Tattoo story, Utter Brilliance

This story is so awesome and gives one of the most hitting-the-nail-on-the-head answers to anyone's prejudice against tattoos. 

“There is a short story about a man who worked as a palaeontologist or archaeologist and was leading a tour group through a museum as part of his summer job.

He had a large and prominent tattoo in a visible place, probably an arm or leg, and it was exposed. Not anything obscene or even particularly challenging. A person in the tour group, a middle aged woman, if memory serves, was persistently very snippy and dismissive of his lecture and when he finally confronted her about it in front of the group; she said she couldn’t take him seriously because he was tattooed.

He replied “this isn’t an ordinary tattoo, you see,” while slightly tilting the tattooed extremity, almost as if he expected it to beam a glint of light back at the viewer if cambered just right. “This tattoo is magic.” he said with a twinge of mysticism in his voice.

“If I hold it just right, it exposes the prejudice and ugliness of small and petty people.”

Weekend Successes

This weekend wasn't as baking-tastic as it could have been, but I did discover a great cornbread mix from Ed's Gluten Free Speciality Inc. I believe the brand was One Earth? I threw the packaging out before I had a chance to write it down (doh!). But it's a Creole mix, with kale and sunflower seeds. Sweet, but with a spicy kick. Highly Recommended!

Another lovely success was my first visit to Raw Canvas in Yaletown. If you've never been, and have always wanted to smock-up and paint with a glass of wine in your hand, I suggest you give it a try. I had the best time! I wish I had more time to sit around and paint, it's such a meditative experience for me. Raw Canvas supplies a variety of canvas sizes and provides all paint and tools to bring your inner masterpiece to life. I brought my own canvas (De Serres often has great deals on packages of canvases, and they have a student discount!)

Sunday called for an afternoon of puppy bonding and painting with Della, followed by pakoras and watching No Strings Attached with the lovely Abbie joining us. All around, a successful weekend. The last relaxing one for a little while, I'm hoping to get motivated enough to push through these last couple weeks of school and dominate my exams. High hopes? Probably. Last few weeks before freedom, and hopefully some sunshine! Winter is being a bit of unwelcome party guest...

The Cinnamon (Roll) Challenge!

All in all, a successful weekend; although the buns aren't exactly picture perfect, they are edible and indeed, delicious! As expected the dough was a bit of a challenge, since the original recipe wasn't gluten-free, I had to improvise. The consistency of the end result isn't the fluffy, gooeyness of regular cinnamon rolls, but hey, you can't win em all. My lovely boyfriend played photographer this time, so the whole experience has been well documented. See last week's post for the recipe!

*A couple of notes: I had to use quite a bit more flour (white, brown rice, tapioca, potato starch) than 4 1/2 cups. Along with flouring the surface, I had to add some more to the dough before I could roll it out. I used almond milk for the dough and the frosting. And, before rolling out the dough I chilled it for 20 min or so, as I've done with other GF recipes since they seem to be a bit more stubborn when it comes to staying together. Hope you get a chance to try it! They were a tasty success! 

Reboot

Happy Monday! 


I thought I'd start today off with a mind-clearing remedy. It requires nothing other than 5 minutes of your time, and a little patience. Going into another jam-packed week can be a little overwhelming, so to start, try doing nothing. For 5 minutes. Just sit and close your eyes. Think about whatever you want. I'm not suggesting you aim for "enlightenment" or mental silence. Just sit quietly. Lean against a wall, or in a chair if you like.
And just breathe. Breathing is the most healing thing you can do for your body, both mentally, physically and spiritually. If you notice, a lot of us hold our breath while checking email, or reading, or walking. Try consciously breathing for 5 minutes and see how you feel. Set a timer if you like.

I hope this helps you start your week a little clearer and more peacefully!

Love,
Whit

image: weheartit.com

Potato Potahto

The brainstorming begins; I need to find that little writer inside again. I feel more apologetic for being AWOL than anything right now. I think the biggest struggle is continuously finding interesting things to write about. Or more likely, remembering the interesting things I know in time to write them down. To be fair, I've had a ganglion cyst on my wrist for the past four months...TMI?

Okay my latest obsession is potatoes. 

pause for reaction. 

Courtesy of my dear friend Della and her subscription to National Geographic, I have discovered that there are over 4,000 species of potatoes. What have I been doing eating russets and baby potatoes when I could be eating something called Ashes of the Soul?! I swear I haven't felt this deprived since they discontinued my favourite flavour of gelato....(pumpkin pie)

I think these little gems top my Favourites list right now. I haven't had the chance to try any of these morsels yet but so help me, I will. If ANYONE knows a restaurant/market/shop/old lady's basement where I can sample these varieties, please let me know! Makes the Daughter-in-Law Cry needs to be tasted.

if you don't believe me..google it bitches.

Hakuna Matata

Zoinks! I apologize for missing this entire weekend! You can blame the boyfriend for that one, we were busy munching on lots of chocolate and playing Animal Crossing on our Wii (which I am not ashamed to say I am officially addicted to). Had an awesome Easter, decorated eggs today, had pancakes for dinner, and had an eventful day at the Woodgrove mall in Nanaimo; thank you photo booths and Lush! All in all, a much needed weekend of R&R with the boy before I leave this Thursday (!!!). Still freaking out ladies and lads, I had a panic attack last week and woke up at 6am in a fit of over-organizing...I'm feeling like a little fish in a very big, global pond. This is my first trip flying solo, and I think I'm going to freak out a little more before take-off. I'm not sure what's worse, my fears of recirculated air in the plane and blood clots from prolonged sitting? Or the fear of getting lost in a european airport? Haven't decided that yet.

I'm very excited to be exploring Italy again, and I haven't lost sight of my love of the history and the beauty of italian food and culture that made me fall in love last time. I think I just need a good mantra, (maybe in italian?) to keep a positive perspective. One of my favourite de-stressing songs is Bob Marley's Three Little Birds. I translated a couple lines from it to italian just to hear the sound, and I think it might be my mental peacekeeper for this trip. Non preoccuparti di niente, ogni piccola cosa andrà bene (don't worry about a thing, every little thing is going to be alright). I just need to stay focused, and excited about seeing all my favourite italian piazzas, gelaterias, and Roman ruins, and remember to make a pharmacy my first stop for gluten-free shopping!


If you're feeling stressed about a test, a trip, a fight, or the fact that a stain on your jeans still won't come out, just remember mes amies...

Non preoccuparti di niente, ogni piccola cosa andrà bene 

images:
1/2

Le beau cheval

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend, I know I did. By a change in circumstances I got to go to Cavalia yesterday! Amazing, abso-freakin-lutely amazing. Ever since I had to stop at 15 because of my scoliosis, I have missed horseback riding more than anything. I started when I was about 4, and completely fell in love with horses. I initially hadn't wanted to see the show because I though it would be too hard to watch, but I'm very glad I did. What I loved most was the organic feel the show had, showing the relationship between people and horses. So much was done bareback and without any actual touching, just an emotional energetic connection. Truly amazing to watch, I got a little emotional and remembered how much I missed riding. I did some horse shows, nothing too advanced, but I loved just being on a horse more than the competition. The one downside to living in the city is there are few trail riding companies, mostly lessons. I'm hoping this summer to be able to get back in the saddle (haha). I definitely had a passion for riding, and I'm dying to have it back in my life.
If you haven't checked out Cavalia, I highly recommend it! Well worth the price, it's a one of a kind show.

 

La Passion

Monday morning, here we go! I've made the conscious decision to be as positive and productive as possible for the next few weeks and crack down on studying and my final papers. I've been dragging myself along these last weeks, ok months, and although I don't believe in regrets, I do wish I'd pushed myself a little more.
My motivation is finding passion. La Passion is something I take in very high regard. I believe if you find your passion, your love of life, of self and maybe of someone else too, you can do no wrong. 
We live in a Romanticesque world. We are not beings driven by our intellect, we lead with our hearts.
What the heart wants can never be wrong. (I know it's easy to go into a debate on that, but it's entirely personal and anything loved with good intentions cannot be wrong. Better?)

My passion is yet unrealized. I can feel it, like when your foot falls asleep and you have to hobble around because it hurts? Well, it's kind of like that. For now. I think once you find what you're truly passionate about, the tingle will disappear but remain a memory of feeling. You'll be realized. 

So, to spice up this dreary Monday, what's your Passion? 

Love? Sex? Money? Fashion? Animal Rights? Politics? 

Passions are not limited to the fabrics of reality, only to what we limit in our imaginations.

Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion. 
Georg Wilhelm

Week-beginning Inspirations

Since it's Monday and I know we could all use a little skip in our step, I'm using my skills of procrastination productively to remind myself of some things that made my day recently:

-the Wen Wei contemporary dance show at the Playhouse on Saturday. Followed by late night sushi with my mom.

-my new manicure has reminded me that I have hands to accessorize.

-school is over in exactly 1 month. (begin premature excitement)

-it's my dog's birthday tomorrow. Cinnamon is no longer in her early twenties.

-I'm going to island this weekend. Only 5 more sleeps!

-it's was supposed to rain today. And it didn't.

-it's only Monday. Breathe.


{Remember to keep Japan and all the tsunami victims in your hearts tonight. We can hardly compare our troubles to their devastation. Take a minute to donate and help humanitarian efforts. If you can afford a coffee a day for a week, you can afford to help. Every little bit counts.}

Red Cross

Life in Material Loves

My lusts in 223 objects.


{materialism is only narcissistic if you can't justify it with extraordinarily long words}




{visit my Svpply}


bags.books.shirts.shoes.art.furniture.teacups.kettles.candles.satchels.mirrors.paintings.rings.earrings.necklaces.sunglasses.beauty.lingerie.boots.beds.wine.food.waffles.plants.boxes.antiques.frames.herbs.pillows.bowls.mugs.blankets.laptops.hammocks.nailpolish.albums.dresses.shelves.wallets.gadgets.bracelets.brushes.boots.cups.stags.cameras.glasses.tables.lights.coffeetables.lotion.

Monday Heart Strings

The drama, the heartbeats..
where would we be if not for the cliches of everyday life?
Embrace them, whether you're single or romantically attached, it's all in how you love things, anything, that makes it all worth while. The aches of the heart will always conquer the aches of the mind, or body. You're only as strong as your fastest heartbeat. <3

Some more things I love...

The first signs of spring...

     Sunday morning pancakes...

chai lattes...

looking like a french postcard in a cafe...

listening to the Gipsy Kings...

sushi dates...

paper-white flowers...

picture imperfect photo shoots...

early summer mornings...

cashmere...

nostalgia for summer...

the smell of basil...

What pulls on your heartstrings?

{via}

Summer lusting on a rainy Monday...