I need a vacation.

I am so incredibly busy lately it’s been a complete whirlwind. My daytimer is crammed full and I’ve had to put in seemingly obvious things like “walk the dog” and “do laundry” because I have so much going on that I’ll forget if I don’t schedule it in. I’m doing a practicum placement, taking an extremely in-depth breastfeeding course (for health care providers) and studying for my immunization certification exam. And that’s not including stressing about my RN exam, finding a job or finding an apartment. Oh and moving. Needless to say, I’m totally exhausted. I’d love to spent about four weeks lying on a beach, frying to a nice golden brown.

For now, I continue to work away, largely ignoring the blog (because I have to eat and shower at some point) and getting in quiet time when I can. I have decided to blog when I can, about what I want, and not feel guilty. I’m too busy to feel guilty.

Indie folk wonders.

BasiaBulat.com

If you haven’t heard of this phenomenal Canadian indie musician, I suggest implore you to go and check out her music. I have her first album and ADORE it, and I’m off to buy her new album today. The title track of her new album, Heart of My Own is my new favourite song. She’s just fantastic.
Another musician that I was recently introduced to is Tessa Kautzman, a friend of a friend who put on a spectacular performance at an event this past weekend. Nick and I were so blown away that we bought one of her cds from her on the spot. Money well spent.

There you go, new music to get you through your week! Go forth, and be impressed by these multi-talented women.

Boys and their toys.

Sherlock and his best-buddy Morley. Know how you can tell which is the real dog and which is stuffed? Morley only has one eye and a half chewed ear. Sherlock’s next dog is going to be made of kryptonite so that he can’t destroy it in the first seventeen seconds after it’s come out of the shopping bag.

More retail temptations.

Most of my posts lately have been of a fluffy variety, but I don’t really care. It’s gray and awful outside, so I’m posting about things that are fabulous and cheerful. I save all my deeply political and important conversations for morning coffee with Nick. So, continuing in the fluffy theme, I found THIS website. These dresses will be my financial undoing! They’re just so fabulous. This website has a section of actual vintage items, but they’re usually one-of-a-kind and sell quite quickly. Their new but vintage-inspired section of dresses is far, far too tempting. And don’t even look at the shoe section. Goodbye first new job paycheque…

Golden Days dress from Mod Cloth

This one is a definite favourite.

Lost in Grace dress from Mod Cloth

This is just so classy.

Style Promotion from Mod Cloth

To die for.

Betsey Johnson from Mod Cloth

Polka!

Ginger Dress from Mod Cloth

And finally, this one. This is the coup de gras, my favourite of them all! I have to have it. I don’t care if I already have a couple (five) polka dresses in my closet. None of them look like this one. All my others are slim-lined and black with white polka dots. And yes, that is reason enough to add a sixth to the wardrobe.

Oh, those hipsters.

From Unhappy Hipsters (Original Photo: Dwell)

He sipped his tepid coffee and pondered how to tell her that, in fact, the pants made the sack dress even less appealing. (from Unhappy Hipsters)

This website is too funny. Add this to the “Evolution of the Hipster” series and you’ve got yourself an afternoon of sweet satire. Not that I don’t fall into one of the categories (cough, 2007, cough).

Mug cozy success.

So to follow up on my post about the mug-cozy, I made one. I just forgot to create a follow-up post about it. Oops. Either way, it worked! It was fast and easy to crochet, granted the one for sale on Etsy is of much better quality. And a smaller stitch may have worked better so that less heat would escape (I crocheted mine and so there’s some pencil-sized gaps due to the way it’s stitched). But still, I made it! It’s pretty superfluous but I love it anyway. I threatened to make a Sherlock-cozy but I’m fairly certain Nick would leave me. (But only out of jealousy for not having his own cozy, I bet.)

I started it the same way that I make hats, but then backstitched to leave a space for the mug handle. It’s a stretchy stitch as well so I’ve been able to put it on a few different sized mugs. This one is a bit long so it may work better on a taller mug.

Under the weather.

from Arian's Etsy Shop

This print sums up this week nicely. Plus it’s adorable. It has an owl, and he’s using a mushroom as an umbrella! SOLD. I’ve been under the weather since Friday, with the cursory January cold that always seems to catch up to me no matter how many multivitamins I ingest or how fervently I swear, “Not this year!” It always, always catches up to me. And so, what can I do but stay in bed, with a hot cup of chai tea and a stack of books? To go out into the world would be putting everyone else at risk for this terrible cold. And so, I did the lazy noble thing and stayed home. There’s only one problem, I’m not very good at being sick. That is, I can stay in bed and let my body heal to an extent, and then maddening boredom sets in and I typically go tottering off, blanket wrapped around shoulders, in search of “things that need to be done”.

This is roughly how this morning went:

830 am: wake up, realize there is no way (barring assistance from a crane) that I can get out of bed. Call in sick to practicum.

845: manage to reach kitchen for glass of water and soy yoghurt. Glare at boyfriend for having passed the cold on to me. Return to bed. Find dog has taken my warm place, so I take the other side of the bed.

1045: wake up to dog slowly pushing me out of bed (how does he do this?! he only weighs 20lbs…). Sit in bed and read/doze.

1200: realize that if I stay in bed any longer, I may go mad. Toss blankets off, preparing to tackle the world. Fall back into bed realizing that sitting up makes me dizzy. Huff. Scowl. Declare that I will not be taken down by a simple cold and that darn it, I can beat this! Look at dog, who stares at me with a cocked eyebrow. Terriers are so judgemental.

1215: finally drag myself out of bed and into a piping hot shower. Muse that if I stayed in the shower forever, I’d be able to breathe through my nose. Realize that living in the shower would lead to wrinkly skin. Grumble accordingly.

1230: Back in business! Hair done! Make-up on! I now resemble a slightly sleep deprived but respectable woman instead of the zombie that lurched out of bed this morning. By this point I have upgraded from pajamas to yoga pants. I consider this a victory.

100: Three cups of tea and a peanut butter sandwich later I’m as far as the couch! Take that, cold.

Sniffle.

I’m a dog person.

Our much-loved mutt.

Some people are cat-people, some are kid-focused people, and some are dog-people. I am most certainly, without a doubt, firmly entrenched in crazy-dog-lady territory. I bake homemade organic dog biscuits. I go nuts over adorable dog beds and toys instead of baby stuff. I have ridiculously cutesy (and lame, to outsiders I’m sure) nicknames for him INCLUDING, I kid you not, Wuggums, Buggums, Snookeroo, Bugsy, Sherlywerly and Honkums. If I owned a house (and if Nick would allow it) we’d have about 126 well-loved and much-spoiled canines running around the place. I can’t wait until we have a stable income and place of our own so that we can adopt another dog to keep Sherlock company. I’d love to get a big dog, but since our next place is more than likely going to be an apartment, we may have to find a dog similar in size to our current mutt (about 20lbs). Or a greyhound. They’re small…ish.

My point is, if you are also firmly entrenched in crazy-dog-person territory (viva la resistance!) I invite you to check out some of the beautiful dogs available through the many rescue groups here in Victoria. Even if you yourself are not in the market for a pup, you may know a friend who is.

Some of the sites I check (too) regularly are:

Dog Bless

Mosaic Rescue

Victoria Adoptables

Mexi-Mutt Rescue

Mex-Can Dog Rescue

Furever After Dog Rescue

Vintage dresses.

from Small Earth Vintage's Etsy Shop

I need to start sewing my own clothes again. Every now and then I’ll bust out the sewing machine and make something, and I’m always so happy with the result. But then I go months without doing it! Silly me. I’d love to have something like the dress above, but with little cap sleeves instead of the 3/4 length style. Since deciding I need to start making clothing again, I went on a little web search of some dress styles that I like. A dangerous thing happened. I found this website. DANGEROUS I TELL YOU.

from Posh Girl Vintage.com

This is beautiful, especially if you paired it with some white peep-toe flats.

from Posh Girl Vintage.com

Oh, and I have the perfect shoes to wear with this one, black peep-toe heels with satin bows on the backs of the heels.

Poshgirlvintage.com

And…ohhhh this one.

poshgirlvintage.com

Excuse me while I go hyperventilate into this paper bag.

WANT.

found via Apartment Therapy (I think)

This, in large poster form. On the wall of my new (and at this point, theoretical) apartment, possibly above my white sofa. And yes, I’m decorating an apartment in my head that doesn’t exist yet. A lady has to keep out of trouble somehow.