Thursday, December 19, 2013

Break From The Holidays




Call me a sucker for dance on film. 

Friday, November 8, 2013

The Tonic Lifestyle




Missed me? I've been so terrible at updating this blog. Life's been busy hectic - no surprise there.

Plenty of changes these past few months. To endings and new beginnings. A chance to start anew and to take this much needed opportunity to focus inward and on my personal development.  Where do I want to go? What do I want to do? What's next? Questions like these to be answered and reflected on in greater depth and with a more thoughtful approach in the coming weeks.  I have already taken a leap of faith, abandoning the comforts of "the known" and am willingly opening myself to the universe; learning what it takes to define what it means to know me, my strengths and what I can contribute to this life, inside and out.

In the meantime, here are a few shots from the Tonic Lifestyle Apparel's Fall/Holiday Collection I modelled for earlier this year. A brand whose testament to enabling your love for active lifestyles aligns true with my passion for physical activity and its impact on my health, happiness and vitality.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Photos from Frisco



Finally decided to share some snapshots from my trip to San Francisco a few weeks back (hey, better late than never)...  


Sunday, August 11, 2013

Shooting The Breeze

 SHIRT: Wilfred, SKIRT: UNIF, BELT: Moschino, WATCH: Movado, NECKLACE: Vintage, SHOES: Aldo

This amazing weather sure makes for effortless functioning. My brain is in total summer-mode and it's been such a welcomed change to approach work projects without feeling insanely pressured.

On another note, I'll soon be jet setting off to San Francisco and can barely contain my excitement! Having family scattered all over the world definitely has its privileges, and I can't wait for a little change of scenery...even if it is just for a few days.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

The Taste of Freedom



TOP: Wilfred, SHORTS: Zara, SHOES: Loeffler Randall, WATCH: Michael Kors, NECKLACE: Club Monaco

The long weekend is finally here and for the first time in what seems like months, I feel free.  No longer beguiled by some haze preventing better judgment, nor pressured by some lingering burden awaiting resolution. I've learned to say "no", set my boundaries and it's come at an amazing price: prioritizing me and having more time to focus on the things that really matter.  

See, it's hard for me to back away from things without wanting my hand in all of it. Blame it on my OCD, it's just not in my nature to strictly perform to standards - anything less than exceptional just doesn't cut it. Undoubtedly, this stems from fear of losing control and not wanting to let people down, but as of late, I've been finding that this behaviour is a one way ticket to burn-out and self-resentment.  Danielle LaPorte describes this notion to a T (click here).

Recently, an opportunity slipped through my fingers and I was beating myself up over why I couldn't overcome this wall that was set before me.  Something was blocking my ability to complete the task at hand, and while I justified the delay, I knew excuses weren't going to get me anywhere. So you were busy, you couldn't find the time, etc. - the work isn't going to get done while you sit on your ass and watch the world go by.  

What's done is done, and all I can do now is learn from this experience and hope it doesn't happen again.  Can this be guaranteed? Probably not. But I sure as hell won't go down without a fight, knowing that I did everything in my power to not let another good opportunity pass me by.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

BDFL


BLOUSE: H&M, SHORTS: Aritzia, SHOES: Aldo, WATCH: Movado, NECKLACE: Forever21

A few weeks back, a friend asked if I would be interested in participating in Coquitlam Centre's "Best Dressed For Less" event. Bloggers and local influencers would be tasked with finding an outfit for under $150 - a challenge involving one of my favourite activities? How could I say no to that! For the weeks leading up to the event, I also contributed weekly posts on various trends and inspirational themes which can be found herehere and here.

Despite my best intentions to prepare with a little pre-shopping online, it's never the same story once you're actually in the heat of it.  From varied product selection to budgetary and time restraints, this was definitely putting a spin on your average shopping experience! Luckily, I managed to put together this top and bottom combo for just under $100 and was happily surprised with the matching lace sections, pastel colour combo, and ethereal details in the peplum and subtle trim on both blouse and shorts. Both items are perfect as a pair and stand well alone as essential pieces that mix nicely with my current wardrobe.

It was great to see what the other participants came up with and I'll be sure to post photos from the event in the days to come.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Gambier Island Photo Diary Pt II


It's been such a surreal transition back to daily life.  Now that summer has set in, it's like the whole city is on vacation - almost as if a collective burden of pressure has been lifted now that the sun is out to play.  Am definitely missing my uninterrupted time on Gambier. The luxury of feeling isolated in a serene, independent kind of way dissolved any fear of failure, anxiety, pressure and the like. 

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Gambier Island Photo Diary Pt I


Summer has finally arrived. Regardless of how long you've dwelled in this city for, the sudden heat wave catches you completely off guard in an omg-this-is-amazing-but-I'm-totally-dying, kind of way.  Luckily, I had the pleasure of spending the past few days on Gambier Island - a hidden gem best known for its national park and Camp Fircom, a children's summer camp and retreat. On this particular weekend all the staff were given time off so we had the island all to ourselves.  

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Comeback Kid


KIMONO: H&M, PANTS: Wilfred, BELT: Club Monaco, CALF SKIN SHOES: Yosi Samra, NECKLACE: Forever 21, WATCH: Movado

It's been a rough past few months. Expectations and opportunities gone in the blink of an eye. You find yourself dwelling on what went wrong and all the reasons why things didn't work out as expected.  You're in a funk and can't seem to shake it. While part of you knows that this shall pass, you desperately seek the answers or some opportunity to escape the haze surrounding you. We've all been there: the semi-conscious state of mind that allows you to function day to day, but dulls your senses and fizzles your inner fire.  

Now that I'm on vacation, my mind has essentially reset itself. I've been able to better prioritize, spend time with friends, eat clean, exercise and clear my head.  I've also been diving into The Fire Starter Series by Danielle La Porte, which has contributed greatly to my new outlook on life.  Finally, I'm beginning to feel my head emerging above the clouds and inspiration is spreading from head to toe. Admittedly, I still have a ways to go in my pursuit of defining life on my own terms, but my instinct is telling me that things are about to get real good, real soon.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Twenty IV



A quarter of my life, nearly complete.  It's been quite the ride thus far and yet I have so much farther to go.  More dreams to dream and greater achievements to be conquered.


Sunday, March 24, 2013

Working For The Weekend


I had the pleasure of spending the past few days modelling for Tonic Lifestyle Apparel's Fall 2013 Catalogue. Complete with blue steel looks - to mask our discomfort from the cold  - and plenty of goofing around, it was a real treat working with the Tonic creative team, and I can't wait to see how it all comes together!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Still Kicking



When my Grandfather was recovering from chemo and radiation therapy following his second run-in with Cancer, a measure of his physical condition and well-being was his readiness to retort, "I'm still kicking!" - a tongue-in-cheek way of showing us that he wasn't quite ready to kick the can just yet.  A third battle won and seven years later, I'm happy to report he's "still kicking" and shows no signs of throwing in the towel anytime soon...a resilience and stubbornness that runs through my family, no doubt. 

While I'm no where near kicking the can, I have certainly fallen off the blogosphere as of late and all due to good reason...


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Getting Cozy


I have to admit, I'm a sucker for surprises. But what I love just as much is planning and scheming ways to surprise others (read: did I mention that I love all things surprises?). While Valentine's Day isn't an especially celebrated halmark in our books, the boyfriend and I do make the effort of planning (at minimum) a romantic evening for two.  Although gifts aren't a customary component to this annual affair, I do believe that my latest endeavour will rock his world. One, because he won't see it coming (I hope) and two, because it's the kind of gift that keeps on giving...


Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Resolutions Pt 2


Jan·u·ar·y (jan-yoo-er-een - 1. the first month of the year, having 31 days. 2. a time for renewal by setting intentions and conceptualizing goals to be accomplished within a predetermined time frame. 3. occasionally characterized by frantic work overload in response to foregone productivity during the holidays.

Feb·ru·ar·y (feb-roo-er-een - 1. the second month of the year, ordinarily containing 28 days, but containing 29 days in leap years2. a lull period where activity and enthusiasm declines due to abandoned new year's resolutions, or 3. the month when one takes action to achieve the resolutions made in the prior month.


Thursday, January 31, 2013

Monday, January 28, 2013

Missing You



Currently obsessed with this song and Sam Smith's amazing vocal talent.  Not only does it remind me of how much I'm missing my man (who'll be home in 7 days from a 4 week work trip) but has been a contributing inspiration for a Spring/Summer dance project in the works. Stay tuned for a preview...

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Resolutions Pt 1



If there's one thing I've learned with the start of 2013, passing the time by consuming oneself with work and unessential activities, is a double edged sword. While it acts as a welcome distraction from unfavourable situations, I've also found that in doing so can cause you to neglect and disarrange your priorities.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes the only remedy for your troubles is to curl up on the couch, and watch marathons of Downton Abbey and Suits, complete with a pint of Haagen Dazs and a glass of white wine.