i'm a myth buster but all is well.

so today i had an interview.
it's for a higher level position.
it was very nerve racking for me because i want this job sosososo badly.

if i get it, then i will definitely blog about it :) but for now, i'll just be quiet about it so that i don't jinx it.

*

on sunday, my 10 year old sister helped me bake cupcakes and we got to talking about the book that she's reading, one of the lemony snicket books.
unwittingly i told her that lemony is a pseudonym.
and to make matters worse, i told her that lemony isn't real.
angeli: "BUT how about the guy in the movie??? that was lemony!"
me (oh evil sister): "uh, no angeli. that was jude law."

it's like telling someone who ardently believes in santa that he isn't real.
i asked her if she was disappointed that he isn't real.
"slightly," she said. "but it's okay. i don't want to be 60 and still believe that he's real".
oh angeli.

has this ever happened to you, i'd love to know!

*

nothing's worse than having such a nerve wracking day and coming home to a really big, fat phone bill.
augh.
but this immediately got remedied by two other things that came in the mail:
my monthly magazine from saveur and the fabric i ordered from matatabi!
my saveur subscription was a christmas present from my best friend, aileen, since she knows that i love cooking and food.
what i like about this particular magazine is that it is very worldly. this has got to be my favorite issue yet. it's on breakfast food (which is my favorite meal and my favorite kind of food!) and it shows the different breakfast foods all over the world.

i am definitely trying one of their recipes.
what is your favorite breakfast food, i'd love to know!

frances of matatabi is awesome. :) everything about the package, despite its size, was done in such a dainty way. thank you, frances! they're awesome!
i have to use them carefully, according to my mother.

trying out the stamp set john gave me. and i love shipping tags.

ah, paris.

sweetness...i'm planning to use them for throw pillows for the bed.

this is the fat quarter that i got for free. it is so adorable. if you spend $40 (excl. shipping) you will get a mystery fat quarter.

and that isallisall.

have a beautiful evening :)

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sick to my stomach.

i'm on my way to a job interview and i want to hurl whatever i had for breakfast (raisin bread with peanut butter and jelly).

i am so nervous. :(

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"amazing useless facts about me" & other things.

teehee. i've been tagged by q's daydream!
merci buckets! i luuurv surveys. harhar.

What are the last three things you purchased?
fabric, fabric & fabric.

What are the last three songs you downloaded?
songs by lily allen & stars.

What are the last three places you visited?
california (sf, monterrey, l.a), ottawa, quebec.
one day i would like to add european countries to that:
france, u.k, germany, italy, austria spain


What are your three favorite movies?
breakfast at tiffany's, eternal sunshine, gosford park, sabrina (julia ormond one), when harry met sally, annie hall, to name a few.

What are your three favorite possessions.
my sewing machine :), my vintage smith-corona corsair typewriter from john, my moon river 45 record

What three things can you not live without?
COFFEE, my laptop (which is close to dying even if it's only 2 years old), l'amour. cheesy but true. :)


What would be your three wishes?
to be in the same country, city, house one day with john :), to live in france, to be sooooo bilingual and fluent in french that i get a french accent when i speak english. AHAHA.


What three things haven’t you done yet?
live in france.
learn how to swim.
travel everywhere with john.

What are your three favorite dishes?
my bran cereal with bananas, buttery mashed potatoes, grilled vegetable sandwiches.

Which three celebrities would you most like to hang out with?
sigh, if i could only have hung out with audrey hepburn. which we would do in a really classy way.
clive owen. hehe.
and that is all. i can't think of any other celebrities i would like to hang out with.

Name three things that freak you out?
insects, especially earwigs. rodents. sleep paralysis (which happens when i've had too much caffeine or when i'm very stressed).

Name three unusual things you are good at.
hm. i can't do anything unusual. all i know is that i have monkey arms.
according to my sister i'm the best person to go to a concert with. one of her reasons is because i can dance funny without looking weird.

Which three things are you coveting?
anything by philip lim (argh argh argh), long hair (only because my hair is at the ugly growing out stage. i have to grow it for winter because it gets really cold), and the perfect pair of pumps.

Name three bloggers you are tagging.
only if you want to be tagged :)
john
giscelle
rebecca

*

i had a very productive weekend.
saturday i had a meeting for TRENDS. the kickoff event is really soon and i feel unprepared! at least i know what to wear already. hehe.
for those who are wondering what TRENDS is, it's a club that was started by teenaged girls a few years ago. getting tired of all the lewd and revealing clothing that was being made available to teenaged girls, they started this club to revolutionize the fashion world and to help the way girls see themselves, as women of value and of dignity. it's still a tiny organiztion, but it's got chapters in vancouver, montreal, ottawa, and toronto :) and because it's still sort of starting out in Toronto, we need a bit of funding, hence the fundraiser/intro event on Saturday. we thought doing an "everything under $10 event" would be a good way to get girls to come and learn more about TRENDS and raise a bit of money at the same time. i found a lot of clothes that i haven't worn in years. some from club monaco, zara and the gap. i found some jeffrey campbell and aldo flats and lots of purses from aldo. aaaaand...lots of american eagle shirts. muahaha. nothing wrong with american eagle (to some people, anyway) but i went through an insane phase when i bought all things american eagle.

any insane phases YOU went through?
all black? all white? what else?

afterwards i went to fabricland. i am now an official member of fabricland. hehe. which means 25% or 50% discounts on all fabrics. because of this, i was able to buy 3 yards of 3 kinds of fabric, two of which are taffeta (awesomeness) and this lightweight, thin denim, and some lace. i want to make some blair waldorf-esque clothes. hehe.

i also bought more felt for more softies and cards. unfortunately it's not wool felt. i don't know where to get them here in toronto.

i was going to go to the workroom afterwards but felt so tired.

this whole weekend i felt so tired. granted i baked 50+ cupcakes yesterday but it shouldn't make me feel as if i've run a marathon. my muscles hurt and i have no energy.

anyhoo...have a happy monday everyone! i am enjoying hot spring rolls & shortbread cookies (from london! hehe and they are yummy) courtesy of co-workers.

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in search for the perfect fall shoes.

today i searched high and low on etsy for the perfect black pumps, heeled oxfords & heeled loafer type shoes.
the ones that i found were either:
* too pricey or
* well priced, but shipping is killer or
* not my size :(
the last one was always the case.

after work today i went to h&m and zara found that the shoes were either:
* too pricey
* too HIGH.

i'm not a very tall person, but if i were to wear these heels, i will definitely be towering over people. and when i tower over people, for some reason i feel like a guy. hmmm.

i also went looking for fabric.
queen street past spadina has lots of fabric stores. thimble has a nice post on where to shop for fabric in toronto. anyhoo, i went into one and was overwhelmed by all the fabric. the store was practically bursting at the seams (hardeehar). there was a particular linen one that i liked with simple circles outlined in black (it looked almost like it was by echino, which is by the way one of my favorites) but it was $20 per yard. ack.
i don't know why i was being so cheap today. everything was expensive to me, which was weird considering that today was payday.

i'll have to hit up the thrift store again to look for some shoes. the best heels are the ones from thrift stores anyway, since they're neither trendoid nor overpriced. and the heels are just right :)
my lymph nodes are quite swollen and it scared me when i felt the little lumps last night.
according to my sister's soon to be nurse boyfriend, it's a sign that i will be getting sick soon.
yikes.

tomorrow:
* i have another TRENDS meeting to for the kickoff event which will be next week. which means attendance is mandatory, lymph nodes and all.
the kickoff event should be exciting. i'm planning to buy little tags and twine for price tags.
* i will continue my fabric shopping at
1) fabricland. i want to buy some more knits. i made a dress off of wendy mullin's sew u home
stretch, and i have to say that it was so easy to do. i can see myself wearing it again and again. and it is for that reason that i should get cracking with more dresses.
2) the workroom! for more fat quarters

i cannot wait for:
* don giovanni
* my package of japanese fabric from matatabi to arrive
* john :)


so i finally finished off amy's birthday card. it needs improvement, but i was pleased that everyone liked it and didn't see the flaws as my mother did hehe. and i can't wait to start on making a few more as backup birthday cards. i'also planning to make gift tags with the same cupcake.

i stitched up the envelope flap. the white stitches give the envelope a classier look. hehe.

i sewed on a "postage stamp". hehe.

i also finally finished john's little turd guy.

he looks a bit cranky.
it's because he is pooped. muahaha.

there, there turd guy.

anyhoo, have a beautiful weekend! :)

now time to rest up these nodes.

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i would like...(and other things)

* to live like this

from here

their pictures together always make me smile because they're oozing and radiating happiness and love for each other. le sigh. it makes me want to hug john.

* these cute vintage looking valises. perhaps for old letters.

from here

* a vintage fan, comme ceci

from here

it won't be living out its purpose in life though (i don't think i'd want it to anyway...its blades look really lethal). if i had one it would sit prettily on my shelf, with the rest of my non-operational things.

this "hobby" of acquiring things solely for aesthetic reasons is something i got from my mother. she once bought a huge, beautiful glass jar (with a wooden lid). in it were the most delicious looking biscotti. we weren't allowed to eat it. it sat for the longest time on our baker's rack. i wonder if, like wine, it improves with time. probably not. i guess this could be said for a lot of things too: bath oils (the ones that come in balls...those always fascinated me. not the balls but the bath oils, hardeehar) in decorative bowls that never hit the bathtub. jars of jelly in the pantry (too pretty and good to use). what else?

my room holds objects of obsoleteness:
* a typewriter sans ribbon (i tracked down a typewriter store in toronto but they have no ribbons specific to my typewriter)
* a teapot that i snagged from the neighborhood thrift store (this was more expensive than the pair of shoes that i bought with it!)
* holga and polaroid cameras (one has never been used, the other is broken. sigh. poor arthur)
* and the newest addition, a cake stand that my aunt purchased for me from a store in niagara on the lake.

i suppose it does serve a purpose, but not the right one. no cupcake, no cake has ever sat on it before. instead it houses my earrings, my favorite bracelet, and the pocket watch that john gave me for my birthday.

speaking of cupcakes, another cupcake that i made, for a birthday card that i'm making. don't mind the sucky embroidery. and the purple ink. it'll disappear. and the wrinkles. it will be ironed later on. you'll see :)

have a happy middle-of-the-week day :)

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life is a cabaret, old chum.

one of mine and john's secret aspirations (i guess not so secret now) is to be picked out from the crowd and be photographed by scott schuman.
for those of you who know him and would like to find out how, here is an excerpt from h&m's autumn 2008 mag:

what do i need to wear to get you to notice me?
...a good tip is to show off one part of the outfit, such as the shoes or a statement bracelet...
what's the best way to emulate the big fashion houses in style, but without spending all of my student loan?
...designers buy vintage to inspire their new designs, so why not buy vintage? they never go out of fashion.

last month, john and i went a-walking on our favorite street, queen street west, and found cabaret vintage. so many gorgeous dresses, jackets and little brooches. i wanted to take some hat boxes home but wasn't sure if they were for sale. really friendly shopowner, tao, took a picture of us and we found out last night that we made it to cabaret's street style gallery. hehe. it's definitely not scott schuman, but it's a start.
honestly i don't even think that my clothes were wowable. it's funny though how john and i managed to tie each other's outfits in by having something green. it wasn't planned at all. he had it tucked out in the morning and told him that he looked sloppy and asked him to tuck it in. he happily obliged. :)

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it was another crafty weekend:

a sewing kit on the go. i thought it would be better than having them in a pencil case:

(i still have to master the art of bias binding)

yeeeesh...they all look like they're tucked in for sleep in a humongous, communal sleeping bag.

i went to the workroom for the snap coin purse class.
mine turned out really good...i think i will enlarge the pattern and turn it into a clutch.

Melissa's Snap Coin Purse, originally uploaded by the workroom.

i love colorful things and the workroom is a total feast for the eyes.
against one wall are bolts and bolts of the most beautiful fabric.
there are jars of embroidery thread.
and the most "dangerous" of all, the shelvings of fat quarters.
i couldn't leave without purchasing anything:

they're so juicy!

i also bought a much needed embroidery hoop.
i used to cross stitch and embroider a lot when i was young.
my mom used to take me to this store called stitches n' things and was fascinated by walls of jp coats and dmc skeins.
i cross stitched bears, frogs, cars...and flower carts.

*
my dad finally put up the shelf and audrey hepburn frames!

*
it's september and fall is in the aiiirrr.
but it doesn't mean you can start wearing uggs.
queen street was bustling with ugg footed grrls.
it's like wearing sunglasses when there's no sun.

*
speaking of fall.
i can't wait for:
- the TRENDS kickoff event!
- a night at the opera with the girlies to see don giovanni
- johnny
- thanksgiving/turkey+mashed potatoes day

*
i have an appointment with career counseling on tuesday at glendon.
the last time i set foot on that place was when i graduated.
i'm being counseled for my lack of a career. related to my undergrad, that is.

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crystals.

i finally decided to go ahead and spend money on my room.
i kept putting it off until i got tired of cutting and tracing patterns on the carpet.
the cardmaking/sewing station of my room is now all set up.
all it needs is a homasote board and the shelving that will go above the table.

AND.
i finally, finally got my chandelier! i've been dying to get one, even in the old house, but just never got to buying it. i'm glad i waited because this is my favorite one, out of all the other chandeliers i've seen.

it's finally stopped raining.
this morning was so sad and gloomy.

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FAQs and other things.

it's raining today...which is nice. it makes me want to listen to some norah jones. or linda ronstadt.

what i thought were severe allergies is now in actuality a cold.
any wise person would drink some kind of herbal or medicinal tea.
i still stick to my overly creamed, overly sweetened coffee.

*

wishes:
-an slr
-vintage boots for fall
-a warm scarf
-the cardigan

*

school started a few days ago. i am so relieved that i am done with it all, although it does suck that i have lost my security blanket that is school. i am now subjected to a barrage of these frequently asked questions:
Q: "what do you have planned now?"
A:" oh I'm just working, trying to save up for France. And you know, just taking a break. "

Q:"what happened to teacher's college?"
A: "I realized it's not something that I want to do for the rest of my life"
(not that there is anything wrong with teaching. i completely admire teachers...it's just that to me, you have to be really passionate about teaching to get into teaching. it's not just another job. i think teachers play a motherly/fatherly role as well)

Q: "okay, so after France, what are you going to do?"
A: "let's not get that far"
augh. i haven't even gone to france yet.

it would be simpler if i just replied:
a) I'm doing my masters. (which I'm not. and which will probably lead to another question, "what are you going to do with that?")
b) I have no idea with what to do with my life.

the latter is the fitting choice here, but of course it's not something that i would like to own up to these grownups. in some weird way i come out of the conversation feeling that i've somehow disappointed them.

*

today i have a meeting for TRENDS. our kickoff event for the school year is "the everything under $10 event", where we will be selling pre-owned and pre-loved clothing, accessories, shoes. it's quite exciting really. except i don't really want to go because i am feeling really sick. my head feels fuzzy.

*

i'm going to get my ikea table today, hopefully, crossing fingers.
my dad, brother and i went last night and unfortunately the table top that i want is not in stock. ARGH.
they said they'll be restocking and reloading today.

*
a bit of crafting:

naked moleskines.

a very poor attempt to clothe it (scrapbooking paper, fabric from an old american eagle skirt)

an unfinished, experimental cupcake. i want a real one. with butter icing. pink butter icing.

it's 10:39 am and i don't want to move.

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a laborious day.

i spent the entire day working on the built by wendy dress.
it was pretty tedious, especially transferring the markings from the pattern onto the fabric.

it was smooth sailing until i got to the inset and the yoke facings.
i decided to take a break from sewing before i gave up altogether.
this pattern is definitely NOT for beginners.

this labor day was really nice and relaxing though (despite sewing difficulties...sewing is still a hobby after all):
- breakfast, lunch, dinner in the garden
- watermelon slices
- watching penelope with the fam
- sleeping in till 9 am

it's 12:39 am and in a few hours i have to be at work.
bah.

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oh crap.

my brother asked me to make his a friend this turd softie from the softies book.


mine looks different of course...the book called for gluing on the eyes but i thought hand stitching it would be better.



i added the tag in the back, as requested by my brother. i kept the edgest raw to give it that homemade look. hehe. or i was just lazy.
i'm feeling a little drugged at the moment. kinda like my cat, who we had to take to the vet yesterday because of his claw and an infection in his paw. he thinks he gets special treatment because he's been sleeping on our beds, even though he knows he's not allowed.




i've finally cut out the pieces for the built by wendy pattern 3964. hopefully it turns out okay...it's my first dress/tunic that i'm doing on my own. the a-line skirt that i made before, even with karyn's help, turned out to be a disaster.

i took a nap today at 1 and didn't wake up till 6. when i got up my parents were getting ready for a barbecue in the backyard. it was awesome. grilled chops, grilled salmon with sundried tomatoes and soup. there's a big tupperware of sliced watermelon just waiting to be eaten.
then angela and i went to the convenience store (so convenient!!! only a 3 minute run!) to borrow penelope and miss potter. sadly, no my blueberry nights.

and yay. no work tomorrow. thank goodness. and more time for naps.

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