Sunday, 28 April 2013

John: a Sunday Shoe Story


Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. 

There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. 

But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.

~ Carrie Bradshaw, Sex & the City: An American Girl in Paris, Part Deux

Thursday, 25 April 2013

Sunshine? Oh, there it goes...

Well we had a few hours of decent sunlight & warmth today, so maybe that means the weather is breaking? Not that it was warm enough to sit outside without a sweater... Thankfully I'm totally loving this Billabong one (that I scored from the men's section at Value Village for $5!), so it's all good. The weird face thing graphic kind of matched my book too! Super weird when that happens...


Galliano

Tuesday, 23 April 2013

Sticks & Stones


When John Galliano was caught on camera saying inappropriate things during a dinner outing in 2011, the public was outraged. Galliano was subsequently fired from his gig running legendary fashion house Christian Dior and it took 2 years for him to begin making a public comeback, so it seems clear that some things just can’t be said. Whether it’s from a sense of libreral guilt, a desire to be politically correct, or an attempt to avoid unnecesary social drama the trend not to say what is on our minds is taking over everything.

It has even become common in the workplace. Many companies have instituted policies which prohibit their employees from speaking about their work – not just on social media, but in every situtation. Even Library and Archives Canada has followed this trend and told their employees to keep mum, which comes as a surprise to many library enthusiasts who are used to hearing about librarys enforcing freedom of information and freedom of speech right alongside.

It’s fine to limit free speech when it comes to derrogatory remarks about race, religion, etc, but when it comes to the workplace what is the benefit? If employees are speaking negatively of their workplaces, shouldn’t that be an indication that there are problems within the organization? If it’s only one person making noise, then maybe they are just a disgruntled employee, but when there is an outcry from a multitude then employers should take stock of whether the complaints have any truth. At least that way the complaints are dealt with rather than being allowed to fester. 

Thursday, 18 April 2013

April Blizzards

I've been praying since early March that the terrible weather we've 
been having in Canada will break, and Spring will finally come 
around. I dearly miss my shorts, open toed shoes, and tanktops. 
This week we've finally started to get some decent weather in 
Halifax, but it's still cold, so the need for a jacket is still imperative. 
Which would suck, except that lighter weight jackets can be super 
cute and are super trendy this Spring so far. Here are three looks I 
created, as inspired by the fantastic jackets made my British rebel 
designer Vivienne Westwood. Whether you want to wear your 
summer dresses early, add a pop of unique colour or texture to your 
outfit, or go classic with moto-style leathers there's a Spring jacket 
for you! 

Audrey Updated
The New Yorker
Paris

Tuesday, 16 April 2013

The Wall


Over cocktails the other week I got to talking with one of my girl friends about walls. The emotional kind, that we create to keep the rest of the world out and to keep our personal brand of crazy in. The topic arose when we were discussing a mutual friend’s issues with communication and her subsequent tendency to lash out when she feels like anyone is being even remotely critical of her, and the inevitable comparison was to me (another hot headed girl who doesn’t take negativity very well). It’s no secret that I have a bit of a temper and my fair share of trust issues, and my coping mechanism was to build an emotional wall between myself and the world.

image from Stone Made
But that’s where the similarity ends we concluded; some may chalk it up to the fact that I’ve evolved past needing to scream at the world and maturity taking its due course, but I think that the real difference is in what kind of emotional wall each of us constructed. I envision my wall as the kind you find accompanying an English manor house; the kind of wall that’s built of stone & mortar, about 5 feet tall, and with a handful of wrought iron spikes on top. It has a gate, since I let people in from time to time (no, I won’t tell you the password), but it has an undeniable physical presence that people can’t avoid or see through to the inner me. In contrast, my friend’s wall has more in common with an electric fence. It looks harmless from a distance, but if you touch it you might get an unexpected shock. This wall is also less defensible, since it’s porous by nature; not only does it allow outsiders a view of the inner workings of the soul it is meant to defend, but projectiles pass straight through gaps between the electrified wires.

It is inevitable that we all have an emotional wall between ourselves in the world. It’s a normal defense mechanism against getting constantly hurt and used, but everyone has different types of defenses. Some only have the need for a white picket fence, and others only have an invisible line in the sand. But are those the ones with strong souls, or are they the ones who get taken advantage of? 

Thursday, 11 April 2013

Evolution


Whether it's the first day or the last, change is inevitable. It can be expected or it can come as a surprise, but regardless we have to let the flow of the time take us downstream. We might feel like we're being swept out to sea with the tide, but survival instincts kick in so that we either swim back to shore or grow gills and sink beneath the waves to become amphibious. 


The spectrum under the waves seems muted at first, awash with hues not carried by oxygen, but it holds a whole new world. The choice to adapt may seem inevitable, but it is impossible to stand anchored in the mire and murk. The eddies of time take you where they will, but it remains your choice how much you will allow them to change you. 


tshirt by Avirex (alterred by me), skirt by Forever 21, tights by Betsey Johnson, boots by Aldo, clutch by MMS Design Studio, earrings by Sirens, vintage bracelet. 

Tuesday, 9 April 2013

Through the Fire


Last Wednesday, at approximately 2:30pm the biggest chapter of my life ended. Even though I technically had two more classes to attend, I handed in my last two assignments - an essay on cataloguing the fashion world & an infographic on library mobile apps if you must know - a whole two days early. That makes it official: I've spent the past 20 years in school and I have never handed anything in late or pulled an all nighter to finish a paper. (Though there were those two participation assignments that I just didn't do at all, which I don't count). Regardless of the academic drama, it feels distinctly strange to think that I'll never have to set foot in another classroom or pay ridiculous amounts for tuition again. Or have to go back to school shopping. Damn, I'll kind of miss that. Apparently I'm supposed to feel stressed out and depressed about not having structure in my life. But you know me:  I don't believe in stress, I just deal with it. 

I'm still waiting for the new phase of my being to begin officially, but the cocktails I consumed last night (along with the entire day of Sex & the City and Suits re-runs today) are a great start. My project list is about a million items long, and I'm looking forward to having plenty of time to work on my writing, my art, and having many many adventures. Bring it on 2013, I can hear the awesomeness calling. 

Image from Hapsical, Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter 1998.