Weekday Inspiration | Attitude of Gratitude

I write this to you with head hung low and tail between my proverbial tail, the true picture of apologetic. I'm sorry for a lapse in posting. I am visiting family and filling my days with toy cars, pizza, snow and bouncy balls - and avoiding screens at all costs - ahhhhh, bliss!

I promise there is a gift in here somewhere, read on for your reward!

Top 5 | Websites for Interviews

I think I've mentioned before how much I love interviews, especially with random, not-so-famous people. The more relatable the better, in my opinion! The internet has become an amazing place to find tete-a-tete convos on an array of topics and, for your reading pleasure, I've made a first pass at my top five sites to read interviews on. (Disclaimer: this list is ever-evolving and subject to change!)

Click on to read my list ranked from good to great!

Weekday Inspiration | Blue Steel

Rock it, rocket.

Humpday Post | Habits

It feels like a constant struggle to cultivate great habits.

I'm a lover of big, hairy, audacious goals, and tend to set them often. What I frequently overlook is the habit side of it - the 'how', so to speak, of achieving these ambitious goals. And, if there's on thing I've learned about achieving (or failing to achieve) goals it is this: behavior is key!

Take my fitness BHAG: work out for a minimum of 30 minutes, 4 times a week. It is completely achievable, and requires just two hours of my time a week. Easy, right? Wrong!! Instead, my mind has turned the act of hitting the gym, or my yoga mat, or jumping on my bike for a ride into this giant feat. A million excuses are constantly at the door, begging to be let in:

"I can't wake up early, I'm too tired and deserve to sleep in."
"I can't work out tonight, I've already made plans with friends."
"Today has been so stressful, I'm going to skip the gym, curl up with a glass of red and order Wilbur instead."
"It's too cold outside, I'm hibernating for the rest of the day."
"I can't work out Saturday morning, I'll be too hungover."**

The best thing about all of these excuses is how telling they are about my real habits: socializing, staying in, getting take out, drinking. So, before we enter the craziness of the holiday season, I'm taking a step back and evaluating how my existing habits can be tweaked and merged with the habits I need to cultivate in order to achieve my BHAGs.

I love socializing! The question, now, is how can I socialize AND fit a workout in?
Stress sucks! But, by forcing myself to get active, I'm busting any lingering negativity of my stressful day, and tiring myself out for a good night's sleep.
The cold is so demotivating! Lucky for me, there are a million and one amazing Youtube videos of workouts. Oh yeah, and I have an in-building gym - hellloooooooo, earth to Amye!!!!

What trips you up on your path to a better you? How do you combat lack of motivation, or diverging priorities?

**And the hungover excuse is actually a valid one for me. Never again will I hungoverly hit a 10:30am weight lifting class on Sunday, only to be nauseous all hour and drop weights on my toes - ouch!

Wilburrrrrrrrito

I have an obsession, an addiction, a constant craving like no other. There's no helping me, there's no way out. I am having a love affair with the Wilbur Mexicana Cali Burrito. 

Adios!

Job Love | Ten Thousand Villages

I feel strongly about the responsibility brands and companies have to spread goodwill and do their best to make the world a better place. In the case of a company that is built solely on the idea of improving the lives of others, pure magic can result.

Enter Ten Thousand Villages. A store that has been a mainstay in my life since childhood. Tiny Guatemalan worry dolls, embroidered keepsake boxes from India, incredibly detailed nativity sets carved out of Soapstone are all trinkets I remember admiring in the Stratford Ten Thousand Villages from a wee age. This company sells beautiful and ethical merchandise (including this stunning salt crystal cheese board - which is, heart-breakingly, an American-only piece)

All of this makes me extremely proud of Jackman Reinvents for partnering with Ten Thousand Villages on a pro bono project to redesign the store's look and feel. The new brand identity was featured on Marketing Mag, which reported "First week sales at the Bloor store were up 34% compared to the same period last year." (!!!!) Check out the before and after shots below.

Feeling extra love for my company today!

Today in Photos

Boss Babes & Books

Last night found me at the Toronto Club Monaco flagship store on Bloor Street, nervous out my mind, heart racing, palms sweating (though, to be fair, it was quite warm in there!), anxiously waiting my turn to bow down to the epic Garance Dore!

I’ve followed her for all of my blog-devouring days, I would put the start of those days back at 2008 –when half the blogs I followed used her photos with nary a credit (it was 2008, the blogosphere was basically the Wild West). I’ve enjoyed every moment of her blog’s evolution, and I would argue it’s at its most compelling state currently. Garance’s affable, self-deprecating narrative style shines, but so does her colleagues’. Every topic from quality of sleep, weekend escapes, and patent leather booties is covered swiftly and comprehensively and I love the long editorials and interviews – though I do wish the career story interviews were shared more frequently!

As you can imagine, years of reading Garance’s stories and obsessing over her photography and style, has turned her into a huge icon for me. I had no idea what to expect when I went to her Toronto book signing event. By the time I reached her she would be two hours into her 107^th book signing event (I exaggerate, slightly) and was sure to be exhausted, possibly even suffering from carpal tunnel. I decided it would be too rude to request a selfie with her (be still, my heart!) and was mentally prepared for a quick smile (with or without eye contact) and a signature to take home with me – which still had me quaking in my boots.

Instead, I was bowled over by the efficiency and strategic planning demonstrated by Garance’s team and Club Monaco: open bar with Cointreau, sticky notes with your name written on it to ensure proper spelling (gah! Can you imagine a worse fate??), a long but well organized line of fashionable women snaking through the retailer’s collection of Garance endorsed product. AND, to top it all off, a designated photo-taker who was snapping pics of each signee with Garance, using the signee’s phone – GENIUS! Selfie conundrum solved!

Two whole minutes with Garance is the equivalent of a year in heaven (umm, haven’t you seen Interstellar?? You know how these things work….). She was super smiley, kind, has this glow about her, and joked about the rainy awful weather in Toronto that day, everything about her was CHIC! And of course I don’t have to tell you she was the nicest person EVER!!

But I DO need to tell you about the other women in line. Suffering the pelting rain, spending two hours standing in heels, de-layering in the stuffy, humid heat can only be fun for so long. What made my night stellar was chatting with and getting to know the women in line with me. After a friend bailed, I had resigned myself to wasting time with candy crushing. Lucky for me (in what would become the start of a series of surprises that evening – free drinks! Photos with Garance!! Correctly spelled name!!!) I was given an opportunity to meet some fabulous boss babes, including a digital designer and a marketer for a fashion start up. After two hours of shared laugher (and anxiety-induced turmoil) we had basically become besties for life (If you’re reading this, new acquaintances who I barely know, I promise I’m not trying to scare you off!!!!). All in all, a seriously successful night in my books.

Happy Wednesday!