to weekend

I wanna weekend.

And by weekend, i mean the verb: like, I weekend, you weekend, she weekends
....and she weekends good.

I know, it’s great- I’m gonna be an English teacher one day and teach little 5-year-olds this important verb.

But, in the spirit of education:

week·end /ˈwikˌɛnd,-ˈɛnd/
–noun
The end of a week, especially the period of time between Friday evening and Monday morning in which one parties, spends time with cool people, and has a generally good time.

ok ok, so I added the last bit. but it’s quite accurate, no?

This week I rocked mining. And although that is an amazing pun, I meant it figuratively. I ran the up hill climb (and this time I really mean figuratively... my friends are training for a half marathon, and literally running up hill... on a weekly basis, and i think they’re crazy. officially.) end tangent.

So I ran the uphill climb. Seriously, at points this week I thought Taio Cruz wrote his song for me: "I throw my hands up in the air sometimes"...

But I didn't. That is to say that I dealt with difficult people in a graceful way, I worked hard and put more check marks by the things I did do than X’s through things I just didn’t want to do. I did it alone.

My 2 bosses weren’t there, and so I had maintenance planning on me for the week (and next week). I think they are quite crazy for leaving a 24 year old girl in charge of 2 engine change outs, 1 turbocharger failure, 1 transmission failure, and 5 services... but i took advantage of the opportunity to prove the heck out of myself.



At about 2pm today (the start of the weekend) I left camp feeling that buzz like you do after you push really hard through a tough workout. Like I tore muscle that will grow back into new, bigger muscle and I got my heart pumping so all the healthy oxygen-filled blood pumped through my body. I felt like I broke through the problems and frustrations and quizzical moments into a more confident able place.

And, I don’t want this to be a post of shameless self promotion, I just want to be able to look back on this entry and remember this funny little time in life that i planned maintenance at a mine, and felt good about it, and grew in many ways.


So now... I’m weekending. I’m not quite sure what this will consist of yet. But I think it’ll be good.

Have a good time weekending everyone, and I hope you grew some new muscle this week (again, figuratively... or literally!)

whimsy

To add a little whimsy to your Wednesday...

I fell in love with some photography by Lissy Laricchia this week and thought I'd share this dream series.

Enjoy, and happy Hump Day!

Ebb, Flow, and a visit with girlfriends.

Ebb and Flow, give and take, high tide and low tide-- the rhythm that life seems to rock out to.

I have to admit, in the past couple weeks I've been on a fast track at work during the week which, inevitably, turns into a fast track at home trying to fit it all in, mechanically, attempting to do it all. ("do it all"- it should be a swear word--ranked somewhere up there in the elementary school world with 'shut up' and 'stupid'.)

Somewhere on this fast track I missed the stop where Flow was waiting with the bright, happy, breathe-and-enjoy moments, and ended up in the dull neighbourhood of Ebb. The silly thing is, there was no good reason for my prolonged date with Ebb except that I got busy and forgot to merge into the slow lane to chill and enjoy the little things for a while.

[eventually someone's gonna call me on all these crazy metaphors, but until then- I'm runnin' with it!]

I suppose I just needed a reminder and a wake up call, which is just what this weekend gave me. My ride with Ebb came to a screeching halt just about the time that I got off the red-eye bus to see my best friend waiting for me. It started with an early morning breakfast- catching up over tea and good eats, and moved onto shopping, concert-going, attending high tea, a movie date, more tea, visiting, and lots of laughs.

Throughout the weekend I was reminded what this relaxing-and-enjoying thing felt like. I got to hang out with girlfriends- new and old, and share what we had missed since the last time- new jobs, new homes, proposals, wedding plans, and growing babies. Each of these ladies is pretty darn awesome in their own right, and I loved catching up with them.

please ignore the terrible quality picture, and focus on my beautiful pregnant friend;)

Lately in life I have found myself surprised, thinking 'am I really grown up enough to do these adult(ish) things?' (or have friends doing these adult things!?) I don't know where the time went from when we were finding our independent footing in the first years of university until now- creating our lives and futures. But I do know it's pretty darn exciting.

Witnessing and getting to share all these big changes with eachother, and doing our best to support friends through it all is just what makes this 'fast track' of life the grand adventure that it is.

Flow came and graced us with it's presence, alright. And a girl can't ask for much more than that.

booked!

What's that they say? Oh ya...
VEGAS, BABY!

and although it isn't for a few months, we're pumped!

And speaking of trips... I'm heading a few hundred kilometers down the road this weekend for a visit with some awesome girlfriends.

It was the kind of week at work that... lets just say.... will feel really good to be balanced out with some relaxing, shopping, a concert, and some visits with the girls. Can't wait!

Have a great weekend!

fashion senses

So here are the ground rules: sometimes Outside Voice is expressive and analytical, sometimes it’s a little sad, sometimes it’s whiny and tetchy… and sometimes it’s shallow and interested in everything pop culture. Because, you know, our world is made up of all those things, and I believe in enjoying little things in whatever area your interests lie- even if it’s not all deep and insightful.

I promise I’ll balance this terribly pop-culture-filled post with a deeply analytical view of global political events later… or not.

Photo Credit: life.com

My fashion freak flag is flying high lately. Due to New York Fashion Week occurring from Feb 10-17 and the Grammy’s that graced our TV sets on Sunday night. So, my coverall clad world at the mine is a little more sparkly as I take my coffee breaks to peruse the gowns, runway trends, and interviews with the fashion gods/ goddesses. I thought as I was spending my work week being nicely distracted by the swanky gowns, minimalist menswear, and ethnic inspired prints, I’d share some of the joy with you.

Photo Credit: life.com

And if your fashion freak flag needs some more wind in it’s sails, The Rachel Zoe Report is a fun daily newsletter illustrating occurrences in fashion as well as objects to put on your wish list (sometimes unattainable, but still fun to drool over).

RZ is a pretty crazy fashion icon herself with her TV show of stylizing stars such as Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson, Demi Moore, and Jennifer Garner. You can catch her show on Bravo Online if you’re ever having one of those super lazy indulgent weekends. {My roomie and I blazed through all of the episodes in university as we put off studying for our finals one year. Somehow pop culture seems to be a perfect procrastination tool during high pressure times. Love it.}

Photo Credit: life.com

She has recently shared some interviews with designers as she has attended NY Fashion Week. Here is one with Diane Von Furstenberg, a woman power house and inspiration:

RZ: For as long as the fashion world can remember, you have been the ultimate figure of empowerment for women everywhere with your eponymous line, Diane Von Furstenberg. Growing up, who were the people who inspired you?
DVF: My mother was and has been the most influential inspiration in my life, mostly because she taught me that 'fear is not an option'.

RZ: What started with your first iconic wrap dress in the '70s is now a global luxury line...in your own words, how has the DVF woman changed from then to now? Where do you see her going next?
DVF: The DVF woman has always been very individual. She's always in the driver's seat...active, seductive, and above all confident. When I first started my career it was the time of women's liberation...all was ahead of us!! But women are women and somehow not much has changed.

RZ: How do you prepare for the insanity that is New York Fashion Week? What is your favorite part?
DVF: I usually prepare by doing a lot of yoga. Fashion shows are so useful because they force you to edit and to present a collection in a concise way. It's a presentation to the press and to the stores that sell your clothes...it is so exciting!!!

RZ: Tell me something that you are coveting for spring!
DVF: The 'Harper' is our new bag shape for Spring...I love it!!! It's extremely versatile and comes in a variety of colors! It just became available on DVF.com.

RZ: I have personally looked up to you throughout my entire career, and now many of my Zoe Report readers do too. What advice would you give to any of them who are planning for a profession in the fashion industry?
DVF: Be confident!! The industry is growing and new, young talent is emerging, but fashion will always remain a mysterious thing...it reflects the contemporary period you live in, the mood of the time, the way people want to project themselves, it's ever-evolving...


And for a wrap up of all this gowned goodness, a look at both the ridiculous and ravishing outfits at The Grammy’s:

Lady Gaga: arrived in an egg! An egg… people!

Now there’s a coping mechanism to having a bad hair day or not feeling fit in your dress. Go to a party encased in a statement-making elliptical figure. Although, I have to say I admire her for her step-outside-of-the-box, making-freakish-trendy and people who aren’t fit-to-the- norm cool. I’m into it (maybe not the egg part, but the general theme).

Photo Credit: life.com

Katy Perry wore angel wings. I really wonder who styles these people, or maybe they’re recycling their Halloween costumes- that would be pretty efficient.

Photo Credit: life.com

Jennifer Lopez in a super mini discoball/ dress... She pulled it off though.

Photo Credit: life.com

And my favorite normal-esque gown of the night:

Julianne Hough in a dress I'd love to own.

Photo Credit: life.com

Hope everyone's rockin' their stilettos, slippers, or in my case... steel toe boots this week.

Valentines Day Present

Since I'm heading off to camp, here is your early Valentines day pressie.

Remember in junior high when telling someone you liked them came one of two ways: pulling their ponytail or making them a mix tape? Well, I will save you the ponytail violence.

Here is a Valentines Day Mix Tape for you:
















Happy Happy Love Day! (tomorrow)

Love Month

So, how do I soften the blow between the recent sad events, and this post about February: the month of lovin’? Well, I suppose the way we do it is the way we do anything, let normality sweep us off our feet and carry us into the rest of daily life.

This mixture of significant wake up calls, and insignificant life events is what carries us through this normal pattern of life. We need to embrace the significant events- let them wake us up and push us into a greater experience- let it shake us up so all the realizations that had settled at the bottom, somewhere down there with monotony and routine get stirred up into the forefront of life.

But, then, carry on. Carry on into the simple pleasures of coffee with friends, snowboarding in the sun, baking cookies. Make sure to bring those feelings of realization and add them to your recipe of normalcy, but carry on.

So, how do we carry on and celebrate this sparkly, cheesy, red cut-out-heart-filled month of love?

Let’s hand this one off to one of the reasons I became a teacher: kiddos. Kiddos and their amazingly innocent view of the world, they seem to have a great balance of simple pleasures mixed in with a necessary realization of amazing.

Photo taken on a camping trip last summer... ohh summer!

Quotes about love from the innocent littles:


"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth."- 
Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." 
Noelle - age 7


And my two personal favorites:


"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."
Karen - age 7

You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." 
Jessica - age 8


So… go out and say I love you, make it safe in your mouth, and let the little stars come out of you; go ahead, love a little.


Happy Love Month.