.

(Image source)

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(I want this coat for Fall/Winter.)

(Image source)

The world waited eight years to peek into Mr. Alaia's world... And it was well worth the wait.

**Major 1990s girl power cred to you if you catch the quote reference.

An Unexpected Present.

I arrived home from work yesterday evening, after traveling in the morning, to our mail finally being delivered. We've had a postal strike up here in Canada for a few weeks. As a result, we weren't getting all of our mail.

Stuffed into our mailbox were three Economist magazines, a ton of junk mail and a delivery slip from the post office. It was addressed to The Husband, and said they had tried to deliver a package... But because we weren't home to receive it, they were holding at the post office.

"Did you order something?" The Husband asked me.

"Nope," I said. "And I would have it addressed to me if I had."

We gathered that none of our friends or family had ordered it, because they would have told us. So off we went, slip in hand, to the post office to collect our package.

When we got there, it was a medium-sized box, marked "Magnotta" on the side. We pulled out the manifest on top, but all that was on it was the tracking information. Nothing indicating what was in the box. So we took it home and opened it.

Inside...

Icewine! Two lovely bottles of the stuff! However...

We have NO IDEA WHO SENT THEM TO US!

The box only contained the wine. No other information. So it is a mystery.

Thank you, whoever sent it, for the lovely gift. It was very thoughtful.

I Ate Shellfish.

Had lunch with my pals Frogger and Bail here in Boston, to celebrate the 4th of July.

A little bit about Frogger and Bail: They're foodies.

And not faux foodies. Like proper, real foodies. It's all about the food. And this encompasses so much more than the solid stuff. It also encompasses the liquid stuff; meaning alcohol and wine.

This entails eating at a VARIETY of restaurants/food carts in a VARIETY of countries. They are no snobs. They will flock to where the food and drink is legitimately spectacular. And if they get there and it's not, they'll politely eat and never go back.

So tonight - my first real night back with them since AUGUST 2010 - we went to the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Boston for cocktails at Rumba. Afterwards, we went to the Sea Grille at the Boston Harbor Hotel.

Now, a little but about me: I don't do seafood.

I lived in Boston for six years... And I never once ate shellfish or a lobster. Now that I am back visiting this weekend, and I was sufficiently lubricated off of two cocktails (I'm a light-weight!), I decided to be adventurous.

I ordered the lobster.

And yes, I ate it. Well, most of it. I could only get 2/3 of it down, because it was so big.

And you know what? It was delicious!!!!

It helped that it was extremely fresh. Caught just a few hours before being served to me. I would never eat lobster outside of Boston or Maine., as I just can't guarantee it's freshness.

But holy shite! It you know me... You understand how this is a HUGE deal - me eating shellfish. It's a BFD.

Pearl Necklaces Avec Glamour.

In case you didn't know, New England style can be quite conservative. And while that doesn't really jive with my personal style... There is one element that I have always adored - and will always adore - about New England style...

The pearl necklace.

You didn't expect me to post a simple strand of pearls, did you? I love pearls... But they can't be simple and waspy. They need to be glamorous.

These are actually glass pearl beads by Kenneth Jay Lane. They are fantastic.

Hotel Decor.

I am in Boston this early part of the week for vacation/work. I haven't been to this city in over a year.

THAT IS FAR TOO LONG!!!

Just stepping outside of the airport, and getting into a cab, made me nostalgic. Seconds into my cab ride to the hotel had me whining, "I miss this place. I want to move back."

I am staying at my favorite hotel in town, the Copley Square Hotel. Beyond the location, evening wine hour and free wifi... I love the decor of this place. So much that I am taking notes for my guest suite back home in Toronto.

The chandelier is probably my favorite piece...

Modern... But not sleek. It's four tiers of hoops with arms coming off three in them. Simple. Efficient. But no gaudy.

I love the chaise lounge and glass table tucked in the corner. The lamp, I'm not crazy about though.

And the bed...

Love the headboard. As well as the bedside table lamps.

And the grey walls... It is complete and cozy without shabby feeling.

Scrunchies In Public.

The last time I wore a scrunchy in public, I'm not sure it even counted as "public."

It was during second year of university, right before I cut off all my hair. But everyone knows that what you wear to and from classes in university isn't really "public." I mean, so often you'd just roll out of bed 20 minutes before your class started, brush your teeth and tie your hair back in a scrunchy. Then you were all set to go to class.

By the time I cut off my hair, started a newsroom internship and was well into my final two years, I no longer did the scrunchy thing. It was dated. And I was trying to mature myself and show the world, "I am ready to be taken seriously."

So the last time I wore a scrunchy in public was about 14 years ago. And like all trends, good and bad, it seems that the scrunchy is making a comeback.

Please take note... Hillary Clinton getting off a plane in a lovely blue suit with a white scrunchy in her hair...

(Image source)

EWW!

NO!

I feel very strongly about this. It is a definite "NO!"

Now, while I adore HC... Let's be honest. She's not the fashion icon that Mrs. O is. So why am I so freaked and thinking this is a potential resurgence for the scrunchy?

Well, it's because of attached poll to the photo on the HuffPo...

(Image source)

REALLY people? Over HALF of you think this is okay???????

I guess my biggest issue with the scrunchy is that it is too contrasting in color and informal. If you are at home... In yoga class... At the gym... A momma/teacher hanging around with her wild and crazy little kids... Or under the age of 18... Sure. This is okay to do.

But in public while otherwise dressed impeccably?

No.

Organized, But Not Anal.

I'm not anally organized with everything in my life. Though many might beg to differ (as anyone at BKTT, probably my work place and some of my Facebook followers), I truly am not.

But when it comes to my kitchen, I try to be.

No box containers here. I try to make sure everything is put into its own container.

This includes the things that I bake...

(Please take a moment to appreciate that I was watching "New Moon" from the "Twilight Saga" while taking this picture.)

A nice stack of gluten-free vegan chocolate chip cookies. I stopped short of cutting individual rounds of wax paper to stack between them. But I really wanted to. Truly.

A Facebook Friend from high school told me he loved that I did this, but found it a little "Mommy Dearest." Now, I certainly don't have her anger... But I can certainly sympathize with one rule of hers...

"No wire hangers EVER!"

Fall 2011 - Work & Casual.

Loving the nice, long weekend. I am able to get some things done with The Husband away at his family's cottage and the house to myself. I took some time to myself this morning to put some thought into Fall 2011 pieces...

Basic, at this point. I'm still exploring, but these are what I am eye-balling right now. Most of it reflects what I will wear on the weekends. I am trying to find a work style that works for me. Currently, I am in jeans nearly every day. And I think that I want to step it up a notch. I am just at a loss for how, exactly.

I currently do a lot of blazers over bohemian-esque blouses, with jeans and Jimmy Choo "Morse" flats. But I would love to wear a suit or an awesome dress most days. I just fear my current work place just will never be that kind of place. It tends to be casual to the max. I mean, we don't wear cut-offs and flip flops... But we don't exactly reflect a stylized professional environment.

Such is the nature of a digital agency.

Stress & Dreams.

This was a long and stressful work week. And it was only four days long, since yesterday was Canada Day and I had the day off from the work grind.

Once the week ended, I went to a Bikram class and then taught one directly afterwards. Then I went home and crashed into bed, where I dreamt two very odd dreams.

In the first, I was at a company I had previously worked at many years ago. They had hired me back. But the company was much, much bigger now. And it was located in a big building, which was essentially a house. I kept wandering from room to room, trying to find my office. No room felt right. I didn't fit there.

In the second dream, I was in a bedroom - which felt to be mine - and I managed to drop a bottle of perfume on the carpet. The carpet. The bottle broke, and oily perfume sank into the carpet's hairs. I could smell it. It was lovely. The perfume - which I don't recall in my waking life ever hearing about - was called "Samsara."

Dreaming about a former work suggests there is a lesson from that job which is suggested I apply to my current job. To be searching for my office suggests that I am occupying myself a little too much with work in my waking life. I am always searching for the next thing in my job... The next project... the next new client... The next new process... It just never ends - as exhibited by this week.

This is nothing new. And it doesn't surprise me after the week I had. With any job, whatever I am asked to do, I do it. If I don't agree with what's being asked of me, I leave.

I was far, far more confused by the second dream. Bedrooms are private places. They are where you keep your "secrets". Carpet represents a way of protecting oneself. To smell perfume is to remember the past. Breaking something suggests a "break" or change in something. A bottle is seen as a way to contain something. To spill something suggests getting something out.

I guess there is a perfume, by Geurlain, called "Samsara." But I don't consciously recall ever hearing it. I researched what the term meant, and it is Sanskrit that refers to the "flow of life."

I see the two dreams combined as a subconscious push in a direction feels familiar, but seems silly.

Or, it could just be my brain imploding in on itself after the week I've had.

Hong Kong - Phuket.

Yes! I am finally going to Asia!

This may seem aggressive... But I have one year left till my current passport expires. I gave myself a goal of getting to the three main continents I haven't been to yet (Asia, South America and Africa) before it expires.

Looks like I am starting with Asia.

Now that it is confirmed, I will be traveling with my pal Frogger to Hong Kong and Phuket in early August.

Woohoo!

I would love to go with The Husband, but seeing as he hates traveling, a long flights to the other side of the world just ain't going to happen. (He has a "vanilla" sense of adventure.) And Frogger has been a few times to Asia because her work takes her there. And she is very comfortable in both Hong Kong and Phuket. So this should be a fun adventure, and I can't wait!

When I get back, I will need to start planning out the other two continents. Hoping to hit one of them over Christmas.