Thanksgiving Tenterhooks

It begins, boys and girls!

We're expecting the first boatload of Cromptons to start arriving any minute now, and I couldn't be more excited!  Thanksgiving here is a big weekend-long affair filled with my most favourite family!

I've put on something a little bit nice, a little bit laid-back, and (I think) a little bit stylish in anticipation!  I feel like a sexy old lady hostess from the 60s. . . leopard print always feels a little cougarish to me.  Doesn't stop me from wearing it in lots of incarnations though (two headbands, a skirt, a sweater, a belt, shoes. . . .)!

Again, I'm not satisfied with the laptop pictures, but we'll make it through this together, ok boys and girls?

Clean hair and fresh make-up: a special treat for the guests

 

All black and all leopard, two of my favourites

Just got the call that they're in the city! Thumbs up all 'round!

Cardigan - H&M

Black Lace Tank - La Senza

Black Bandeau Dress (Worn as Skirt) - American Apparel

Black Tights - American Apparel

Have the Happiest of Thanksgivings, boys and girls!

Rawr, 

Your friend Lina

Newspaper Nails

Another quick one while I'm on a roll and looking through my old photos, boys and girls.

A while back when I was still the ghost of running from store to store (dropping off resumes), I got chatting with the gal at the new Magpie in my neighbourhood.  She had these super colourful and geometric nails, so I complemented her on them (never to early to grease the wheel).

She told me she did them herself using the technique of newspaper nails, although she had used an old comic book.  My house is more in abundance of the former than the latter, so I gave them a try when I got home.  I just used a really basic tutorial, and they could not be easier.

You paint your base coat (teal for me cause I don't own any other colour but I think a light grey would look the coolest).  Once they're dry (and I mean really dry), dip them in rubbing alcohol for five seconds.  Press a little bit of newsprint (or comicprint) onto the whole of the nail and hold there for a spell (I think it looks better on the diagonal than straight across, FYI).  When you peel it off, the newsprint will have transferred right on over.  Repeat with the rest of your hand, and then finish with a topcoat.

I never got a call back, but at least I got something out of the experience!

Hot off the presses, read all about it, 

Your friend Lina

Who Has Two Thumbs and Misses Bad Weather?

This guy!  That's who, boys and girls.

I won't go so far as to say I hate summer, but I might have to go so far as to say I hate summer.  I hate being hot, I hate humidity, I hate not being able to wear tights, sweaters, scarves, hats, I hate make-up running off my face.

Thanks Scrooge, do you also hate kittens and when the babies laugh?  I realise it's a silly thing to dislike, but I'm just a cold-weather gal.  Give me two pairs of tights, a parka, and -30 and I'm your man (girl).

This is why I was so excited the other day when it was rainy and freezing and miserable.  Layers!  I cried out.  Put on a cozy outfit to stay warm inside with!  And now it's sunny and in the mid-twenties again (at least this weekend will be).  And it's October!  I bought a bunch of super awesome big sweaters and blazers and things, boys and girls, and I haven't been able to wear them yet.  I just hate waste, that's what it is! Haha!

Anyway, here's a room-cleaning, book-reading, nap-taking outfit I wore the other day when it was delightfully disgusting outside.  Here's to climatic unpleasantness and still having to take photos with my laptop!

Poppin' dem collars like it ain't no thang

Skeletons are the best bedtime buddies

The outfit if I were studious and could see things

I may be short, but I can still look sternly up down my long nose at you

Black Shirt - Forever 21

Plaid Shirt - Simons (a year-and-a-half ago)

Cardigan - American Apparel

Jeggings (yes, yes, shut up) - H&M

So, yes, however much I bemoan sunshine and warm rays wrapping you in an embrace like the awkward side-hug from a friend you don't like, I'm still super looking forward to this weekend.  The whole extended family will be descending onto our house like so many enthusiastic birds.  There will be much drinking, eating, gadding, and laughing.  It's one of my favourite weekends of the whole year!  So Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Grr, arg, mmm,

Your friend Lina

Ol' Four Eyes and A New Development

The new development first. . .

When I was out and about this weekend, I got my picture snapped for a brand-spakin'-new street style blog for Ottawa West! It's not up and running just yet, but when it is (later this week, I believe), you'll be able to find it here. I'll be sure to link it up again here when yours truly will be gracing the homepage.

The blog is headed up by a charming gal named Fiona. I got to chat with her a bit when she took my picture. She was just as forlorn as I that there aren't too too many Ottawa-centred fashion blogs, and so decided to start one up herself. She's got links to the few Ottawa fashion blogs that are out there, as well as to some of the bestest stores and boutiques that Wellington West and Westboro have to offer. I can't wait to see this awesome project get off the ground!

All of this has led me to try to get back into the swing of things here again too. So let's start small and work our way up, why don't we boys and girls? I still have yet to procure a new camera, so for the next little while all my pictures on here will (unfortunately) be taken with my macbook, and if I'm lucky my dad's old cannon.

So without further ado, my new specs:

My slightly-bigger-than-my-old-pair new Levi's glasses!


I imagine this is how I will look in the winter: two-dollar toque and about-to-be-fogged frames


I also snagged a pair of snazzy cat-eye glasses at Value Village - they don't prescription lenses in them so they'll be strictly for days when I wear contacts or don't care to see very well


Facilitating my love of dress up: Shmexy Specs for Silly Sixties Librarian Vixen Costume?

Actually four-eyed,



















Your friend Lina

Snapshots from Summer

As it would be too daunting to recap all of the gloriousness that was my Montreal summer, I'll think I'll let the pictures do the talking again. Here's some highlights from the marvelous metrop (and other gettings-away)!

The Montreal Botanical Garden with visitors


Montreal fireworks competition every Wednesday and Saturday


Climbing the Mountain with the best of friends


Making new friends in new neighbourhoods


Seeing one of my favourite bands on big and small stages


Dinner in the park whilst watching Shakespeare


And my favourite place in the world to finish it all up . . .


. . . with glorious traditions . . .


. . . the sun streaming in . . .


. . . old standbys . . .


. . . and the most perfect view in the world

It was a good summer everybody.

Thanks for it all,

Your friend Lina

Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey?

That's right, I've come home. Moved back for the year. Set up my new room. Found myself a jorb. Fixed up my bike. The whole lot.

I was kinda worried about it, to be honest. But it's mostly turned out to be a-ok. Everyone I knew I was going to miss the most in Montreal I have been keeping up with, I made a visit there just this weekend, and having M and D take care of me is pretty nice. I think things can only get better with employment, getting out of the house more, meeting more people, and some spending money!

My camera broke soon after I got home, unfortunately. Which means I haven't been able to take any photos of my old-hometown-new-again. I am really enjoying Ottawa the second time round. The west end, where I live, is getting really spiffed up (well, it's been growing and changing steadily, but I'm just discovering its vivacity now)! The nature around here is awesome as well. I'm just a stone's throw away from the Ottawa River, fields resplendent with monarch butterflies, and trees upon trees quickly changing into my (second) favourite season. I'm loving all the new shops and bars and cafes I'm getting to explore, too. I can't wait to get visitors here as I often did in Montreal! I love showing people around - playing tourist in your own town - which I think will be good for me, and good for anyone interested in the National Capital as well. Can't wait, can't wait!

So despite the ups and downs, the impending storm of applications, and the thermometre which just won't drop down to fall temperatures, I think Ottawa's pretty swell. And I hope sometime you'll come visit so you can see it be swell too!

My New Favourite Tradition

Those who know me well - heck, even those to whom I am only a passing acquaintance - know that I love traditions. Christmas is my absolute favourite because it is the exact same each year: we watch the same movies, listen to the same music, and see the same people at the same time every single year. To bookend the other end of the calendar, are my cottage traditions. My parents call my brother, my sister, and me 'The Heritage Committee' because we won't let them update, change, or touch anything in our largely 1920s and 1960s original cottage.

Well, boys and girls, we've got another tradition to add to the list: Josh's cottage on Canada Day.

I wrote about it last year, and we went up a few weeks ago just for fun, but I think the Canada Day weekend up there at Lac Rheaume is the best version we do of the place. We had A TONNE of people up there this year too: 17 the first night, and 14 the second. And there was even enough space for everyone to sleep (although one friend chose to sleep in the boat, so that could have explained it). It's kind of the Harry Potter magical tent of cottages I suppose.


I got a ride up with the lovely Saunders Sisters et. al. on Saturday afternoon (after seeing Will and Kate on Parliament Hill with my perfect parents), and the festivities quickly began. First part of the new tradition: throwing on a swimsuit, grabbing a beer, and hanging out on the doc almost before your bags hit the ground. Nothing could be sweeter!

The gang re-assembles after international wanderings

Upon further reflection, I guess there's not too much to share here, which hasn't been shared before. Boiled down to its simplest ingredients, Josh's cottage always equates to drinking on the dock, going for boat rides, swimming about, then lots of eating, drinking games, and singing late into the night.

Boats boats boats - the host and some other lovelies

So I guess it will suffice to say, that Saturday was a wash, rinse, and repeat of the day before. And although this may be a descriptive cop-out, that's what it was, and it was great!

There were a few special moments of note though. There was one point where a bunch of us were treading water/standing on rocks a ways away from the dock, when our friend Peter (recently back from Norway, what a nice treat!) made us all screwdrivers, and swam them out to us on a flutter board. You think drinking on the dock is nice? Well you ain't seen nothing yet partner!

On the second evening we played one of the best games of kings I ever have (nothing beats the rule of putting your head down on the table when you swear - until the next person swears), and then made s'mores around the campfire. Friends melted bottles (apparently quite the thing to do?), and we had a rousing sing-a-long. When we exhausted all the songs people could play on guitars, and then all the folk songs that enough people could sing acapella, we finished the night by all singing Disney songs (sorry again, neighbours). I guess we're representative of our generation, eh?

Our model friends feinding the fire

So if we have to keep doing this every year, that would be just fine with me! For some of my friends there it had been a considerable time since I had seen them, so not only is this new tradition (please Josh?) a great way to celebrate the birth of our nation, it's a great way to ensure high-school reunions each and every summer!

Happy Belated Canada Day to one and all!

Your friend Lina