Brunettes & Baubles

Meet my latest non-models!

I met Marissa when we interned together at FASHION Magazine a few years ago and I met Amanda in our media studies program in university. It's been awhile since I did a Not A Model photo shoot so I thought I'd combine a cafe catch-up and a shoot in one. Marissa and Amanda are best friends and stunners with natural never-dyed hair, dewy skin and contagious laughs. I couldn't resist the opportunity to photograph them for the blog and get back to shooting since I've been slacking in that department lately.

So check them out! I'm happy with the results and these photos make me want to cut the fingers off my gloves, buy 100 rings and never dye my hair again.

Note: Please forgive the lack of a Not A Model sign, it got crumpled under a pile of magazines and I haven't had the chance to make a new one. xx

[Amanda left, Marissa right]

The Song

We choose the simple melody or the raging beat
We want the rhythm that slides down our backs or slams into our hearts
There is always a soundtrack to our lives
The song that defines the present moment
Hip.happy.sad.slow.fast.angry.quick.smooth
In the movies, there is always the perfect song for the perfect moment
In real life, we have to decide what song we want to follow us around
Lately, I feel I need a reminder, maybe you do too:

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO CHANGE YOUR TUNE

To choose to be happier
To choose to be more positive
To let it roll off your back
To keep going
To embrace the overworked, overbooked, overwhelming
To smile like you mean it
To stop complaining

Another week, another song
Time to press play...

24hr Champagne Diet

Is there anything more cliche than wearing sequins on New Year's Eve? Probably not. Did I let that stop me? Definitely not.

I bought this sequined, bat-winged vintage top from my new favourite thrift store Pretty Freedom located in Kensington Market in Toronto. While vintage shopping can be tiresome, I didn't have to dig once at this place. Instead, I had to narrow down my choices because of all the amazing finds. I kept the shirt on a hanger on my wall as decoration for a week before I left for New York because it was just so sparkly.

Don't you wish everyday was bubbly worthy?

Note: Our hotel room isn't that messy. We just threw some things around for added effect. *Ahem...*

The Riddler

Q:

Did Clair Huxtable marry Cliff because he made her laugh or because he was a doctor? 

Why do birds keep falling from the sky?
Do I really want to know the answer?

 When will I read the newspaper without feeling sick to my stomach?
Why can't I ever understand how football works? 

Why did Archie choose Veronica?

How many more days until I can run outside?

Why did my parents allow me to smoke those Popeye sticks?

How can you be with someone who doesn't like the same music as you? 

What would you listen to on road trips?

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Why is this post filled with so many pop-culture references from my childhood?
Is it possible to have it all?
What will be the best day of my life?
Will the next generation give a damn?

When will I stop asking so many questions?

A: Never. The moment we stop seeking answers to questions, no matter how superficial they may seem, is the moment we stop living.

And I believe Clair married Cliff because he was a hoot.

Shiny & New

The first day back to the grind after the holidays is always the most challenging. I came back from New York on Sunday with a camera full of photos and a clear mind.

After the holidays, shopping in mass department stores or large chains doesn't really appeal to me. I love discovering little unknown shops or browsing through outdoor markets in a new city. Below are my favourite new purchases...

Write me: I fell in love in a little paper shop in SoHo called Kate's Paperie. I'm smitten with my new colourful Campo Marzio notebooks. All three together cost less than one Moleskine.

EYE LIKE YOU: While I'm not too superstitious, I do love adorning myself with things that are said to ward off evil. My sister and I bought matching malocchio bracelets from a jewelery market. Ask any Italian grandmother and she'll explain to you the significance of wearing the eye.

LUCKY CHARMS: While I do believe you make your own luck, I couldn't pass up this Marc by Marc Jacobs wishbone necklace. The Greenwich Village store was one of my favourite stops and it cost less than those notebooks. Yes, I know.

Carry me: The last time I was in J.Crew I bought this tote. This time I decided I might as well start my own collection. As for the bow hair-tie, I purchased it from the cutest store in SoHo called Brandy Melville. Wait till you see it in my pony. 

Sometimes it's the little things that make us feel new again.

Have you noticed I changed the Not A Model banner logo? I think it looks more clean and crisp. Here's to the first week of 2011. xx