Chchchchchanges!

After much internal debate I decided that I needed some change. I've got a busy month coming up with the Toronto International Film Festival rolling into town and my schedule will be crammed with screenings, meetings, events and parties. With that excitement comes the need to be up and out of the house fast. All summer I've been letting my hair do its own thing. Most days I've been letting it airdry, go kind of wavy and beachy (as much as straight hair will let itself), but now I needed something with a little more volume and takes less time to blow dry nice for meetings. So I headed over to my friend Ashley's to let her "hair extraordinaire" hands do their work.

It went from this...:

...to this:

It may not seem like a lot is off, but there are tons of layers through it now.

The back is sooo much shorter now. But I love the change. I needed a change. It takes me less than 5 minutes to blow dry it now. Plus it still fits in a little pony tail for when I go running. I can't stop playing with it and I'm always surprised when I brush through it and feel that its all gone.

Whiskey seems to like it too :)

I know that some people can't handle change, especially with their hair. They go in to get just a trim and anything else is like a limb is being cut off. I remember one time I went to the movies with a friend and when I left the house my sister's hair was down to almost her butt. When I got back she'd cut it in a short pixie cut like Winona Ryder. I think I was in more shock than she was, but it looked fantastic on her.

In general my philosophy is that no matter what, you can always fix it enough that you can live with it, and its hair...it will grow back! That doesn't mean that I haven't cried a few tears after a horrific cut, but for the most part I play pretty safe with what I do with my hair, so nothing is ever too drastic that it can't be saved.

What is your hair cut philosophy? Just a trim? More change is for the better? Its all about colour? I'd love to hear what you have to say!

I have more changes to announce tomorrow, so be sure to check back and see what I've got planned for this Fall!!!

Where I Blog

Over the weekend, Kate from Centsational Girl posed the following question:

I'm always seem to be on the go, so I blog where I can, when I can, but there are a few places that I seem to frequent the most.

Most of my blogging I do from the comfort of my desk in my little living room, in my equally tiny apartment. (I furnished the whole living room area for $658. Click here to see the Before and After pictures!)

I try to keep everything organized with recipes, crafts and post ideas organized in binders on the bookshelf. Memory sticks, chargers and office supplies are housed in the little black and white paisley drawers to the left.

If I'm trying to catch up on some of my favorite shows, I'll plunk down with my old school laptop (still works!) on the couch and try to multi-task.

Whiskey is always happiest when I'm working from the couch because he can curl right up with me and do the two things he does best - cuddle and sleep. Now thats what I call multi-tasking!

Occasionally I check up on emails and comments during my lunch break at the office I work at. I don't have to worry about co-workers looking over my shoulder, because Whiskey has got that covered:

Thats right, I blog with a cute little mutt perched on my office chair. If I start to forget he's there, he reaches down and licks my ear...as if to say "don't forget I'm here, stand up too quickly or send me flying". It would be helpful if he was just a normal dog and stayed in his dog bed all the time.

However, this summer both Whiskey and I have been pretty spoiled, spending most of our weekends lounging on the back porch of my family's house. I drag out the old laptop, make a nice cup of tea, grab a blueberry muffin and enjoy the pleasure of keeping up to date with everyone out in bloggy world, while still getting plenty of fresh air. I may go into serious depression when the cold weather kicks in and I can't be out here all the time.

So where do you blog, surf, email, etc? Link up to Centsational Girl today and share!

Summer Afternoons with the Family

After spending most of the winter in hibernation, its amazing how much the warm weather of summer calls to us to get together with friends and family. Impromptu afternoon BBQs and last minute pool parties are a common part of our summers up here in Ontario. So when my grandfather's birthday came around, it was inevitable that we would have three things: 1) lemonade on the back porch 2) homemade burgers fresh off the BBQ and 3) delicious birthday cake...and lots of it.

My aunt made a great birthday cake to celebrate Grandpa's birthday, however, my blonde side came out when I lit all the candles with a match, then blew the match out and looked up to realize that I blew out all the candles too and had to re-light them. What can I say? I'm not always a quick one.

I sometimes wonder what it has to feel like to be my grandfather and look around to see all of us sitting at the table and realize that we all came from him. Even that joker in the background (Hi Dad!).

It was nice to have all the family around for the festivities. These days all of us siblings have been working in different places and on opposite days, so having everyone together is a nice change. Back when we were just little babes and stayed home all the time, I wish that we'd realized that was such a luxury.

My cousin came along too and brought his sweet little boy, Cayden. I can't believe how much he has grown! I couldn't resist holding him...until he started to pull out my earrings. I swear that little kids are like ravens in the way they are so attracted to little shiny things they can grab. I have to make a mental note to not wear jewelery around this little guy!

Another new addition to the family is my Nana's sweet little dog, Jack. With big ears, short legs and a long body, he is all over the place, but his cuteness makes up for it.

Whiskey was happy to welcome him to the family...they played for 4 hours straight!

The second they left, he collapsed in my arms immediately and slept the whole evening.
As Whiskey points out, having the family over can be so exhausting, but at the same time its so great to see everyone. Time goes by so fast and before you know it we won't be seeing each other again until Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. And by then we'll be back to hibernation mode in our sweaters.

With only so many days left of summer, I'm off to go sit in the sun and read some more of Kathryn Stockett's book The Help. Its been a great summer read so far and its the kind of book that you just can't put down.

Murphy's Law

While perusing this month's Readers Digest at the doctor's office, I came across an article on Paul Dickson's The Official Rules at Home.

 
Inspired by Murphy's Law ("If anything can go wrong, it will), the book is a collection of laws, rules, observations and maxims collected by Dickson. I couldn't help cracking up at some of these while sitting in the waiting room and I had to share a choice few with you:

Ballweg's Discovery: Whenever there is a flat surface, someone will find something to put on it.

Todd's Rules of Bar-Code Malfunction: In the check outline, the bar code won't work on items you're embarrassed to be buying.

Dickson's Gardening Discovery: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

Rabbe's Rule of the Bedroom: The spouse who snores louder falls asleep first.

Dorothy's Dilemma: The heavier the package and the farther you must carry it, the more your nose itches.

Rosenbaum's Rule: The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

Next time I'm at the library, I'm going to make an effort to find this one. I'd love to see what other laws Dickson has discovered!

Banana Bars with Maple Cream Cheese Icing

I love bananas. On their own, in morning cereal and definitely in baked goods. So when I showed up at my parents' place for the weekend and saw a bowl of ripe bananas, they were just begging to be made into a big batch of banana bars with finger lickin' good maple syrup cream cheese icing. We have company for the weekend and these are the perfect thing for a big group.

If the banana bread-like consistency doesn't call to you then just look at this maple cream cheese icing. You need this in your life. ASAP.

What you'll need:
Bars:
2 cups Flour
1 1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 ripe Bananas, mashed
3/4 cup Shortening
2 tsp Vanilla Extract or Dark Rum
4 Eggs

Icing:
8oz of Cream Cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
2 tbsp Real Maple Syrup
2 cups Icing Sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.

I apologize for the poor lighting and white balance in these photos. It was really late when I was making them, there was no daylight and I was really too tired to pay attention to the lighting. So you'll just have to deal with it. But eating some of the icing should make you feel

I was going to use vanilla extract for this recipe, but I couldn't find any, so I made a last minute executive decision to add a bit of Bacardi Añejo instead. Muy bueno!

Last Dog Days of Summer

Its the final dog days of Summer and just as the weather was starting to get more bearable again, we have another heatwave rolling in. All this humidity has been wrecking havoc on me learning to run this Summer. I'll be all laced up and halfway through my run when I start to feel lightheaded and woozy...and then that crisp clean pool starts calling my name louder than the running shoes.

I think I'm going to take a cue from Shadow and Whiskey, and just take it easy on the couch until September comes around. For the record, they are NOT allowed on this couch, and neither are newspapers. Are they reading it?

I have to wonder what Shadow is thinking about? The depressing article she just read on the current stock market. How fast she could chase after that squirrel living in the tree out front. Or maybe she is just wishing for the cool comfort of lying under the trees on a nice Fall afternoon.

Who am I kidding. She's probably just thinking about squirrels.

Summer Bridal Shower

Summer may be coming to an end, but the gardens at my family friend's home are as lush as ever. She hosted a beautiful bridal shower for a friend of mine from way back in high school, and her home was the perfect location.

A nice Summer evening walking through the gardens and celebrating the next stage in a friend's life. You can't help but be in a good mood after an evening like this.

The bride-to-be on the left and her best friend and my sort-of cousin (long story) on the right.

In lieu of a bunch of little gifts, most people pooled in for a big box of goodies for the bride.

Our hostess is a nurse, so of course she had to make up her own first aid kit for the bride. Safety first, ladies.

Summer Pea and Pancetta Risotto

This isn't just a perfect summer risotto using fresh local peas and delicious pancetta, but can be made year 'round, tasting just as good with frozen peas. The trick with risotto is to take your time adding each ladle of stock and letting it completely absorb before you add the next one. Your patience will be rewarded with a deliciously creamy risotto full of flavour.

I adapted it from a recipe I found in my beloved LCBO Food & Drink. I really do feel bad for those of you who live outside of Ontario and can't get this great free magazine that the liquor stores give out. Its all about pairing great recipes with wine, and in this case I'd suggest a nice Chardonnay. Use it for the wine in the recipe and of course have a glass while you're cooking :)

What you'll need:
6 cups Chicken Stock
3 1/2 oz (105g) Pancetta
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 large Onion, finely chopped
1 large sprig of Thyme
1 1/2 cups Risotto Rice (Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone)
1/2 cup Dry White Wine
1 cup Peas (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp Thyme Leaves
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan Cheese

 Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan until it comes to boil and then reduce to a simmer.

 Meanwhile finely chop the onion and dice the pancetta into 1/4 inch pieces.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook gently for about 5 minutes until the fat renders out.

 Add the onion and thyme sprig and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

Five Things I Love About Jennifer Aniston

With Jennifer Aniston on the cover of Harper's Bazaar this month and her new film, The Switch out in theatres this past weekend, I thought I'd share the top five reasons why I love Jennifer Aniston. She is one of the few celebrities who I admire and just can't get enough of her.

1) Her Style

First off, I have to say that I love Jen's style. She knows how to use simple tailored cuts and neutral colours to accentuate her lean figure.

Whether its a polished pencil skirt outfit, or layers over jeans, she knows what works for her.

You can’t talk about Jen’s beauty and style without mentioning that hair. Her trailblazing haircut on Friends inspired women to flood beauty salons and simply ask for “The Rachel.” Stylists knew precisely what to do. Her combination of multiple layers, California-sun-kissed highlights and the magic of the flat iron is now a classic.

2) The Good Girl

I remember the first time I saw The Good Girl, I couldn't believe it was the same actress who we see on television or in romantic comedies. Its smart, funny and heartbreaking all at once. Jennifer plays a young married woman (to John C. Reilly no less) who mundane live working at a discount store takes a turn for the worse when she begins a passionate affair with a troubled young man (played by Jake Gyllenhaal!) I've since seen it a few more times and every time I like her more in it.

Lazy Rainy Sunday

Yesterday's Queen West Music Fest was great! It rained a bit all day, but then the skies cleared up perfectly right when The Trews came up on stage.

 They played a fantastic set and I'll definitely try to catch them again next time they're performing in the city.

I had a great time hanging out at the concert with my friends yesterday, but after a few late nights out, I decided that today needed to just be a lazy day. No plans. No obligations. Just hanging out, getting stuff done around the apartment and enjoying some down time.

Whiskey was happy to help me with nap time.

Even dinner was low key. I was cleaning out the freezer and found some things that I needed to use up, like leftover roast beef, tomato paste, bean chili and a little bit of marinara sauce. I tossed everything into the slow cooker with some beef broth, sauteed onions, a yellow pepper and some spices and let it do its thing for a few hours. When I woke up from my nap, it all smelt fantastic! Served with some brown rice and a nice side salad, its the perfect lazy rainy Sunday night dinner.

Now its time to curl up with the pooch, do some mending and watch the latest episode of Haven. I've been really loving this new Stephen King show this Summer. Mystery, intrigue and a small New England town...whats not to like?

Hope that you've all had a nice weekend!

Music in the City

Last night I went to an amazing concert downtown at Koolhaus....

Sublime with Rome!

It was loud, fantastic and packed with a great audience! After the concert, I couldn't get one of my favorite songs by them out of my head:

But that's not the end of the great music here in downtown Toronto. This afternoon it is the Queen Street Music Fest in Trinity Bellwoods Park!

Its been lightly raining all day on and off, but that doesn't seem to be stopping Torontonians from getting out to see some great local bands perform.

Including these guys, The Trews. Homegrown Canadian Rockers :) If you haven't heard of them before, I suggest giving them a listen to!

The summer is a great time to catch concerts while the weather is still nice, you can sit out and have a beer with a few friends listening to amazing live performances. Is any great concerts yourself this summer?