the light with the dark

I am attempting my best tap dance on an unsteady floor. Just as things get comfortable and start to feel easy, other things start being difficult, and scary.

This city is shrinking. Last weekend we came across a woman passed out on broken glass in between the curb and a car. She was being sick (on herself, me, and the tiny space she was wedged into), but was okay as anyone can be in such a situation. She was coherent when the paramedics arrived. I went home feeling shaken by this darkly intimate moment with a stranger. I knew I would never see her again, and wondered about who she is. The next day I found out we're only separated by about 2 degrees. Now I hope if/when I see her next that things are going better for her.

But the world is growing smaller in other ways too. Other strangers turn out to be friends of friends, and local entrepreneurs I've admired are becoming my creative collaborators. The newest project I'm working on is still in its early stages, but it involves a collective of independent business people and weddings. More to come as things grow.

And piece by piece, connection by connection, a real "adult" life (where I think about grown-up things like "taxes" and "networking")is starting to come together.

There's a fair share of darkness, mostly consisting of bouts of self-doubt and worrying about what's next, but the days are getting longer, and the sun is starting to show itself again.

look du jour

a facelift of sorts

As photography is a huge part of this blog, I decided to adjust the layout to be more image-friendly. Please bear with me as I may still tweak a few things over the next while. Hope you like the new, larger image size!

saving silver, man

I hate touching raw meat, especially ground meat.

The way it oozes between your fingers as you mix it. Ugh, it turns the stomach. So I should have gone with my gut reaction (churning nausea) when I looked at the bowl of turkey-meatloaf-in-the-making and debated whether or not I would mush it together myself.

Brian was ignoring my calls for help as usual, probably engrossed in one video of a Leprechaun sighting or another, so I finally took a deep breath and mushed it myself.

I popped it in the old oven and walked away. It wasn't until 45 minutes later, when I looked at my fingers on the keyboard, that I noticed my treasured claddagh ring was missing.

Trying to ignore the nagging feeling of where it probably was, I briefly searched the apartment. Nothing. It was definitely, without a doubt, baking in the oven at 375 degrees fahrenheit... surrounded by meat.

There was nothing I could do but wait. Another 45 minutes later, the meatloaf was done. Brian found it in his first bite! Unfortunately, once I saw that it was blackened and encrusted with turkey and flax seeds, I started getting teary-eyed.

I bought the ring in Claddagh, Ireland (beside Galway) when we were there almost 3 years ago, and it reminds me of the amazing time we had: Sitting on the ocean, drinking wine from a paper bag while making fun of a group of buskers; eating fish and chips for the millionth time that trip, but still loving it; laughing together despite the brutal night we'd spent sharing a hostel room with carnies who walked around in their underwear and puked everywhere while the smell baked in our greenhouse of a room; walking along the cliffs of Moher. Really, this ring is deeply tied to all that jazz.

So thank goodness that one of my best friends majored in material design at OCAD, and specialized in jewellery. Rozlyn reassured me that the melting point of silver was much higher than 375 degrees, and told me that I could get it looking back to normal in a few easy steps. I followed her instructions and soaked in boiling water, scrubbed it with a toothbrush dipped in baking soda paste, and lastly, polished it with cream blush. To my amazement, it is back to normal.

Thank you for saving my silver, Rozzie!

recording: preludes and nocturnes

Do you notice that inspiration comes in bursts? I had been down-and-out for months, mired in my own anxiety and the drudge of winter. But now, it's as if my quarterly shipment of positive energy has arrived just in time for spring. Thank the heavens.

A lot of cool things are happening right now, one of which is the process of recording a demo. My band mate and I are working with a really talented producer to record 6 tracks. We hope to be finished the demo (titled Preludes and Nocturnes) by the end of March, so stay tuned for some... tunes

bitchin' lifestyle... launched

Our new site launched today! There is still a lot of work to be done, but there's enough fun stuff to give you an idea of what it's all about.

Part of my job is content development and writing (yay), so I will occasionally be linking from here to the more interesting articles.

You can start by reading this one, which serves as a brief intro to the site, or this one that talks about some of my favourite uncool blogs.

If you like the site, please add it to your link list. I will probably be writing there as often as I write here (if not more so), and I would love to have you as a reader. I also encourage you to comment and try out any of the features such as "Is it Bitchin'?" or the "Rant Line."

In my opinion, the best new websites are built on participation, and the knowledgeable feedback of savvy readers. I would love for you guys to become a part of this new project with me.

love and photography

Sweet pie in the sky, I'm not one to obsess over things, but my heart has been hooked.

I am in love... with two strangers in love... who were once themselves strangers.

Check out their blog and Rosie and Aaron's respective Flickr photostreams, and discover for yourself why their love and their work (and the combination thereof) is so inspiring.

why every man in vermont has a beard

Getting out of the city for a breath of fresh, mountain air is oh-so necessary at the end of this winter that seems to go on and on and on and on...

Ventured to Jay Peak, Vermont this past weekend, for an incredibly affordable ski day. The day started off even better than expected, when I got a freshly-baked maple walnut cookie with my lift ticket.

The coolest part for me was the crazy difference between the sunny, gorgeous temperatures at the bottom of the mountain and the sub-zero, apocalyptic storm at its summit. A 5-minute ski lift ride felt like intergalactic travel. The weather changed steadily throughout the day, which was pretty cool.

In terms of the people, I have never seen more facial hair in my life. I even saw one man with what must have been the world's bushiest eyebrows. They were out of this world. I find it odd how Vermont is perceived as the arctic of the U.S, and how men seem to have genetically evolved to have crazy facial hair to survive the comparatively harsh climate. I have only been to Vermont four times, but every visit has been marked by ubiquitous beards and wool sweaters, and more maple syrup paraphernalia than I've ever seen up here north of the border.

update: l'oreal double extend mascara

After reading my confused and disappointed review of the L'Oreal beauty tubes mascara, Matchstick sent me a whole new package.

This time the mascara was definitely working properly. The mascara slid over the base coat quickly and easily, and seriously extended my lashes. This product honestly gives the best results in terms of length, of all the mascaras I've tried. It also maintains the curl of the lashes for much longer than other products.

I would call this mascara a special occasion product, like Smashbox Photo Finish, as its results are quite dramatic...but I'm actually kind of addicted to it. In fact, my other mascaras just don't seem to have enough oomph in comparison.

The best part (because I'm a weirdo) is watching the "tubes" come off when you wash your face. I actually look forward to getting ready for bed, because I get to feel the bizarre effect of gently pulling what are essentially fake eyelashes off, and watching them wash down the drain. TMI? But, seriously, it's really fun.

In case you're interested in giving it a try, the coupon above gives you a bit of a discount.

Also "Matchstick is looking for feedback from anyone who may have seen my posting regardind L’Oreal Beauty Tubes. If you click on the link below and complete the survey, you will be helping them by donating $2.00 to Shelternet, so please Click Here to take their short feedback survey.

For every survey that is completed, Matchstick will make a $2 donation to Shelternet (shelternet.ca), which is a Web-based Women and Children’s Crisis Support Center that provides aid and financial support to locally based women’s shelters across Canada.

Your time and feedback is greatly appreciated"