jessica at preloved

More photos from my shoot with Jessica at Preloved Montreal here >>

Makeup by Liz Furlong.

cinderella

This photo was taken at the Jean Talon Market a few weeks ago. I loved this because I imagine it could only have been placed there by the elderly couple who ran the vegetable stand. It must be a grandchild's artistic accomplishment. It made me smile when I was buying cauliflower.

I love how the scribbled patches on the colouring book page enliven the boring-ass picture in the same way the art piece does the dusty wall onto which it was placed.

I also kind of want this version of Cinderella's dress.

avenue mont royal, east of papineau

milk ad - rue sherbrooke

more nista

More photos of Nista >>

iron & snow in the east plateau

my valentine

Today is our 6th (!) Valentine's day together. That's right, this man still loves me despite being forced (literally, pushed) to stand still and pretend he doesn't hate being in photos.

Having a photography-obsessed girlfriend is not easy, especially when she begs you to go for long walks, and pose on strange machinery in an alley in the bitter cold when all you want to do is go watch the Olympics while eating some kind of meat.

But his patience during my flights of fancy (and his swift action when said flights almost cause me to walk in front of moving vehicles) is the most romantic thing a girl could ask for.

review: nuxe crème fraîche

This is the good stuff, folks.

I decided to spring for a slightly more pricey cream. I normally try to stay in the < $20 range when it comes to moisturizer, but my winter-ravaged skin was screaming out (read: flaking and swelling and turning red) for something more potent.

After a lengthy consultation with the cosmetician, I decided on Crème Fraîche by Nuxe. Formulated for dry and very dry skin, this cream lives up to its claim to moisturize for 24 hours. If I put it on before bed, I can skip moisturizing the next morning and my skin still feels great all day.

It's all-natural, paraben free, and packed full of plant milks, saps, and essential oils. I love the way it just soaks into my skin, soothing instantly. After just over a week of using it, I notice a huge difference in the quality of my complexion.

It's about $35, which is a few levels up from my usual Oil of Olay or La Roche-Posay favourites, but my skin is forcing me to have more expensive taste.

I would highly recommend Crème Fraîche as a salve for anyone who suffers from painfully dry and red skin, especially in the winter.

my best friend's chai latte

So many of the people I love live nowhere near me, so I consider myself extremely lucky to have one of my favourite people in the world living only 2 hours away.

During our minimum once-a-month visits, we collect all the shards of moments that have broken away and gone unnoticed, and remind each other why all the pieces matter.

The steam from our hot drinks rise up during the coldest days of winter, and our comfortable conversation warms the parts of my personality that I leave cold for so many others.

It's the quiet moments - in between the plans - that I have come to value most.

nista

Nista is a band of fabulous folks. Check out their music and shenanigans.

listening to: basia bulat - heart of my own

Though it was only an early cut, the song was already powerful enough to reach out and yank at my heartstrings. When I listened to the playback of "Gold Rush" during a photo shoot at Hotel 2 Tango in September 2008, I knew the finished product - and the album it would join - would be something special.

While taking pictures of the lovely Katie, I was able to a tiny part of the recording of Basia Bulat's latest album, Heart of My Own.

I had been intrigued by Basia's music for years, after hearing her distinctive voice in my Foundations in Singing class and as a host and frequently-played artist on CHRW during my time at Western. Her debut album, Oh, My Darling, was so fabulous and honest and strangely comforting that it constituted a large part of my new-to-Montreal, wandering-the-city-with-my-ipod-and-camera soundtrack.

After listening to her first effort so much, I'd grown accustomed to the softly gritty and wistful voice that lives on it. When I heard a much louder, more confident voice singing about a fool going north on Gold Rush, I was blown away by the vocal power she had developed in such a short time.

Heart of My Own features a stunning vocal performance by Basia, with evocative lyrics and melodies that slide right into your head and stay put. Equally impressive is the roster of musicians she's enlisted to infuse her well-crafted songs with virtuoso phrasing and complementary melodies. The musicians provide the scintillating sub-plots to her overarching narrative of adventure and independence.

Pick up a copy and listen for yourself, and watch this adorable video for a preview. For my fellow Montrealers, you can catch Basia's performance February 12th at L'Astral.

Basia Bulat - The Shore - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.