mistinguett.

on work.

2012-02-03T16:36:00.000-08:00

"We remain in thrall to the industrial-era notion that our work defines us: but this is palpably untrue for the overwhelming majority of people today. If we must invoke nineteenth-century clichés, better to recall 'The Right to Laziness': an unintentionally prescient 1883 pamphlet by Marx's son-in-law Paul Lafargue suggesting that modern life will offer ever more opportunities for self-definition through leisure and avocation. Mere employment will occupy a thankfully diminishing role"

Tony Judt

The Memory Chalet

After a particularly stressful week, I came upon this on the metro ride home tonight. Coincidental in a funny sort of way. And now I'm going to celebrate the end of my week with smoked salmon toasts and champagne, bought with hard earned wages earned from one of my grueling work weeks :)

alli

in the kitchen: mushrooms.

2012-02-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

Last week a client at Mr. S.'s office brought in mushrooms for anyone who wanted to purchase them. So Monday he brought home a big container of these:

I looked up the French word, and the best I can tell, they're oyster mushrooms. I'm only mushroom-adept enough to recognize button and portabella... They have a very sponge-y texture. The ridges on the bottom soak up water like none other, so when I washed them before cooking, I set them on paper towels to dry for awhile.

At first I wasn't sure what to make with them. I wanted to do something a bit more complex then sautee or roast them. Then I remembered the extra pie crust and dozen + eggs I had in the fridge. And the shallots. Quiche it was!

Have you ever eaten tripe? If you're about to eat dinner, don't google it. I had it once, at a cozy little barn in the middle of Southern France. It was a family picnic at a winery, and we knew the people hosting. We had a home catered three course meal served to us for free, which made it a bit hard to say non merci when I found out what the main course was.... tripe. Yea, I'll find out a way to say non merci next time. The only reason I'm reminiscing about tripe while satueeing mushrooms, is I found the underside of the mushrooms to look incredibly similar. I had to keep ~~myself from gagging~~ reminding and reassuring myself that it was not tripe in that pan.

Quiche crust ready to go.

Golden brown garlic, shallots, and mushrooms.

Pre-baked crust loaded with goodies. I sprinkled a bit of cheddar at the bottom of the quiche before putting in the mushrooms. The recipe called for gruyère, which would have actually been a lot better.

Quiche before it was devoured.

Tonight I was still on a mushroom kick, so decided to use the other half to make soup. I wanted to make soup the first night, but didn't have all the ingredients. After work today I stopped in at a fruiterie two blocks from my apartment, where they sell lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and tons of fresh herbs. I bought a huge bunch of parsley and some thyme. I doubled the recipe that's below because I wanted leftovers, but if I cook this again, I think I'll keep the original 1 tbsp. of thyme instead of doubling that ingredient. It was good, but a bit distracting at times. Also, I didn't have worcestershire sauce so I substituted soy sauce. There was a note at the bottom of the recipe about adding more flour to thicken it up if desired, which I think I would do. And if I could find something to give it just a little kick, that would make it better. Peppercorns? Cayenne? Can you put that in mushroom soup? A réflechir.

Here's the recipe if you're so inclined. I found it on Pinterest, linked to the blog called Season with Spice. I doubled it and was supposed to have 4 servings, but I find it's more like 2 1/2 or 3. At least in the middle of winter ;)

Homemade Mushroom Soup by Season with Spice
Serves 2

What you’ll need:
300g or 2 cups fresh mushrooms - cleaned and chopped finely (I used a mix of swiss brown and white button)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic - chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 - 2 bay leaf
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp flour dissolved in 1 tbsp water
Salt to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
Dash of nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh parsley or thyme for garnish

Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Add butter and lightly sauté garlic on medium heat.
2. Add in mushrooms, thyme, bay leaf and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the moisture from the mushrooms disappears.
3. Add in chicken broth. Stir occasionally until broth boils, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4 Add diluted flour in, and stir constantly (while simmering) until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Finally, add milk and heavy cream, and bring to a simmer. Turn heat off.
6. Serve hot in your soup bowl. Add freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley or thyme if you have them on hand. And warm up this holiday season!

The quiche recipe I found on the Martha Stewart website. I'm a little intimidated by her pâte brisée recipe. The last time I made pie/quiche crust it was chewy and way too buttery. Next time!

Bon appetit!

xo

alli

better versions of ourselves.

2012-01-30T19:47:00.000-08:00

via: here

"it is surprising how often we ask that we be a better version of our present self---in the full knowledge of just how difficult it was getting this far"

Tony Judt

The Memory Chalet

alli

live like a local: Khyber Pass

2012-01-29T19:12:00.000-08:00

Many, many months ago we went out to dinner with friends. It was one of those evenings where we met at a popular metro stop and wandered around till we found something good. Although we eventually ended up at Spaggios, a great little Italian restaurant, the first place we wanted to go was Khyber Pass, an Afghan restaurant. This past weekend we decided sampling Afghan cuisine would be a great end to the week, and so we made reservations for Friday night.

The outside of the restaurant. It has a rustic feel from the outside, and a cozy feel on the inside.

Traditional dress and textiles are hung from the brick walls on the inside, and the kitchen is located under a cabana-like tin roof to the left.

Rugs hung on the walls.

Food critic #1.

And #2.

The restaurant was one of the many bring-your-own-wine places in Montreal. Such a practical idea and a win-win situation for all. Restaurants don't have to pay the exorbitant liquor licensing fees, and guests can choose their own wine (or beer! limit 2 per person) and pay $8-15 per bottle instead of per glass.

We chose a mild chianti which went excellently with the spices and flavors of our dinner, without overpowering them.

Appetizers came soon after we were seated. Something akin to mini flatbreads with three dipping sauces to choose from. The green sauce had garlic and coriander tones, the red was spicy and delicious, and the yogurt sauce was minty with a hint of dill.

I hesitated between lamb and the veggie platter, but since Mr. S. chose lamb, I went with my second choice. I was very hesitant to share it though, it was delicious! The salad on the left is cucumber, onion, tomato and LOTS of cilantro. Then is curried/tomato cauliflower and tomato stewed okra, steamed/marinated eggplant with the most delicious creme fraiche sauce, and steamed spinach.

Each plate is served with three types of rice: cumin (red), cilantro (green) and plain. The cumin rice was amazing, I have to figure out how to recreate it. The menu also featured various chicken and beef dishes, either in stew or skewer/kebab form.

That eggplant didn't last very long!

Mr. S.'s lamb is a bit harder to see, but it was a pretty big piece of meat, slow cooked in a red sort of ragu sauce, served on the bone and topped with spinach. Trio of rice and cold salad pictured on the left.

Although I didn't really think I could stuff anything else in, we decided to share the only dessert on the menu that night: rose flavored rice pudding sprinkled with pistachios. Such unique and not necessarily intuitive flavors, combined into the same dish.

The restaurant was not too expensive- about 16-19 dollars per plate- and it is most definitely one where I would go again. There are so many interesting cuisines to try here in Montreal, you really can find a bit of everything. I had no idea what to expect from Afghan cuisine going in, and I was certainly impressed. Can't wait to go back again, but I think I would have trouble ordering something else, for how delicious my dish was!

alli

leading a creative life.

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

From Fast Company Magazine.

in the madness.

2011-12-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

etsy.

Right?

Has to be.

How was your Monday? Mine started with an oversized mug of coffee and ended with wine & cheese. I'll go ahead and call that a win.

I've got a couple of work days left, but my mind is already slowly drifting into vacation mode.

Thinking of homemade wrapping paper, christmas cookie recipes, long runs with a view of the mountains, and playing with our dog (who I haven't seen in a year!) in the backyard. Mountain hikes and ski runs, the smell of home, and the luxury of television :)

I got a considerable chunk of my christmas shopping done today. I'm so excited about some of the gifts! I'd say about half of my presents for friends and family are coming from local businesses and etsy shops. Not 100% but it's something.

alli

at the moment.

2011-12-08T19:16:00.000-08:00

photo credit.

Some good things about my day...

Walking to the metro under snowflakes.

Seeing the Old Spice guy this morning on a today show video podcast.

Discovering that something like this exists:

etsy.

Just. Wow.

Tomorrow's Friday. And I'm home in a week! Which means there's paper writing and Christmas shopping to finish! Friends to see, suitcases to be packed.

Quick. Tell me what was good about your day.

You sunk my battleship.

2011-12-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

Grey boxes are my ships that have been sunk, orange are enemy ships that I sunk, black are my remaining ships, and blue are the places I've already guessed.

An image from the excel spreadsheet that's saved on my desktop as 'Battleship'.

Don't have the Battleship game lying around the apartment?

That's ok, all you need is Excel and some color-coding skills.

Yep. Bringing nerd to a new level.

alli

ps. i won, of course :)

life list: buy local.

2011-11-30T18:22:00.000-08:00

This is more of an item on my right-now list rather than my life list. Over the past few days I've been starting to ponder holiday gift ideas for my near and dear. It's (unfortunately) so easy to get wrapped up (pun intended?) in the brand name, department store, commercialized side of the holiday. I've already bought a few things from big-name stores, but I was thinking about how wonderful it would be to buy presents exclusively from local boutiques, etsy shops, and the like. Promoting small businesses and gifted artisans. So I've been scouring etsy (not really a trying task...) and I've found some wonderful gift ideas that I've tucked away to purchase in the coming weeks.

Without giving any of my gift secrets away, here are some other noteworthy things I've found...

Quirky greeting cards.

Posters for little girls. Or boys.

Beautiful hand printed tea towels.

A mustache spoon.

To stash your whiskey during long walks through Parisian streets.

And my ~~obsession~~ love for infinity scarves continues.

Will you be buying locally for your holiday gifts?

alli

2011-11-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

I'm beat, my friends.

Let's talk tomorrow :)

Sweet dreams!

photo via wit + delight.

Recipe for a fabulous weekend:

2011-11-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

Start by buying a 12 pound fresh turkey at the grocery store downtown. Afterwards realizing that your only option transporting it home is the bus (a taxi would obviously be too easy). Clutch the turkey and cradle it all the way home like some odd-looking baby. More like an odd-looking mom.
~~Buy new dishes for dinner guests~~ Take that trip to Ikea you've been meaning to for months
Line the bottom of a pie crust with fresh hazelnuts (without tiny pieces of shells this year) and drizzle the so-sweet-it-makes-your-teeth-hurt maple sugarness over it. Make the kitchen smell heavenly while it bakes.
Invite a friend over to help dress and stuff the turkey. Engage in the obligatory turkey dancing and fake turkey voices before finally setting it in the pan.
Mash the potatoes, sliver the almonds, sautee the green beans, and almost forget about the salad.
Vacuum, with one hand over your eyes as you go near the fridge. Last time the vacuum was over there, a mouse jumped out.
Open all the windows in the apartment, because all the radiators are broken and at full blast, and the oven has been at 325 for most of the day.
Have a moment of panic that everything you have to do won't possibly get done. Take a deep breath and go buy a bottle of wine.
Welcome friends with open arms. And open the bottles.
Listen to Christmas tunes for the ~~fifth~~ first time this season, the conversations overlapping each other in the best kind of way.
Sit down to the table and only get up for dessert, hours later.
Be thankful for the warmth of traditions, new and old.
Make room in the fridge for the tupperware.

My weekend was lovely friends, here's to hoping yours were too.

I don't have all the photos on my computer to put up here yet, but if you're as impatient as I usually am, you can see them already up at provincecanadienne.com. Happens to be an excellent photographer :)

See you soon.

alli

maple hazelnut goodness.

2011-11-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

Oh yea. On the menu, folks. Second go around for this guy. Delicious last time, hoping for the same. Although I'm semi-cheating and using a pre-made crust. Sssshhh.

Photo is actually from epicurious, but I'll supply a real-live action shot tomorrow.

TGIF, man. This week wiped me out.

Looking forward to catching up on some sleep this weekend.

Hope your weekends are lovely!

alli

2011-11-24T19:46:00.000-08:00

via wit + delight.

Hope your Thanksgiving celebrations State-side were wonderful!

Waiting to celebrate mine on Saturday :)

alli

life list: treat a stranger to a meal.

2011-11-23T18:34:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I have moments where I have the urge to help a person without them expecting or knowing about it. The other day I walked into an Thai restaurant during my lunch hour and placed a to-go order. While I was waiting for my food, I sat and observed the people that were enjoying their meals. Business people, students, couples. I saw one elderly man eating alone and a thought popped into my head. How surprised would that man be if I told the cashier I would pay for his meal. Walk out of the restaurant without him ever realizing it was me. How delighted would you be if asked for the bill, only to be told that a friendly stranger had already taken care of your lunch?

So I'm officially placing this on my life list. Random act of kindness in the form of a lunch. Have you ever thought of doing something like this?

xo

alli

image via wit + delight.

non-morning people, unite.

2011-11-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

laundry cat.

For all the other non-morning people out there. Because when you find something that makes the morning better, it's polite to share.

encounters of the rodent kind.

2011-11-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

via lionbrand.com

And I had such good intentions.
After ~~six months~~ too long without a vacuum cleaner, I decided Sunday was The Day. To Canadian Tire we went and proud owners of a ruby red Dirt Devil we became. Not even ten minutes after we got home, Old Red was put together and ready to fly. And fly she did, the rugs are immaculate now. I had finished the living room, the bathroom, the entryway, and moved into the kitchen to finish up. All was going to plan. Until Old Red hit the fridge and scared everyone within a 20 kilometer radius of our apartment building. When I hit the fridge I can only assume I scared the bejeezus out of the little mouse who for all intents and purposes, we have now dubbed Mr. Jingles. Mr. J. scurried halfway out from behind the fridge, saw the vacuum gave it a considerable second thought, and scampered back to where he started.

And here is my confession. I let out a high-pitched scream like a little 8 year old boy years away from puberty. Scared that little mouse to death, and Stéphane, and I'm sure the rest of the apartment complex. I never, ever, anticipated being so scared of a little mouse! I think it was just about the last thing I was expecting at that moment. God knows I'll never forget it when I vacuum near the fridge the next time.

But our night with Mr. Jingles was far from over. The only thing worse than knowing there's a mouse in your apartment... is not knowing where it is. We had little more than a flashlight and the end of a broom to, ahem, take care of our furry friend. I was terrified that once we got him out from behind the fridge he would bolt into the rest of the apartment. I do not want a mouse near my food, but damned if I let him traipse about in my bedroom! I promptly barricaded the kitchen with ~~toilet paper rolls, kleenex boxes, and a can of paint~~ a wall of steel and started inspecting where this guy could have gone.

While moving the fridge, the little guy eloped to behind the stove, but even with the flashlight shining behind, below, sideways, diagonally... we could not find him. I finally, skeptically, suggested opening the bottom oven door. Where the oil drippings and crumbs go. Because who would be stupid enough to hide in the oven? (Would I turn the stove on if my friend Bugsy was in there? Anyone?) So I ever so slowly opened the oven door and two beady little eyes met my gaze. In retrospect, I should have turned on the oven right there. Ok, I kid. Mostly.

A failed attempt with the end of the broom scared Mr. Jingles to who knows where, and there he stayed for several more hours. I could not find him. But he did make an encore appearance an hour later. When he thought no one was looking. But oh. We were looking. Found his refuge in the little mouse hole we have now located in the corner behind the bathroom door. Because we had no mouse traps and every last thinkable mouse trap store was closed at 8pm on a Sunday, I did the next best thing. Stuffed a plastic bag down into the hole and secured it with a heavy candle on top. And had dreams about hundreds of mice all over the floor, chewing through plastic bags. I woke up more than once, swearing I had just heard him tip over that candle, his little feet scampering across the wood floors to escape.

Still haven't seen him again yet, but we've put out a nice tasty snack for when he decides to pay us another visit >:) Ug. I've never thought of myself as someone cruel to animals, but honestly. Not in my kitchen, Mr. Jingles. You've messed with the wrong lady.

So here's to hoping that my mouse encounters will be limited to one per... well one ever.

xo

alli

le sigh.

2011-11-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

via wit + delight.

Weekends are always too short, aren't they?

Semi-productive weekend.

Hung a poster.

Bought a vacuum cleaner.

Found a mouse in the kitchen.

Story tomorrow :)

Sleep tight.

notice your daydreams.

2011-11-19T14:39:00.000-08:00

via wit + delight.

Something that I read on a blog this week really stuck with me. A woman was writing about daydreaming- why and when we slip into daydreams, what they represent for us, and the bad reputation they've earned at times, despite their amazing creative and meditative qualities. We all engage in daydreaming; I'd venture to say it's a daily occurrence for most. Bus rides, car rides, while cooking dinner, laying in bed before sleep. Yet there seems to be this negative stigma attached, because daydreaming is replacing 'more productive' activities.

Putting the whole productivity discussion aside though, what resonated with me most is when this blogger wrote about giving yourself permission to notice your daydreams. Look for patterns, reoccurring themes, highlights. Where does your mind go when it wanders?

Does it travel somewhere, to a far off location you've once been to or dream of visiting? The warm waters surrounding the Rock Islands in Palau. Boating home from a day on the water, deliciously tired and content after a day spent in the sun. Winding country road drives with friends, windows down, hair blowing every which way, singing along to the radio. Imagining what Paris feels like right now. The petite cobblestone streets, bustling metro stations, parisians reading le monde and drinking espresso.

Do you daydream about your job, or perhaps what you wish to be doing instead? I'm a painter in a quiet white room with a canvas in front of me. I imagine sitting on a stool, hair tied up in a bun, looking out the window and imagining what to paint. Or I'm a writer, a knit cowl scarf wrapped around my neck, sitting on a hard wooden bench by a window in a corner cafe. Pencil in hand, scribbling playful words.

Do you daydream about completely mundane things?
The mom and her daughter that I see on my morning walk to the metro, waiting at the corner for the school bus. The girls hair, when not covered up with a fleece hat, is braided close to her head like her mom's. Sometimes they hold hands, sometimes she leans against her mom. I daydream about what the little girl ate for breakfast. Cereal with milk? Toast with peanut butter and honey?

On the other side of the street, there's always a guy standing waiting for a ride- he has long unruly blond hair and it always listening to something on his portable cd player through his headphones. Some mornings he's even singing along, quite loudly. I daydream about what he's listening to. What his friends are like. Where he's going every morning.

What life was like. What it could be like. What it will be like. What I have done. What I should have done. What's next.

Do you notice your daydreams? What could they be saying to you? Would you listen to them?

xo

ps. the blog that sparked this thought process was dress with courage.

vendredi.

2011-11-18T20:42:00.000-08:00

lovinglivingsmall

We made it! Friday! How are you celebrating it?

I'm celebrating with :

the December Real Simple issue

some red nail polish

a glass of wine from chile

and...

sleeping in tomorrow!

à demain friends!

at the moment...

2011-11-17T20:07:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking about...

Bikram yoga... or as I found out they call it here, Moshka yoga. I've done this a few times in Utah and loved it. It's an intense workout that I like because it challenged me, but was still a stress relief that was calming and centered. There's a studio two blocks from my apartment and I think it's time I checked it out.

These fabulous, cozy-looking leggings:

free people.

The package I get to pick up tomorrow afternoon, sent from home :) I was particularly amused that the UPS guy (or girl) drew a smiley face in the 'o' of my name. It's been sitting on my dresser as a subtle reminder of how even the littlest things can give a positive oomph to a day.

What culinary treat I'm going to try out this weekend. I'm feeling inspired, but still deciding if I'm going to go sweet or salty. Have a bag of leftover Macintosh apples maybe some applesauce, but I'm looking for a new, quirky recipe...

Tomorrow is Friday!! How are you going to celebrate?

xo

chestnuts roasting on an....

2011-11-16T19:19:00.000-08:00

Electric fireplace?

Well they're a little blurry, but these photos are featuring the best part of my night! Friends and family know how much I complain about how HOT our building always is. It seems that whenever the heat is on in the building, it's on at full blast. Try as I may, I can't control the heat coming out of 4 out of the 6 radiators in my apartment. And I've TRIED twisting the knobs. In both directions. Doesn't work.

Usually a fireplace (no matter how small or... fake) would be the last thing I'd want in this apartment. But the heat has been off for the past two chilly days and so the inaugural fireplace session was tonight. I'm in sweatpants and a sweatshirt with my hood on! But I am NOT complaining. I finally feel like the temperatures in my apartment are somewhat aligned with the calendar months.

I supppppppose I could take this opportunity to say thank you to Mr. S. for buying that fireplace on sale at BRICK for $50 marked down from $450. Because quite honestly, when he brought home an electric fireplace. In July. When we were saving up for apartment necessities like a kitchen table. It's tough to recall exactly what ~~explicatives~~ words I used, but I'm 99% sure the words thank you were not among them. So take this as a belated merci, mon cheri.

alli

you should be reading: enJOY it.

2011-11-15T20:24:00.000-08:00

Whether you're a home decor junkie/DIY...

Baker/Cook...

Or you're a sucker for cute paper shops and crafts...

You should be reading enJOY it, a blog written by Elise Blaha. I happened upon it a couple weeks ago now, and the creativity that oozes from this blog is refreshing and inspiring. She sets goals with vigor- she trained for more than one half marathon and she's baking 40 loaves of bread before the end of the year. I'll be stealing about half of her bread recipes... and considering ordering one of those wonderful prints that she's made.

She writes in an approachable way and has made me think about what goals I'm setting. And how to be more creative. And how I'll train for my next half marathon. Ha. Maybe not toute suite though.

Go have a look!

alli

from whence you came.

2011-11-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

Don't they always say... you have to know where you come from to know where you're going?

Alright I was curious and just googled it, turns out this is the real quote:

"Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go."
- James Arthur Baldwin -

Well the land from whence I came seems to be one of obscenely big poofy headbands, t-shirts under floral dresses, full bangs, and bobby socks. And dark wood cabinets, carpet in the kitchen, and state magnets displayed on the fridge. I say, when you're starting with that haircut, there are definitely no limitations as to where you can go. All in the general direction of up :)

Hope Monday was kind to you!

alli

muscle memory.

2011-11-13T20:06:00.000-08:00

West Desert Airpark, June 2010.

I'm a pilot. I don't talk about it too often, even though It's something I'm very passionate about. Are you ever hesitant to talk about the things you're proud of? I've been around aviation all my life. My dad is a pilot. Oshkosh is the aviation Mecca that is (almost) always at the end of my summers. In our family we tell stories about my sister and I walking around in the cabin in a Cessna 170, flying above Indiana when we were hardly old enough to remember. I recall flying in the backseat on the way to Chardon, Ohio, mesmerized (and a bit skeptical) that I could talk with my mom and dad from the backseat without everyone on the radio and in the control towers hearing me.

The first time I ever went to France was in June/July 2003. After a late afternoon drive by an airstrip surrounded by tall grass and radiant sunflowers that only seem to exist in Southern France, I came home and told my dad I wanted to take flying lessons. September through May I drove up to Heber on weekend mornings, frost lining trees along I-40, snow blowing slowly across the road on windier mornings. Come Spring, I would anxiously anticipate the first view of Heber Valley to see if it was socked in with fog on the early mornings. The last months before my checkride I convinced my school advisor and my theatre teacher to let me leave early on Monday afternoons. Playing hooky to go fly up in the sky a while.

Five days after my 18th birthday I earned my private pilot's license. A Sunday morning if I remember correctly, after waiting hours for the checkride instructor to show up. Show up he did, and we went over every possible question for the oral part of my exam. And then we flew, going over every ground reference maneuver, stall, emergency procedure, and landing situation. Only going back to practice my right side steep turns until I perfected them without losing 100 feet of altitude.

Since then I've flown in two other countries. I earned my tailwheel endorsement in a little Jodel outside of Paris, France, accompanied by Claude the retired French Air Force pilot and a little British terrier named Yessie. Well, Yessie followed me on the ground. Airport dog but scared to death of the planes, go figure. And then a new friend let me fly in the left seat of the Piper Arrow as he accompanied us back to Sens and we hitched a ride back into la centre ville. My friend and I were talking about that amazing afternoon for awhile.

And just two weeks ago, I piloted a plane for the first time in over a year at an airport outside of Montreal. A Diamond Katana, the plane I trained in. After the flight as I flipped through my logbook, I saw that the last time I flew a Katana was in July 2006. Five and a half years ago. So much was different back then. So much is different now. Yet as I walked around the plane on the chilly Sunday morning, I was struck by how similar the whole thing was. Two words popped into my head.

Muscle memory.

My fingers traced the smooth tapering surface of the wing. Eight years later (wiser?) on another continent, but for a moment I believed myself 17 once again, addicted to the first feelings of flight in the left seat.

Right tire. Pressure. Strut. Right wing. Pitot tube. Position light. Strobes.

17 and smiling since the moment my hands directed us into the sky. 45 knots and a gentle pitch up, excited to see what the sky was hiding beyond the mountains.

Fuselage. Fuel drains. Vertical stabilizer. Horizontal stabilizer. Cables. Left tire. Left aileron. Aileron cable. A click to the left and the right.

Though I carried a list with me, my hands took over and my brain was quiet. Remembering the moves to a choreographed dance. It made me smile in a way I hadn't for awhile. Preflight finished my quebecois copilot and I closed the canopy and taxied to the runway. Before long we were soaring above St Hubert airport, and we would land at Saint Matthieu de Beloeil and Saint Hyacinthe before the morning was over.

Any out of practice pilot gets anxious on their first landing back from a break. I always adjust myself in my seat, pull my seatbelt tight, and fidget my feet on the pedals. Landing is the most complicated part of flight, but also in a way the most rewarding. An eloquent dance between friends. A chain of intuitive maneuvers. Yet a challenge.

Eyes on the center line. Hand on the throttle. Pressure on the stick. Throttle in. Speed check. Nose down. Throttle out. Last set of flaps.

A gentle ebb and flow. Front step, back step, creeping slowly to the ground. I knew it had been years since I had been in that plane, but I couldn't believe how normal it felt. How instinctive it was.

Nose up trim. Flare. The persistent stall warning horn. Hold it a bit farther. The screech of the tires. Back pressure to keep the nose up. Flaps up. Steering us to the taxiway at the end of the runway.

I looked at my flight instructor with a smile on my face. Not too bad for the first time in a year! It was excellent, he said. I believe that was the perfect way to describe it.

xo.

pumpkin n pedi

2011-11-12T16:10:00.000-08:00

I know, I missed yesterday! To make up for it I took some pictures of parts of my day and I'll even include the recipe for the pumpkin oatmeal bread that I just pulled out of the oven :)

This is what I call the all-the-veggies-we-have-in-the-fridge dish.

Pumpkin oatmeal bread!

Warmed up with vanilla ice cream for dessert?

Mani-pedi silver & gold.

Today was a very lazy Saturday. I seem to be having a lot of those lately. Caught up on my Grey's Anatomy, read half of The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (one of those depressing but yet can't put it down books), cooked some pumpkin oatmeal bread, painted my nails, and somehow found the motivation to get on my running gear and go out for a run right before it got dark. At 4:45. That's another thing that depressing around here. Oh well. Positive side is.... only a month until the shortest day of the year and then the days will start getting longer again.

Tonight I think we'll continue the laid back trend that has been Saturday so far, and watch a movie. And not worry about the overflowing laundry basket in the corner. That can wait until tomorrow.

Here's the recipe for the Pumpkin Oatmeal Bread that I stole from Carrots n Cake. I found her blog through pinterest when I was searching for recipes and after browsing awhile saw that she's an avid runner too. And I think I've officially added a Garmin Forerunner to my Christmas list after reading about how much she loves hers that she uses on her runs. Maybe sometime soon I'll do a longer post on running... but for now, the recipe!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats
1.5 cup all-purpose flour (I substituted whole wheat flour instead)
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup soy milk (I used 1% instead)
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease loaf pan.
Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well.
Pour batter into loaf pan.
Bake for 55-60 minutes, until top is firm, and a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow loaf to cool for 10 minutes and serve warm.

I'm convinced this would be good with other little add-ins like roasted walnuts, dates, or some vanilla. Perhaps I'll try other versions of it! Have a wonderful Saturday night!

xo

alli

smile hunter.

2011-11-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

I am not a morning person. In comparison to some (I know some really anti-morning people!) maybe. But in comparison to most, hardly. The world just feels better after a ~~pot~~ cup of coffee. I like the principle of being up early. It's the getting up part that I always seem to get stuck on.

Most mornings, by the time I get to the metro I'm engrossed in whatever song is on my ipod, making a mental (stressful?) list of things I have to remember to do that day, flipping through the newspaper while frustrated that the next train hasn't arrived yet, and calculating how fast i'm going to have to ~~run~~ walk to get to work on time. But in the spare moment that is not spent worrying about my day before it has even begun, there's one thing that will pretty consistently make my morning a bit brighter.

I'm a smile hunter.

I love witnessing people smile at unexpected moments. Times when they think no one else notices, wonderfully distracted by their own thoughts or memories. Who knows what that smile could be about. Sometimes it's big, breaking into a laugh. Sometimes it's barely perceptible.

Those are the best.

It's a small reminder that we're all human. We all have stressful days, bad days, horrible days. But we also all have good days, wonderful, amazing days.

That we smile about later on a Monday morning metro ride.

So watch for those smiles. They'll surprise you.

alli

mossière.

2011-11-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

both images are of items for sale in mossiere.

For those of you who follow me on pinterest, you've already seen these :)

Adding them to the Christmas wishlist!

alli

DIY.

2011-11-08T18:16:00.000-08:00

It all started...

With a 69 cent old Christmas ornament from Salvation Army, a free book from the lobby of my apartment building, some scissors, and a can of tomato paste.

And a pencil, to draw some circles.

Then came the modge podge. The crux of any artsy project.

I wanted to take some in progress pictures, but my photographer wasn't home and my hands were all modge-podgey. So here is the semi finished project. The only thing left, is a cutout of a Christmas tree or reindeer or snowman or something Christmas-y enough to glue on as well. A very inexpensive alternative to store-bought, mass-produced ornaments!

And this one just because I liked the effect of the spinning :)

Also, I baked salmon and zucchini in the oven tonight as opposed to in the pan like I always do, and the facilité of it all kinda rocked my world. Scrumptious and so easy, never looking back.

alli

monday blues.

2011-11-07T20:46:00.000-08:00

Someone asked me today if I was suffering a case of the Monday blues. Today was just one of those monotonous, things-go-wrong kind of day. But that is ok because it is almost over. Focus on the positive.

Here's the recipe I used for my cookies yesterday: Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies. And there aren't too many left! I used whole wheat flour, and I'm wondering how the texture would have been different with white flour as the recipe called for. They're quite soft, even a bit crumbly. But delicious! Also think they would be good with chocolate chips instead of raisins. That makes anything better :)

I promise a longer post tomorrow, these late nights of trying to put together papers are killing me.

But before I go, happy birthday to my cousin who also happens to be one of my closest friends :) Whenever you're lacking inspiration in the kitchen head over to her blog. You'll feel the veggie love! I've already tried tons of her recipes and I haven't found one I didn't like. Adult chicken fingers and zucchini boats are among my favorites, and I'm particularly anticipating the red wine chocolate cake recipe.... yum.

And just like that, Monday is over. Thank goodness. Here's to Tuesday, my friends.

xo

alli

sundays.

2011-11-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

I, my friends, am exhausted. And although this Sunday night post merits more than a few sentences I'm afraid that's all I have at the moment. Tomorrow let's discuss:

pumpkin oatmeal raison walnut cookies
the death of my faithful mixer/beater. RIP
a most wonderful and sunny afternoon experiencing the 'tam tams' of mont royal park

until then!

xo

alli

10k Saturday.

2011-11-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

En route to Oka National Park

Clear and frosty morning.

Getting our race packets.

Warming up by the lake.

Ready to go!

Excited at our results!

A bit chilly afterwards.

Part of the course. Definitely going to be hard to find a course as beautiful as this one. Look at that clear blue sky.

Back at home with our bibs and medals.

And those cardboard boxes are free pine tree starters that they were giving to participants! I think they'll be our mini christmas trees this year :)

The run was great but FREEZING at the beginning. The first four kilometers were on a dirt trail through the woods and then we opened up onto the park road. Running through national forest was great. Very calming in comparison to running through Montreal city streets for the half-marathon. Although there weren't nearly as many supporters as there were in Montreal, it was a different dynamic being alone with my thoughts and the windy cool morning air. There was what seemed like a huge hill at kilometer 6 which I was SO relieved to be done with once we climbed it. It was a hard one! I began dreading the gatorade stations, because they always handed them out right before a hill. There were three :)

Stéphane and I were together for about the first 3 kilometers and the last 3, and he was quite a bit ahead of me in the middle. We finished strong, I was so surprised to see 48 minutes on the clock as we came up to the finish line, I was aiming for under 55. Final time was 48:57 with a sprint to the end. That was definitely a big difference with the half marathon- I had close to nothing left when I was nearing the finish line in September, whereas this morning I was able to dig deep and finish fast. The last time I ran a 10k in 2004, I finished it in 58 minutes! 9 minutes off my personal record!! Don't know if I'll be able to replicate that one again :)

I would definitely run that race again, it was gorgeous and calm and refreshing. Off to the movies tonight and drinks with friends. How was your Saturday?

alli

at the moment...

2011-11-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

My kitchen smells delicious with the garlic sautéing on the stove. I'm making lemony tuna and olive oil pasta with red pepper flakes from this recipe.

I'm laying out what to wear tomorrow for the 10K. Gloves, hat, two layers of underarmour, new amazing underarmour running pants, long socks. sunglasses?

I'm still laughing about the montage of clips sent in to jimmy kimmel when he asked parents to film themselves telling their kids they ate all their halloween candy. My favorite was the little boy randomly doing (bad) math at the end and calling his mom sneaky :)

I'm thinking this dress would be a lovely addition to my winter wardrobe.

Looking forward to an extra hour of sleep on Sunday!! Not so much the getting dark at 4:30pm part though :(

Happy Friday friends! What's in store for you this weekend?

alli

stories.

2011-11-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

'without a story, we perish. stories define our lives: they teach us what is possible and good, help set our goals and limits, offer us role models and explain mysteries. without stories- myths and legends, folktales and sacred texts, romances and comedies and tragedies- our lives would be formless'

- marilyn farwell -

this morning brought...

a bit of research and attempts at writing

a new curiosity with joan didion and a search for her book, the year of magical thinking

goosebumps from this video (and many others watched, which explains the attempts at writing part...)

Oh! Last night I made the mexican version of the chicken and pesto stuffed pasta shells that I made awhile ago, Mexican Stuffed Pasta Shells and I am happy to report they are just as delicious. I didn't have any taco sauce, but used the rest of the sauce from marinating the meat... and the salsa I used was white bean and corn, which I think added a great extra flavor and texture that I would have missed if I'd used regular salsa. Just finished the leftovers for lunch!

happy thursday!

a capella.

2011-11-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

This is from a blog that's on my reader feed, for me, for you by kate miss. Usually I skip her music posts because I'm at work or can't listen to them at the moment I read them. By mere chance I got out my headphones and played this one and I've been humming it since. It's an a capella group singing a Robyn song (which reminds me of summer days at the lake with that cd on repeat). With their coordination with the butter container (?) percussion and their enchanting voices I'm almost sure you'll play this more than once :) Makes me miss singing so much!

alli

reblogged from for me, for you.

pilots.

2011-11-02T04:33:00.000-07:00

I saw this on facebook this morning and it made me laugh. I especially like his note about falling wings or motors. Or the more money than they know what to do with part. Sign me up!

alli

november.

2011-11-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

Happy november! And what an unseasonably warm way to start the month of pumpkin pie, warm lattés, leaf crunching, leg warmers, and first snowfalls. It's a gorgeous afternoon where I am and I plan on taking full advantage by going out for a long run later. I'm preparing for a 10k through Oka National Park this Saturday. It'll be my second 10k and I'd like to shave a few minutes off my time of 58 or so minutes the last time I ran it in 2008. But mostly it's just a great motivation (obligation?) to keep training after I ran the half-marathon at the end of September.

And since we bought a box of 38 or so tomatoes this weekend (!!) I'm going to spend the evening starting some tomato soup to freeze and maybe some spaghetti sauce. Anyone every tried making and freezing marinara or spaghetti sauce and have some recipes to share? Also since I have an ample supply, other tomato recipes would be appreciated :)

I've been having a kind of no excuses sort of week, which was the motivation behind starting an every-day-of-november-blog-a-thon. It started as a kind of experiment, and it's actually started making me feel quite productive. Every time I'm reminded of something I need to do, instead of making an excuse to do it later I do it right. then. No excuses! Spending two minutes on something that you've been thinking about for ~~months~~ weeks is SO worth the relief of not carrying it around with you anymore. So stay tuned the rest of the month, we'll see what I come up with :)

xo

alli

ps. feel like a no excuses november? join me and L from rooms and books!

photojourney.

2011-10-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

photo credit: kendra smoot

I love pictures- portraits, still life, landscapes- that draw you in and instantly inspire stories in your head. I like to daydream about the people in a photo. Where they work, who their family is, their accents, the way they make breakfast in the morning. How they laugh, what they're scared of, or what book is sitting on their dresser. I think it's a testimony to the talent of a photographer who can draw you in and inspire those kinds of thoughts from a single glance.

Also, this video made me teary-eyed over morning coffee a couple days ago. Makes you want to get out of the city and just breathe deeply for awhile. With an amazing camera in tow to capture everything with.

alli

on blog silence and motivation.

2011-10-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

Enough of the blog silence! I know I've been quite absent recently, my friends. And although life is busy at the moment, I'm not even sure if I can blame it on that. I feel like I need to reorganize mistinguette a bit, or at least have more of a blogging goal. I'm inspired by so many of the craft, cooking, fashion, and travel blogs that I read and although mistinguette touches on many of those subjects, it just feels so unorganized and thin to me sometimes.

I had a little brainstorming sesh this morning as I sipped my coffee and watched the morning sun reflect on the beautiful leaves outside my apartment window. I've come to know that I am a person that is motivated by goals that are concrete and determined over a certain time period. That's how I trained for and tackled the half marathon- I've never been so motivated to run in my life.

So! I've decided that I'm going to give my blogging self a month long boot camp if you will. I am going to post every single day of November. I'm sure some of the posts won't be lengthy or profound, but I'm interested to see what will come out of forcing myself (in a nice way :) to blog everyday. To write everyday. Even if it's just a few words. And now you've heard (read?) me say it. So. I have to keep my promise.

So stay tuned, for an active November on mistinguette :)

xo

alli

painfully vibrant.

2011-10-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

weheartit.

There is an incredibly beautiful sunset out my window. Today there was a clear blue sky, and the air was deliciously crisp. The cold that makes you button up and wrap a scarf close to your neck, without the bitterness yet that winter will bring. A peek up the hill on my morning walk to campus and I can see leaves slowly changing. Farmer's Markets are buzzing, and there's the anticipation of everything lovely about autumn.

But.

There's something inherently melancholy about the whole thing. The vibrant colors. Painfully so. The sun reflecting off an airplane in the fading blue sky. The stillness between light and dark. The silence of street lights warming up a street.

Perhaps it's the quiet ache brought on by nostalgia. Reminders of memories and moments lived in past seasons. Braided together with the present.

Do you ever feel like this during autumn?

xo

alli

Although I'm not quite sure this video would cheer you up, it might captivate you like it did me. Nice song, and a pretty powerful video.

originally posted on dooce.

check in.

2011-10-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

I'm still here! And I have plenty to update you on. Like how the half-marathon went, (finished in 1:55! the last three miles were SO hard! I couldn't walk down stairs for days!) what's been on my stove and in my oven recently, (creamy tomato soup, beef stew, carrot and ginger soup, and another batch of choc. chip zucchini bread) and the wonderful burst of fall weather we've been having. I won't tell you about the cold that I fought off for days which finally got the best of me, (which is why i'm cutting this short and heading to bed) or the power outage that struck the moment I got out of the shower on monday morning which left me no choice but to go to work with wet hair (don't do that when you're sick btw).

Hopefully i'll give you a more appropriate and lengthly update soon, but for now i'll just tide you over with this quote which i really sort of love.

“Each of us stands at one unique spot in the universe, at one moment in the expanse of time, holding a blank sheet of paper”

- by... ican'tremember at the moment-

So what will be on your blank sheet of paper? Will you scribble in marker? Or write in dainty cursive letters in the middle? Or print methodic and deliberate script along the edges?

Back soon friends, enjoy Autumn, if it's Autumn where you are!

alli

scarf saturdays.

2011-09-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

One of the blogs I read regularly posted this up yesterday. Perfect timing. Except that it's 75 degrees today, and 78 is the forecast for tomorrow. Oh well, that means.... lots of practice time? I was particularly a fan of the 'celebrity' and 'waterfall' styles, can't wait to try them out.

Also, I bought an acorn squash from the market this morning. Never cooked one of those before, so we'll see what I come up with. Maybe roast it in the oven with some olive oil and salt and pepper?

Enjoy your saturday!

xo

friday top ten: ipod race list.

2011-09-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

Tell me. Why is that I can find the motivation to whip up some cinnamon applesauce, a pie crust for a quiche tomorrow, earmark a recipe for simple alfredo pasta sometime next week (I want to add asparagus or broccoli), and a jalepeno omelette that I want to make for dinner tonight, run to the store to buy a magazine... but the motivation for anything work, dishes, or laundry related is mysteriously absent. It must be the obligation part of it, hm?

I am so happy that it is Friday (that sounds familiar) and I'm getting excited for the half marathon on Sunday!! I went for a 2 mile run yesterday and.... no pain in my foot!! Remains to be seen if the pain will come back at say, mile 7. We'll see. I'm just going to go as far as I can, I'm ready!

And in preparation for the big race, I'm debating what's going to be part of my Marathon Mix. Here are some of my ideas so far. A Half-Marathon-Themed Friday Top Ten, if you will.

Adele: Set Fire to the Rain
One Republic: Good Life
Snow Patrol: Finish Line (how appropriate)
Lady Gaga: Just Dance.... or Poker Face
2Pac: Changes (this was always one of the first songs I listened to on my long runs)
Train: Hey Soul Sister
The Midway State: Atlantic (a new find)
Rihanna: Only Girl
Dave Matthews: Bartender (live version)
Coldplay: Viva la Vida (reminds me of summer car rides with the windows down)

Of course I only have about half of these songs, so I'll have to get the rest! Any suggestions? What song gives you an extra burst of energy during your workout?

What's in store for your weekend?

xo,

alli

butternut squash & boots.

2011-09-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

I dare say this might be turning into a food blog. Tonight I was feeling inspired. I cut up the butternut squash that's been sitting on my counter for..... a week at least now, and roasted it with some olive oil and salt n pepper. Delish! Sugary heaven in your mouth. What you see in the picture is only a fourth of the squash, and since my dinner guest didn't like it much.... there's some leftovers. What does one do with leftover squash? I almost want to make mashed squash with caramelized brown sugar. Is that... allowed? Will continue the brainstorming.

Also, milking the inspiration for all it was worth (and taking full advantage of weeknight with no classes) I tried a recipe for buttermilk biscuits, that were more like 1/2 cup cream 1/4 cup 1% milk biscuits. Which turned out much better than that one time I made scones. Finished the dinner with lemon-y perch and a side of quinoa.

In things not related to food, I've (mostly) decided that I'm going to give the half marathon a try this weekend, and power through the challenging foot issues I've been having. I ran for a bit today and although it's sore/tired at times during the day, during the run everything seemed fine. So I'm going to continue resting a bit and gear up for race day this weekend!

Also,

I'm thinking about these boots.

And this cable-knit sweater.

And this cute as can be video, of a grandma and grandpa accidentally recording 5 minutes of them trying to take a picture using their computer.

How is your week going so far?

xo

fall fridays.

2011-09-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

photo

hello friends! i am alive. getting over a sports injury, happy that it's friday, wearing scarves and boots, and alive :)

after a week of classes, two jobs, and no running, i am happy it's friday. my plans for the weekend:

my favorite indian restaurant for dinner? mr. s are you reading this? :)

apple crisp cooking time. have to make my way through the 10 lb. bag of apples we picked! maybe apple sauce, apple cider and caramel apples should be on the list as well... oh also i have a butternut squash! what's your favorite squash recipe?

looking for the perfect pair of black boots. my old pair are officially retired :(

waiting patiently for the leaves to turn. and i mean PATIENTly. i can deal with this in between stage just fine, because i know what comes next!

what's planned for your weekend?

xo

le weekend.

2011-08-22T19:58:00.000-07:00

hi friends! how was your weekend? mine was fairly low key, complete with movie night (crazy stupid love, which i adored), a visit to a quebec farmhouse with a lovely home cooked and delicious meal, a morning run, and lots of grey's anatomy reruns. when i got home from work today i spent two hours in the kitchen, making creamy bacon and spinach tortellini, and the wheat oatmeal bread that i posted about last week.

pasta before

bread before

pasta after

bread after!

the pasta was DELISH (a bit rich...) and the bread is cooling as we speak! two loaves, so it better be tasty :) this might become a weekly thing if it turns out to be a good recipe. the pasta recipe called for a roux, mixing up grease/oil with flour and milk to make a cream sauce. i was a little nervous it wouldn't turn out very well, but it was good. i added fresh basil, lemon zest and juice, and some cracked red pepper.

tomorrow my sister comes! i'm so excited that i'll have a visitor to show the city too, especially during the summer months. even if it was 55 or so degrees this morning when i was waiting for the bus..... don't tell caity that. i'll be sure to post up tons of pictures on here after her visit, to help convince all the rest of you to come visit me :)

happy (rest of your) monday!

xo

alli

friday top ten.

2011-08-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

hello! it's almost the weekend! mine started a few hours ago, with smoothies shared on a sunny terrace and a weekend magazine purchase. i also may or may not have purchased some red lipstick that i'm trying on for size :) i think barbeque chicken and garlic green beans, and perhaps a movie, may also be on the schedule tonight. pretty good for only being a couple hours into my weekend!

for this week's friday top ten i've decided to share a list of the top ten things that had something to do with my week, either from things i've seen on the internet or weekly adventures.

1. a quirky read that i just picked up: everything is illuminated, by jonathan safran foer

it already has me laughing on my morning bus ride. the quirky and horrible (deliberate) translations between the ukrainian and jewish characters are hilarious. also picked up i capture the castle at my favorite used bookstore for 50 cents! score.

2. an interesting article about bilingualism, emotions, and how we express them. touches on the intertwined nature of languages, and how bilingualism is far from cut and dry.

3. this looks almost TOO comfy to be an item of clothing that you can out in public in. i'm a size small by the way, and accepting packages :)

4. i LOVE this poster. could totally see it in the entryway of my apartment, inside an old mirror frame that i've been meaning to repurpose.

5. also, want to make this, with france and the us :) may as well just paste my whole pinterest collection here!

6. this recipe looks both delicious and easy.

7. one of my favorite blogs and etsy shops right about now! :)

photo credit: lindsay poulin.

8. jessica from whatiwore posted this llbean bag today, and i immediately started drooling. what a sturdy, classic piece!

9. thinking about heading back here for drinks when my SISTER comes to visit next week!!!

10. also, a cute new blog that i discovered. love here sense of fashion, and all the pics she includes of the new house she just bought with her hubby. also, she looks SO much like one of the olsen twins.

tell me one of your top ten items from this week!

have a great weekend!

alli

life list: see the northern lights.

2011-08-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

source.

Well, apparently I am in the right country to see these guys. Maybe a bit farther North would be even better. And out of the city is a must of course. I hope one day I can see them, I bet it must be so mesmerizing to see colors like that in the night sky. Looks like a preschooler's paint tray or a sidewalk chalk tableau.

Also I checked another life list item off... although I'm not counting it yet since I didn't get pictures and I have several other recipe variations to try. Most notably, a whole wheat oatmeal bread. YUM.

What have you added to or checked off from your Life List recently? Tell us in the comments!

alli

timing.

2011-08-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go? Sometimes I walk around thinking about things to write about.... funny phrases, things I want to share on here, recipes, projects, etc. But at the end of the day if ~~you~~ I don't take the time, I guess there won't be any updates!

I am very glad today is winding down, and crossing my fingers that it doesn't get worse in the next 5 1/2 hours! I'm exaggerating. Slightly. Ever so slightly. I'll spare you the details, and the reliving of it, and just say that nothing went according to plan, hardly anything useful got done, and people are just disappointing sometimes.

BUT. I sipped on the first caramel frappucino that I've bought in years and went my first run since last Wednesday, both of which have admittedly helped today today out a bit. I'm brainstorming about DIY projects for some of the empty wall space in the entryway... and thinking about fun pillows or place mats to sew once I find a fabric store.

Even though I don't want to admit it, I know that Fall is creeping slowly in over here. Already! Although the shift was sneaky, it happened sometime last week and all of the sudden the mornings are 58 degrees instead of 75. Big puffy Fall clouds bring afternoon rain showers and the air smells different. I'm afraid to look forward to Fall, because I know what comes after it! And I would love to stay in this (slightly) milder summer weather that August has brought by.

Although not quite anticipated, it looks like I'll be heading back to class in a couple weeks, which has me excited and exasperated at the same time. In all honesty even if things didn't quite turn out as planned, I'm looking forward to reading and writing in a class setting, and having meaningful class discussions. Finishing up this year of the program and seeing what else is in store for me here.

And last but not least, this day could not be all bad because it is my dad's birthday! Happy birthday, Padre! Wish I was home to go flying with you to an airport for a fly-in french toast breakfast :) Raincheck?

xo

alli

pillows.

2011-08-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

look what I saw on Cup of Jo this morning, these adorable pillows.

They make specialized pillows for every state,

some of my favorite cities :)

And even countries!

These are definitely on my list, but I have may have to save up a bit in order to afford them. All found here. How COOL would that be, to have a couch full of pillows for places you've lived. May have to have multiple couches at the rate I'm going ;)

Happy Friday! What do you have planned for the weekend?

alli

life list revisited.

2011-08-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had the lovely pleasure of checking off one of my Life List items: taking a ride in a hot air balloon. It was the first item I shared with you on my list, way back in 2009. A year and a half later, I got one heck of a birthday present.

The ride was supposed to be a surprise on the morning of my birthday, but montreal weather did not prove very cooperative this May. So a couple weeks later, on a verrrry early saturday morning, we drove 35 minutes south east of Montreal to a little supermarket parking lot in a town called Chambly.

From there we crammed into the Eol'Air van (the crammed part was a preview of what was next) and drove to the official launch site.... a field between a road and semi-creepy little hotel. We watched and listened as the guides pulled out the balloon and spread it out, before using a big fan to blow it up. Those are technical terms, btw.

When the balloon had really started taking shape, and the basket was fully attached, the fan got turned off and the pilot started lighting the gas burner. The hot air made the balloon start to rise up, and pretty soon it was time to hop in.

It wasn't very long after we all got cozy in the basket, that we were already up in the air.

It was such a subtle, exhilarating sensation! Much gentler than in an airplane, but just as exciting.

We floated slowly (and quietly!) over the Richelieu River. In the distance, is the balloon that took off right next to us. We had a bit of a head start, but they stayed much higher than we did throughout the flight.

The view above.

And below!

We flew by a golf course, fuzzy from the morning dew.

We crossed cute, brightly paved roads.

And watched our shadow move slowly across the countryside.

It was really the most relaxing ride... until the landing. Before we took off, the pilot explained that come landing time, there were two possibilities. The first, that we would settle calmly down onto the ground.... he described in a very anti-climactic sort of way, that I really appreciated. The other option, well never mind that, he said.... we probably WON'T be tipping over on our side today because there's virtually no wind.... blah blah blah LIES!

In his defense, there WASN'T any wind. When he said that. But the moment we came 50 feet within our landing site, well there was the wind to welcome us home. In a very unenjoyable, actually quite violent sort of way. Suffice it to say, I chose poorly when I put myself in one of the corners, and come landing time, I had 3 people all squishing me into that poor farmer's corn field. Makes for a good story though!

That's our landing trail through the cornfield. Heavy enough to snap those corn stalks! You can see a video of our flight and the 5 star landing here.

At the very end after everything was put away, the pilot distracted us with a lengthly history story and a bottle of champagne, and made us get down on our knees to say a prayer in thanks to a safe flight (yes) and landing (arguable). When he finished the story, and we finished praying, he said we could drink the champagne he had poured in glasses in front of us, but only if we reached for it with our mouths, while our hands stayed behind our backs. While reaching in ernest for the champagne, he came with a bottle of water and poured it all over our heads, 'baptizing' us in honor of our first flight. We were drenched and confused, but at least we had the champagne ;)

And so, I have one less item on my Life List. Which means I'll have to find something to replace it with. Have to wait for next Wednesday to find out!

What have you checked off your Life List recently?

alli

le weekend.

2011-08-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

coucou!

how was your weekend? was it good enough to compensate for the drag that is monday morning? i remembered at half past way-too-late last night that i didn't renew my bus/metro pas for August, and I was late to work this morning. there were a lot of others who were forgetful with me. add to the mess that it was about 873% humidity this morning when i was running around like a mad woman. isn't it always like that?

there was a real summer thunderstorm tonight. the kind you feel coming when the temperature drops and the clouds swirl around overhead. lots of lightning to watch from my makeshift desk (my bed) where I spread out what seemed like every book or article i've read so far for my thesis. trying to bring some order to this project!

my weekend was full of cooking adventures, punctuated by a birthday soirée and a visit to the science center to see the Indiana Jones archaeology exhibit. which was fun! except in all honesty, the movie clips and set designs kept my attention a lot better than all the archaeology technical stuff :/ still, a very interesting exhibit!

sunday night i made my first.ever.pizza. and folks? it was DELICIOUS. and so easy! i can't believe it took me this long to make my own. chorizo, garlic, basil, mozarella. the crust was light and fluffy, with the perfect amount of crunch. oh, and it's rectangular because that's the only pan i have :)

and THIS was today's cooking extravaganza. fried corn pancakes, if-you-will, accompanied by grilled chicken breast and a scrumptious avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro salsa.

it was my first time really frying something, and I only set off the fire alarm twice! don't worry though, that thing is super sensitive. which, i suppose, is a good thing.

anyways... next time i think i would fry them a bit.... less. and the salsa is great, but next time i would not forget that jalapeno that the recipe calls for, and add that in there too. and i would find a door to put on the kitchen, so my whole apartment wouldn't smell like fried things anymore.

how was your weekend?

alli

friday top ten.

2011-07-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

top ten things i'd like to do as much as possible before the summer days run out:

cocktails+patios+people watching
barbecues, volleyball and pétanque tournaments in the park.
RUN. loving my sunday morning runs.
visit a few more national parks
take advantage of all the yummy fruit. blueberry cornmeal muffins, fresh strawberries, cherry clafoutis... apples soon.
hot air balloon festival!
wear shorts and tank tops. and dresses. and skirts. sans tights.
go to the weekend markets more.
bike around old port.
find someone with a boat, to go out on on the st. laurent!

what will you be doing more of until the summer is over?

xo

alli

outings.

2011-07-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

tonight i ate tomato soup for dinner. in the middle of july. because i was overcome with laziness after my evening run. i'm make something more complicated tomorrow.

meanwhile, my evening has been spent reading... for work and pleasure... perusing the Rue Magazine's sixth issue and mentally noting some lovely fall purchases.

like:

this cute backpack.

here's a few pictures from a walk we went on sunday night across the jacques cartier bridge. one of several that links montreal to the rest of the surrounding quebec. did you know montreal is an island? i didn't before i moved here :)

i can't believe i've already lived in this city for almost a year now. i feel like i'm just now getting to know it. i have to soak up the weekend farmers markets, drinks on the patio, and evening runs, before it all gets too chilly again!

voila, a couple photos. lots more coming :)

alli

de retour.

2011-07-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

readers!
i'm alive! although a little out of blogging practice. my couple day break from blogging (unfortunately) turned into a longer than intended blogging hiatus. which is a shame, because there are so many exciting things happening right now!

i'm in a new apartment, that is keeping me busy with deco and DIY projects, hunting and painting for furniture, and LOVING my easy to use (no more lighting matches!) gas stove and oven. i've been cooking and baking more (blueberry cornbread muffins, lemon roasted chicken, molasses & date oatmeal bread), sweating out the heat, and going for long morning runs. i'm training for the montreal half-marathon in september... and just completed my longest run yet on sunday. 7.5 miles! i'm so proud of my buff runner legs :)

the summer has been full of lots of adventures so far... a trip to california for my sister's graduation, fourth of july festivities, checking off hot air balloon ride (!!!) from my life list, a weekend trip to quebec city, and some pretty intense river rafting. summer barbecues have been plentiful, the morning commute has been awesome now that i can walk everywhere and not freeze, and although i'm not a huge fan of the humidity, i finally feel like i'm finally thawing out after months of winter. i try to keep my heat/humidity complaining to a minimum, because I KNOW what is around the corner.

thesis research and writing is keeping me busy, but keeping diligent library hours is proving a challenge on these bright and sunny summer days. i knew that was coming though.

stay tuned this week for some photos of the past few adventures. i'll try my best not to leave you for another two months :)

xo

alli

le weekend.

2011-05-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

coucou!

how was everyone's weekend? mine was one with naps and jogs, a morning visit to the market, drinks with friends, apartment hunting, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookie making. and eating.

mr. s. also made me paupillettes de veau (bought fresh from the market) with quebec-grown tomatoes and onions, which was absolutely delicious. little bundles of veal stuffed with spices, browned and then cooked in a pot with tomatoes, onions and garlic. let's just say there weren't many leftovers.

i've learned to stop getting my hopes up about apartments.... but we've seen a few hopefuls these past couple of days. not counting the semi-basement on sunday morning which NOBODY MENTIONED was a semi-basement. or the second floor one bedroom that was snatched 10 minutes before we arrived on sunday afternoon. c'est la vie!

friday and today, i had the absolute privilege of taking a break from my workday to eat my lunch outside, IN THE SUN. it was wonderful beyond words. and since my habitual metro stop will be closing for the entire summer (wtf?) i'm dreaming about summer bike rides now. that is, after i spend all my savings on furnishing an apartment. subletting with furniture included was a little nicer on the wallet.

in other news....

i cut out oval shapes from an old map of the US and stole a few coasters from a bar on saturday night. thinking i'm going to follow this tutorial and make me some nice looking coasters.

via almost never clever.

and i also snagged an old wooden mirror frame from the street tonight, with plans to sand/repaint/distress it and use it as a frame for either coat hooks, pictures, or a little blackboard/quote board. ooh or maybe a little rack to hang pots and pans from.....

hopefully it was a less sketchy street snag than the chair i picked up a few months ago. which thank the heavens above, i didn't sit on. one day i propped my foot on it to tie my shoe before a run, and it broke into 27 1/2 pieces. guess that's what i get.

have a lovely monday evening!

alli

itchy.

2011-05-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

i'm going to share a bit too much of information here, hang in there...

did you know... that i burned my forearm while making spinach lasagna rolls way back when, and the sucker is still giving me grief. even worse than the burn, however, is the ridiculous rash i have from the BANDAID that i put over it (before reading somewhere that you shouldn't put bandaids on burns. oops). who is allergic to bandaids?!? when i stubbornly went to the pharmacy ~~several days later~~ right away, the pharmacist actually went 'ohlala' when i sheepishly pulled back my sleeve. awesome.

so this raspberry colored awful thing on my arm ITCHES worse than you would BELIEVE. with no relief from hydrocortisone, polysporin, nada. running it under cold water seems to do the trick, but only for awhile. alright. done with that lovely subject.

today i had the wonderful opportunity to work 8 hours, taking small breaks in the morning and afternoon to dodge puddles outside on the way to the library to snack on lunch and check out another book to add to my growing collection

(i picked up wounds of passion by bell hooks).

after work, i got to visit three apartments that i know for a FACT, i would not like to live in! each day i move a step closer to visiting every apartment in montreal. i guess this is what i get for having found my current apartment, less than 24 hours after the search began. tomorrow i'll likely add a few others to the list. at least i'm getting to know my city :)

how did wednesday look where you are?

and now for a bit of pinterest indulgence!

via my friend staci.

creative room dividers.

the pampered kitchen.

awesome christmas lights wine bottles.

via that kind of woman.

and can i puh lease have ceilings like this in my bedroom someday?

alli

top score.

2011-05-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

coucou!

i've been thinking about little stories to tell you for a couple days now. i figure a rainy tuesday --which was filled with too much disappointing apartment searching, WAY too much rain, and hardly enough coffee-- would be the perfect to time to dwell on other, positive things :)

saturday afternoon a friend invited us to a fundraiser for a group of her students, held at a bowling alley. i walked in the door expecting to see a bowling alley similar to any other i've seen in my life, but les québecois don't do bowling like the rest of the world apparently.

loving the yellow bowling shoes, yes? here i am winding up for my next strike, even though what i really wanted to show you were les quilles, the bowling pins that i knocked over with....

the tiniest bowling balls i've ever seen in my life! they don't even have any holes in them, and they're MUCH lighter than regular bowling balls. which would explain my record score of 194...

it was so hilarious. i would say it took some getting used to, but my first FOUR turns, i bowled strikes. this was right after apologizing to everyone on my team that my bowling skills were extremely lacking. false modesty?

after unlimited bowling for 3 hours, we headed to what i would call the quebec version of olive garden, with the added perk of a bread bar. at said bread bar, you have the choice of lovely wheat, white, raisin (raisin?) or rye bread, as well as regular, garlic, tomato, or pesto butter. you spread as much or as little as you want, grab a bar of tongs, and grill your bread to personal perfection before heading back to your table. yom.

sunday was my favorite day of 2011 so far.

I GOT A SUNBURN!!

a quick side note. this is not me celebrating the fact of an increased risk of skin cancer, but rather rejoicing in the fact, that

IT WAS A SUNNY 70 DEGREES!

we took absolute advantage of the surprising, glorious weather, and went for a hike at Mont Saint Hilaire, a small town 35 minutes outside of the city. we went on a short but intense hike (~1 mile, 1,200 ft altitude gain) up to the top where we could see a view of montreal in the distance and the st. richelieu river cutting through towns in between. long trains crept along tracks next to the river, hugging the shoreline..

psst you can see these pictures and others, and entertain yourself with the general musings of a handsome frenchman, at provincecanadienne.blogspot.com.

i'd also like to take this last bit of the rainy day to say,

i love the classic simplicity of these camping mugs.

although i don't think much could wean me from my moleskin ways,

these leather travel notebooks would probably be the next closest candidates.

and, you must click through to this blog.

a girl's photo diary adventures on the paris metro.

every few days she interviews a random person (or chien) on the paris metro, and takes their picture.

what an intriguing project.

hope the sun is shining where you are!

alli

polka dots.

2011-04-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

today i left the apartment to face the world in my polka dot blue rain boots and my nice new (to me) red umbrella. turns out the most i needed them was for the drizzly walk to the metro. the rest of the day was balmy and warm, although incredibly blustery.

the wind blew all the clouds away, so i took the long way home and walked in the sun. i sat on some steps by the bus stop and paged through catcher in the rye, which i'm re-reading. holden makes me smile. john mayer accompanied most of my day.

tomorrow i've booked an afternoon of pampering, which i could not be more excited about. a valentine's gift certificate is finally being put to use. and then it's the weekend! more apartment hunting :/ and hopefully some nice springy weekend weather. and ~~since we ordered pizza tonight~~ i have high aspirations for dinner tomorrow night: roast chicken, zuchinni and mushroom risotto, and a lovely glass of red.

ps. i saw this lovely, entrancing video on dooce.com

about symmetry.

and here are the fruits of my thursday pinterest window shopping:

caffeine queenie.

erigutt.

alli

on springtime wednesdays.

2011-04-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

it's going to be 70 degrees here today!

(with lots of thunderstorms, rain, and ridiculousness)

but more importantly....

i don't have to wear my wool coat today!

ok, so i'm exaggerating, but only slightly i assure you.

the last week or so has been filled with more or less the same couple of things.

work. rain. apartment hunting. in the rain. and a couple of broken umbrellas in there as well. also, there is a pile of books i'd like to read for my thesis research, which is exciting, but it's growing at an alarming rate. some exciting links happening in that area too.

mostly i'm looking forward to the birthday month which is coming up, and a trip to california in june. thinking of the beach is getting me through some of this crappy weather! and the way i see it, even though i gave up my rights to complain about snow and cold when i willingly moved to montreal.... i figure i'm somewhat entitled anyways, because of the wonderful weather they were blessed with last year. at this time last year everyone was wearing shorts and sunglasses, sitting under the hot sun with a cocktail on a patio somewhere.

i want a sunshiny cocktail!

what is happening where you are?

ps:

would love this somewhere in my apartment.

via

going to need some of these barn doors and chalkboard walls.

via.

and this is pretty much a must. homemade goldfish crackers!

enjoy your wednesday.

alli

springtime woes.

2011-04-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

pinterest via flickr

today is a gloomy mix of rain, hail, and SNOW. 20th of April, and it's 30 degrees out. how did it come to this? yesterday was a scrumptious sunny day, and i made sure to go on a nice long run, because i knew i wouldn't be doing that today! i won't officially start training for the half marathon until about june, but now that classes are over i have a bit more time to run, which i'm loving. it just evens out my life a bit.

i painted my nails and toenails bright red yesterday, which i've been wanting to do since about.... a month ago. i made this for dinner:

wholefoods

spinach lasagna rolls, minus the ricotta because i didn't have any. next time i think i'll add some spicy sausage or something. and i roasted some eggplant slices to go with, sprinkled with lemon juice. delish!

i think this morning i'll get ahead on some reading, and then i'm heading in to work this afternoon. my umbrella is broken, so i'm going to have to get creative... à voir.

alli

de retour.

2011-04-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

i'm done with my final papers!

yay to having a life again!

the next two-three months will be full of

reading and research, but interesting stuff.

i'll be narrowing down my thesis focus a bit, which will be challenging but good i think.

in other news,

we've been quite the social butterflies recently,

now that we're both home in the evenings and finished eating before 9:30 which was the average for the past four months. hockey finals are coming up, so some cheering in pubs with some pints is on the schedule for the next couple of days.

i've had small glimpses of the summery buzz that is guaranteed to descend upon montreal,

hopefully sooner rather than later.

everyone talks about how bad the winters are,

but nobody mentions how excruciating it is to wait for spring here.

snow/hail/rain mix on saturday did not make me a happy lady. especially when you're apartment hunting by foot, with an incredibly dysfunctional (ripped to shreds) umbrella.

the apartment hunt is on, which i find is inspiring even more time to be spent on pinterest, drooling over interior design and diy projects.

which is where i found these:

via

oh and these:

which have nothing to do with decor, but could totally see them with cuttoff denim shorts and a tank top.

anyone else restless for an apartment change, spring, or just a smidgen of sun??

alli

2011-04-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

oh i'm still here friends.

though battling with a pretty big lack of motivation.

what do you do when you have gray skies where you are?

what cheers you up?

let me get through this last week of classes,

then mistinguett will be a bit more upbeat

;)

alli

better late than never.

2011-03-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

my dear readers,

sorry i kinda fell off the edge of the internet this week. i was so excited to wrap up my 30 for 30, and once i did i just sorta disappeared! i'm still going to do a post where you can see the last half of my outfits all together, but first i'll take some time to let you know what i thought about the 30 for 30 now that it's all finished.

thoughts on fashion blogging and life list items:

if you're new to mistinguett, one of the (mostly) regular features on here is a collection of items on my life list. things like make tiramisu, go to kenya, and learn how to cut hair, or start a fashion blog. thanks to the wonders of google reader, i'm subscribed to and read umpteen fashion/life/art/style blogs with my morning coffee everyday. when one of the blogs i read announced the winter 30 for 30 challenge, i saw it as the perfect way to try out my life list item for real. so i hopped on board. here are some of the things i learned:

taking pictures and posting everyday is hard!

especially when you don't have a photographer until the evening, and when you get home after work and class at 9, and all you want to do is EAT and change into comfy pjs.

posing for pictures is way more awkward than it looks.

props to all you people that take them outside in populated areas.

people are nice.

i got several comments on my outfits from women i've never met before, and every single one of them was something positive about me or my outfit. sometimes i wonder if ANYONE reads this besides my family (hi fam!) so it's nice to see a random positive message every once and a while.

i think about brands a bit differently now.

surprisingly, i wasn't as self conscious about posting up pictures of myself as i was about putting up where my clothes are from. is that strange? i think a lot that goes into style is not about where you purchased your clothes, but how you put them together and how you feel in them. do fashion bloggers really need to say where they bought their clothes? and do you really need to put prices?

the shopping ban was a nice challenge.

and it wasn't was hard as i expected it to be. although, to be honest, i don't consider myself to be much of a big shopper right now anyways. grad school budgeting does that to you!

i felt more creative and original with my wardrobe than i even expected.

so much so, that now that i have all these options, i feel like i don't know what to do with them all! i'm bored, now that i have way more to work with? tell me how that makes sense. maybe i need to do rotations of 15 for 15 every two weeks...

am i going to convert to a fashion blogger?

maybe. but maybe not. maybe i'll have a weekly post or so, on outfits and what not. i know several bloggers who do that, and i enjoy reading their blogs. thoughts?

would you ever participate in a 30 for 30 challenge? any fashion bloggers out there who have similar (or completely opposite) thoughts sparked by the challenge?

hope you're having a fabulous week.

alli

penultimate.

2011-03-02T06:09:00.000-08:00

shirt: h&m

sweater: camaieu

navy cords: old navy

boots: uggs

scarf: vintage

second to last one folks.

yay!

i think that i could still come up with half a dozen outfits with articles of clothing i have, but honestly i can't wait until i'm given the other half of my closet back :) i'll have a wrap-up post coming- thoughts about the challenges, checking off an item from my life list, and how i think about fashion blogging differently now that i've tried it for a month!

this morning i woke up at 6:50, a whole hour before my alarm was supposed to go off, and instead of going back to sleep (this is very rare folks!) i got up, made a cup of coffee and stretched/did yoga by the only window in my apartment that gives any sort of morning light. it was a refreshing start to what is definitely going to be a busy day.

so now i'm off to a handful of meetings, some last minute reading, and then class. bring it on!

alli

2fer.

2011-03-01T07:44:00.000-08:00

I guess I'm getting into a rhythm here of skipping a day and then doing a double post:

sunday (27)

dress: forever 21

cardigan: banana republic

belt: h&m

tights: h&m

boots: mall

monday (28)

striped shirt: h&m

green skirt: old navy

belt: forever 21

tights: sears

boots: dsw

oohmygoodness.

papers really caught up with me this week, and i have been writing like a madwoman.

good news is, the assignment portion of the week is mostly done.

ok news is, the conference that i'm helping to plan is next week, and it is crunch time.

so i'll be running around to meetings for at least a week and a half longer,

and all i want to do is go to the gym!

and wear something besides these 30 articles of clothing i've been in for the past month!

ok, done ranting. the end is in sight :)

how is your week so far?

can you BELIEVE it's march already?

alli

25 & 26.

2011-02-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

friday i stayed in all day,

writing, writing, writing

(and ardently trying to avoid procrastinating).

i went out to buy ingredients for ziti zucchini pasta,

ended up FORGETTING the ziti noodles,

substituting spaghetti, and adding in chicken and sundried tomatoes.

overall i'm gonna go ahead and declare it a success.

here's some pictures of the kitchen, and my excuse for an outfit photo :)

chambray shirt: lands end

jean leggings: gap

yum!

saturday we got up early and went to jean talon market- first time i'd been there.

since it's the winter, most of it was inside- i can't wait to go in the summer months, where all the booths are outside and there's a lot more to look at!

we picked up some strawberries, artichokes, green beans, bananas, and some cheese.

after an afternoon of nail painting & pride and prejudice (can you tell i was in the need of some girly time?) we tried a new pub downtown. we walked in during the 3rd period of the montreal-north carolina hockey game, and watched it until montreal's victory, 4-3. here are some pics that i took before we walked out the door. even there was snow everywhere, i was determined to wear my boots, since i'm a little sick of my other 3 PAIRS of boots i've been allowed for the past month.

red plaid shirt: etam

yellow cardigan: urban outfitters

grey belt: etam

black jeans: forever 21

grey boots: dsw

blue scarf: street vendor in paris?

and there will most likely be an outfit post today too, but that would require me being in something else besides my pajamas..... which has not happened yet.

what did you do this weekend?

cook anything fun?

alli

vingt quatre.

2011-02-24T18:28:00.000-08:00

black shirt: banana republic

dress (worn as a skirt): pimpkie

GREEN tights: .....tights store

boots: dsw

wow. i'm so glad i'm closing my eyes in one of the pictures,

and doing some sort of awkward nonchalant hair touch in the other one.

also glad i can make fun of myself in said poses.

moving on.

this week is so weird- it feels like it's both dragging on and slipping away all at the same time.

i think it's because there is NO ONE at work, and then i come home and avoid paper writing.

there is supposed to be a 15cm-80kph snowstorm moving in tonight....

which is good in a way, because i won't have any desire to leave the house tomorrow.

although i do want to get groceries and bake this and add sun-dried tomatoes and roasted chicken.

how many of you take public transportation in the morning to get to campus/work?

i've come to love it (the mornings that i've had my coffee anyways) just for the people watching.

there were two of the cutest little old ladies on the bus this morning. i love it when their entire outfit is perfectly coordinated- hat, gloves, and long wool/fur coat. and they always seem to rock the red lipstick. awesome. also, i'm pretty sure i saw the guy from those fisherman's friend cough drops packets.

at 9:30 in the morning. in montreal. on the 66 bus. yep.

any interesting ones on your morning/evening commute?

do you ever see the same people?

alli

23.

2011-02-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

red cardigan: zara

white t-shirt: h&m

shorts: jcrew

tights: sears

scarft: aerie

bracelet: vintage from grandma

today's outfit was cozy and comfy.

i barely ever wear that scarf,

which is really odd since i LOVE the colors

and it's a lightweight fabric which would be perfect for the spring and summer.

instead, i chose to wear it in february. logical.

today seemed way longer than it actually was.

two meetings, with work in between.

remind me never to work the 2-7pm shift again.

i am WAY more productive in the morning.

it was absolutely gorgeous today,

but quite crisp.

i took the bus and walked halfway to campus,

as i tend to do when the weather is nice.

walking along in the sun with some music

is such a fabulous way to start the day off.

what are the top songs on your morning metro/bus/car mix?

gah i can't wait until it's a little bit warmer,

and i can run outside!

oh ps. the bracelet was part of a little box of jewelry my grandma gave me

while i was in high school.

several years later i wear a lot more of the pieces than before

all i ever used to wear was silver, but now gold seems to be what i go for.

my grandmother rode and jumped horses when she was my age and a bit younger,

and spent a lot of time around polo ponies.

i'm not sure if someone made or gave her the bracelet,

but i always think of her when I wear it.

happy wednesday!

alli

double twos.

2011-02-22T18:31:00.000-08:00

(i can make a mean/scary face too)

chambray shirt: lands end

sweater: etam

black jeans: forever 21

boots: uggs

another simple and comfy outfit.

i wish i could say i had my collar popped like that the whole day.

yea, i roll like that.

ooooook. i'm white.

today was fairly uneventful.

work was slow, but my reading week/spring break

is turning out to be a lot busier than i thought!

almost halfway through the week and not even CLOSE

to halfway through the papers that are due monday.

i will say that i made a scrupmtious dinner.

baked chicken with garlic and herbs,

and beets with a vinaigrette dressing.

de-lish.

and ps. i'm ready to go shopping now!

only 8 outfits left, crazy.

alli

a skeptical 21.

2011-02-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

black shirt: banana republic

sweater: banana republic

denim skirt: old navy

scarf: gift from Mr. S.

belt: nooo idea

tights: also stumped.

boots: dsw

guys, i'm not sure about this outfit.

it all started out with me wanting to wear these tights this morning.

i kinda constructed the outfit around them...

i don't have much in my 30 for 30 that matches purple,

so i went with the black shirt.

i didn't want to look all emo, so i went with the denim skirt instead of black.

then i added the scarf because it played up the purple in my tights.

then i threw on a sweater.

also

(guess i was in an experiment-y mood today!)

i did my hair quite differently than usual.

not sure how i felt about the braid headband.

why do some hairstyles look SO cute on other people,

and then once you try them,

you feel like 5 year old Gretel from the Sound of Music,

and your boyfriend won't stop calling you Princess Leia?

oh well.

today i found the coziest little one room bookstore right by campus.

coolest place, i could have stayed there the whole afternoon.

i picked up some Freire and sat in a café

and tried to start one of my midterm papers on utilitarianism all afternoon.

how was your monday?

alli

twenty.

2011-02-20T19:25:00.000-08:00

yellow shirt: h&m

plaid button up: etam

jean leggings: gap

boots: dsw

today's pictures are just silly.

they started out in all seriousness,

but that ended pretty quickly.

i can't believe i only have 10 outfits left!!

today was actually a semi-productive day.

grocery shopping done.

tomorrow starts my 'spring break'

but i need to get a start on some papers due right after break.

so i'll be searching for motivation.

i think getting out of the apartment is key.

which gives me a great excuse to go find a great cafe :)

how did your weekend finish up?

ready for another week?

alli

inspiration.

2011-02-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

i browse a site called pinterest pretty often,

and have found a lot of inspiration and cute prints there.

here are some of my recent finds:

where do you find your inspiration?

alli

cardigan dress. 19.

2011-02-19T18:46:00.000-08:00

cardigan, wore as a dress: zara

striped shirt: h&m

tights: sears

belt: etam

boots: dsw

necklace: silpada (gift)

1. i match the couch

2. yes i'm wearing a cardigan as a dress

3. two days in a row with no snow boots!

4. don't go see 'just go with it'.

funny at moments, but unbelievably idiotic at others.

5. i had the laziest most fantastic day

what are you doing with your saturday?

alli

eighteen.

2011-02-18T23:12:00.000-08:00

dress: anthropologie sale

cardigan: urban outfitters

tights: h&m

boots: dsw

these pics were taken in a rush,

we were heading out the door to head to

a lovely wine & cheese at a friend's apartment.

this week had a sprint to the finish-

i was the only person in my section at work

for the whole morning, and being so,

had to do a lot of manual labor,

that i wouldn't have chosen to do in a dress... per se.

but i was tough, and i pushed around hundreds of pounds of overpriced text books,

in my cute anthro dress.

and then i skipped the gym afterwards :)

and as you can see by the time i'm posting this,

i'm planning on a nice grasse matinée tomorrow.

i.e. i'm sleeping in.

alli

teaser.

2011-02-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

voila my new nail polish!

please forgive the pictures-

i tried really hard to get a good one of the color,

but it was hard!

the color looks kind of purplish in the bottle,

but turned out to be the perfect shade of grey i was looking for :)

no outfit pic tonight,

but hopefully i'll post it up tomorrow.

i made the mistake of going to the gym,

and not taking a pic of my outfit before.

and i had ZERO motivation once i got home.

oh well.

i'll just say, i did a little pattern mixing....

and i wore a belt around my hips (instead of my waist)

for the first time since at least 6th grade.

curious?

bwa ha ha have to wait till tomorrow.

alli

Half-point Recap.

2011-02-17T14:36:00.000-08:00

i've been meaning to do this since day 15...

but i guess i'm only 2 days late, so i don't feel that bad :)

here (in a very disorganized manner)

are the first 15 (or 16) outfits i've worn in the

30 for 30.

halfway done, halfway to go!

stick with me, as i get really creative

trying to figure out 15 more outfits.

outfit 17 coming soon!

seize. (the day).

2011-02-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

black jeans: forever 21

white tshirt: h&m

blazer: express

leg warmers: target

boots: dsw

bracelet: gift

scarf: vintage from momma.

today i was feeling pretty plane jane.

i wanted something put together, but simple.

i felt a little too suit-like with the black blazer and pants,

so i threw in my trusty leg warmers and a colorful scarf to break it up a bit.

and a lovely pink/orange bracelet!

wednesday is my two class day.

the conversations are so different in both the classes,

and today i found it difficult to switch modes.

still some really interesting conversations though.

all about disappearing childhood and feminine struggles around the world.

well, i said interesting, but certainly not light.

today i bought new nail polish for the first time in like.... maybe ever.

usually i just steal my sister's, but living on the other side of north america...

well you can see how that would complicate things.

maybe i'll give you a peek tomorrow!

how has your wednesday been?

alli

halfway!

2011-02-15T20:07:00.000-08:00

shirt: h&m

skirt: old navy

belt (it's red): thrifted in france

tights: sears

leg warmers: target

boots: dsw

well by the time these were taken, i was starving.

and now i'm writing this and i'm exhausted with a headache.

whew.

ok done complaining!

it was absolutely gorgeous outside today.

FREEZING.

but gorgeous.

i feel like i'm a lot less vitamin d deficient this winter,

which is really better for everyone involved.

alright.

maybe i'll come up with a funnier story to tell you tomorrow.

but now i'm going to wait for the advil to kick in, and get my pjs on.

oh who am i kidding,

i'm already in pjs.

alli

be my valentine. 14.

2011-02-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

floral dress: pimkie

red cardigan: zara

tights: old navy

boots: ...

happy valentine's day!

today was spent not-getting-enough-work-done,

and soon i'm off to class.

the rest of my week is going to be quite busy,

so it was nice to have a quiet day,

but i have a lot more to do!

we celebrated valentine's day a little early,

and this is what i was spoiled with!

ever heard of smart box?

there are several themes (serenity, adventure, dining, etc).

you choose whatever price range you're willing to spend,

and you get a gift card and guide.

the person who gets the gift can look through the guide and decide what

they want to spend their gift on-

each spa has a different package.

so sometime next week, i'll be getting

a facial, a massage, a manicure or a pedicure,

or some combination of all those!

best gift ever,

i'm so lucky

alli

double trouble.

2011-02-13T18:58:00.000-08:00

saturday:

sweater: banana republic

shirt: forever 21

black jeans: forever 21

belt: forever 21

boots: dsw

well, i gave in to a lazy saturday, and didn't post pictures.

actually, in all honesty it wasn't all that lazy.

i went to an annual general meeting for a place i volunteer with,

did the grocery shopping for the week,

made dinner (raclette!!) and watched

diamonds are forever.

but by the time it got around to posting, i was wiped out.

ps diamonds are forever is kind of all over the place.

and the two bad guys/creepers were definitely that. creepy.

sunday:

i included this one so you could see the snow outside!

striped shirt: h&m

wool sweater: camaieu

shorts: jcrew

tights: h&m

so i tried out the shorts and tights look.

it felt kind of weird at first, but i think i like it!

it helps that the tights are so comfy and warm :)

in my head, i had imagined the outfit with a black shirt,

but this shirt and sweater popped out at me when i was getting dressed,

so i went with it!

today was day 2 of sleeping in

(glorious)

got some schoolwork done this morning

and then went to go see

'no strings attached'.

it was pretty good, slow at times, but good.

it snowed a bit this afternoon-

when we got out of the movie

the ground was completely covered.

anybody celebrating valentine's day tomorrow?

we celebrated early, since i'll be in class until 9 tomorrow.

i'll show you what i got tomorrow!

alli

onze.

2011-02-11T16:32:00.000-08:00

dress: forever21

yellow cardigan: urban oufitters

gray tights: h&m

gray belt: etam

boots: uggs

i don't really like the flash in the first photo,

but it helps to see the colors better in this outfit.

this is a wonderful summery dress,

but i feel like i wear it more in the winter than in the summer!

i'd stay and chat,

but i'm going to run out the door

and mange some yummy indian food.

favorite way to spend a friday night!

alli

ten.

2011-02-10T21:17:00.000-08:00

striped shirt: h&m

scarf: h&m (gift)

navy cords: old navy

boots: dsw

another simple outfit.

i started the day wearing a blazer,

but it felt a little too stuffy.

so i switched it out for this nice floral scarf.

bring a little summer into my february thursday.

if you can see my earrings in the last photo,

they're dangly silver hoops i bought

on a trip in india.

they have little bells in them,

which got kind of tiring by the end of the day,

but it was a sweet reminder of my trip there!

this my be one of my go-to

lazy day hairstyles now.

i've tried to pull off a side ponytail before,

but it always looked strange.

now i have a trick to make it work!

alright.

off to dodo. bedtime.

tomorrow's friday!

how are you celebrating?

alli

thursday hair.

2011-02-10T05:24:00.000-08:00

hair inspiration for today!

via cupofjo.

niner.

2011-02-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

awkward close-up of my tights.

gray dress: etam

red cardigan: zara

tights: h&m

belt: flea market find

leg warmers: target

boots: dsw

i've worn a similar outfit to this one before,

but i've never paired it with these tights,

thought i'd change it up a bit.

i love this belt,

i like to think of it as my parachuter belt.

must have been a pretty skinny parachuter though-

i'm pretty sure it won't fit around my hips!

it was pretty freezing here today.

honestly though, i don't mind the cold,

or even the snow,

but i am DONE lugging around this huge winter coat,

and putting on and taking off

scarf, hat, mittens, etc.

constantly. it's driving me nuts!

something's telling me, we've got awhilllle to go.

lots of thesis topics spinning around my head lately,

which is exciting and overwhelming all at once.

almost the weekend!

how was your wednesday?

alli

huit.

2011-02-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

i was a little peppy in this one.

i'm wearing:

black shirt: banana republic

green skirt: old navy

belt: forever 21

tights: old navy

boots: dsw

red scarf: vintage from madre

headband: voice of europe

i was thinking about this outfit yesterday,

but i didn't want to worry with the tights.

some days just want to wear pants, ya know?

i don't know if i looked like a christmas tree or not,

what with the red scarf and green scarf.

maybe so, but hey.

and i pulled out this headband this morning,

which i lived in last year, but haven't worn in the longest time.

tomorrow i might go back to my trusty fleece tights,

it really cooled down here today!

tomorrow's already wednesday,

the end of next week starts our spring break...

where does time go?!

how is your week going?

alli