You Know You're Back in Canada When...

You know you're back in Canada when...

• your friends say, "Let's go to Timmy's!" and nobody is referring to a person named Timothy
• somebody bumps into you and both of you immediately say sorry
• nobody makes fun of you for the way you say sorry
• you put on your snow tires by the beginning of November

• it's after 10 pm and there's nowhere to buy alcohol except for overpriced bars
• speaking of bars, you order a glass of wine and your bill comes to $8.50 + 13% tax + 15% tip
• there isn't a dollar menu at any of the fast food restaurants
• you buy a book and inexplicably have to pay at least $5 more than the price that's listed on the back cover
• really, you can just sum it up and say pretty much everything is more expensive in Canada (don't even get me started on gas prices...)

Smiling because of the scenery, not for the inflated prices

• the leaves on the trees are fiery red and orange but you know it won't be too much longer until they're all on the ground and covered by a layer of frost
• you have to figure out how to wear a winter coat under your Halloween costume
• you follow style bloggers in Texas who are only now starting to wear scarves and boots and you think WTF
• when those same bloggers start talking about spring at the beginning of March and wearing dresses with bare legs you seriously consider moving to Texas
• the highest rating you ever see in a movie theatre is 14A
• as you're stuck in traffic on the 401 you remember the joke that there are only two seasons in Canada – winter and construction
• your friends start planning winter getaways to Cuba before it's even Christmas
• somebody refers to Aunt Jemima and you scoff, "Ugh, that's not even real maple syrup!"
• you're reminded how beautiful it is to be in an area with colours like these:

What are the funny quirks that remind you when you're back in your home country?

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American v. Canadian Slang

photo credit: StarrGazr via photopin cc

First things first -- Happy Canada Day! Somebody please go to Timmy’s for me.

Considering today is Canada Day and American Independence Day is later this week, I thought I would honour two countries that are very close to my heart. The next time you find yourself chatting with a Canadian and are confused when they ask if you bought a twenty-sixer for the party later tonight or where their toque is, think back to this list and you’ll know exactly what they’re talking about (not aboot -- nobody actually says aboot)!

Celebrating Canada Day in 2011

Of course I place the priority on booze-related slang! I can't tell you how many times I've had people stare quizzically at me when I ask if we should pick up a two-four or twenty-sixer at the liquor store. Have you heard any of these slang terms before?

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Observations of a Chronic People Watcher

Hi everyone! If you're reading this post through your email or Bloglovin, hop on over to the blog today to see The Lifestyle Project 2.0. Thanks so much to Tracy for illustrating my new header and to Erin for redesigning the site! And, as always, thank you to my readers for keeping up with The Lifestyle Project and helping it grow. There are a ton of blogs out there and it means so much to me that you take the time to read mine.

Since I've been in the States this summer I've spent a lot of time in coffee shops.  

In fact, I'm currently writing this post from a coffee shop in town. Sometimes I need a kick in the pants to get away from my oh-too-comfortable bed turned desk and working from outside of the house makes me feel like I need to be extra-productive to justify the $4.23 I just spent on a chai vanilla latte.

Today though I've forgotten my earbuds which, unfortunately, are the key to staying focused. 

Normally when it gets too loud and distracting I just pop in some music and retreat back into writing world. (It's always much too easy for me to get distracted from writing world. Do I get easily distracted from Netflix world? Or pizza binge world? Of course not. But writing world? Always.) 

After battling to stay on task for the last half hour, I figure why not just give in as this post is practically writing itself. And thus I bring to you...

Overlooking Puerto Cortes Beach in Honduras

• I've got two young student types chatting to my left and way over-sharing considering how loud they're speaking. What is it with girls and always touching/twirling their hair? It's not necessarily even a flirting thing... at least not all the time. But considering these girls just switched to talking about their lesbian experiences in college I might've spoken too soon.
• Regardless of age, it seems like there's always room for friendship drama. Why is that? I like to think it's something I've grown out of, especially since I'm not in school anymore. Dramatic friendship breakups are entirely unnecessary. Especially when they're done in public. 
• I hate that my generation is literally attached to their phones. I think it's so rude when you specifically make time for a coffee date and the other person is answering the phone or texting throughout your conversation. Drives me nuts, even when it's not happening to me! 
• Despite being in public, people like to sneak in nose and wedgie picks. We can seeeee you! 
• Children know how to play no matter where they are. At the coffee shop with their mom, running through the park square, kicking around the front yard.. these are all fair grounds for the settings of their next adventure. I think as we grow older we forget how to do this. It's pretty inspiring to see how kids can create magical worlds regardless of what's going on around them.
• People who are unaware that they're being watched make for great photography subjects.
• I love watching people who realize they've gone past where they meant to and instead of just turning around and walking back in the direction where they came from, they pull out their phones and pretend to respond to a text. Okay so 30 seconds have passed and that's totally enough time for it to be socially acceptable to turn back around now, right? In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm totally guilty of this.

Burns Ave. in San Ignacio, Belize has ton of street cafes that are perfect for people watching

Coffee shops, park benches, and my personal favourite, outdoor patios, are the best places for people watching. Do you like to people watch too? What observations have you noticed?

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I'm Not a Feminist, But...

I woke up in a feisty mood this morning and decided to write about a topic that really grinds my gears. Recently, I’ve had a few conversations with people (men and women included) where they say, “I’m not a feminist, but…” and proceed to finish that sentence with some lame ass bullshit that pretty much equates to “I’m an ignorant person.”

Let me break it down for you -- you either believe in equality for men and women or you don’t. Simple as that. Here’s a flowchart to help illustrate this concept for those who are visual learners:

via The Huffington Post

Perhaps these people think the issues of sexism and inequality aren’t relevant topics anymore because they aren’t necessarily “in your face” for the typical young adult who is born and raised in an idealistic bubble. “It’s not something I’ve ever had to deal with personally, so I don’t really think it’s that big of a deal,” they say, minimizing the plight of women across the world with their apathy in one fell swoop.

You don’t think that a woman’s right to safety, education, fair earning potential, voting, freedom of mobility, and medical entitlement to her own body is a big deal? 

Are you afraid to be labelled as weak, radical, or anti-men? Afraid to ruffle a few feathers by acknowledging that a group of humans in today’s society, a group that includes your mom, sister, and grandmother, has been disenfranchised for thousands of years and is still discriminated against to this day? Yes, improvements have been made in most countries, particularly in Western cultures, but the playing field between men and women is most certainly not yet equal.

Go ahead and call me a bitch for standing up for my gender. But the next time you get in a car and drive somewhere without a chaperone, or take one of your birth control pills, or agree with a harsh sentence that is handed down to a rapist in court, I encourage you to think about women across the world who are denied the opportunities and security for which we don’t even give a second thought.

The next time you choose to denounce being a feminist I hope you take a second to realize what you’re really saying and the message you’re sending about your beliefs.

Linking up with This Flooded Sky and She is Fierce.

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Chatting About Fall TV Favourites

Ahhh, autumn -- the season of changing leaves, lots of layers to combat the chill in the air, and perhaps most importantly -- the return of quality television shows. Most summer filler programs have likely been cancelled, making room for the heavy hitters to come back and dominate Sunday and Thursday nights (undoubtedly the best nights for television drama). So now that all of the shows have had their season premieres and had a chance to get the ball rolling, let’s dig in like girlfriends do and gossip about what’s been going on in TV land... (beware, spoilers ahead).

Scandal

If Grey’s Anatomy is the past-its-prime oldest child, Private Practice was the neglected middle kid, and Scandal is the spitfire youngest of the bunch that’s filled with energy and potential. Shonda Rhimes clearly has a favourite TV baby and Scandal is it. Are you watching yet? Please tell me you’re all caught up now (though probably still asking a million questions like the rest of us). 

via ABC

This season started with Olivia being publicly named as the president’s mistress and viewers finding out that the creepily cold and calculating commander of B613, Eli Pope, is also her father. I wonder if Olivia has pieced together her father’s role in that sex tape with her and Jake...? Anyway, last week’s episode was a bit slow with the bomb lady trying to find out what happened to her son. We all knew that, of course, Olivia would make it out alive. Poor Huck is trying to work out his issues and Mellie’s sippin’ on some southern moonshine and talking smack to Fitz. The First Lady has surprisingly become one of my favourite characters in Scandal. In fact, she’ll soon be experiencing a situation of her own as Lisa Kudrow, rumoured to be playing a congresswoman, will be making some waves for Mellie in the weeks to come.

Emmys 2013 Best and Worst Dressed

Starting off with Allison Williams in a simple and rather boring Ralph Lauren dress.  Pretty, yes, but thumbs down for being too middle-of-the-road.

Carrie Underwood (why was she there?) in a purple Romona Keveza ball gown. I love the shape of this dress, in fact it's very similar to what I chose for my bridesmaids. But it's just that... bridal... therefore naturally more conservative and a bit more "poof" than it needed to be for the Emmys. I would have liked if Carrie had chosen something more streamlined and fashion-forward for once. And something not in taffeta. Never in taffeta.

Julie Bowen in pale pink Zac Posen and lots of ruffles. I like the detailing on the bodice but those little sleeves have got to go!

A unique choice by Connie Britton wearing a gold embroidered Naeem Khan blue strapless dress. I think this went very nicely with her complexion and showed off her long lines.

Elisabeth Moss wearing a pretty black and white embellished dress from Andrew Gn, but nothing that knocks it out of the ballpark.

Links à la Mode

It is such an honour to announce that I've been chosen for Independent Fashion Bloggers Links à la Mode roundup! I have a huge smile on my face right now. Missed my post from the other week, An Ode to Quitting? You can check it out below (it's the last link) as well as some other great reads from fabulous bloggers.

Falling for Fall

Fashion Week, September Issues, Back to School (or just back to work) Shopping... Nothing is hotter than September for fashion. Even though fashion week's clothes don't hit the stores until next year, seeing the trends on both the runways and on the fashion elite gives us inspiration for what to wear now. Luckily we have amazing links to the fall finds we'll be falling for.

Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup

• Beauty Tidbits: 7 Easy Ways to Fix Sun Damaged Skin & Hair
• Breakfast at Cindi's: Cute Kids Take Over The NYFW Front Row
• Confessions of a Style Cookie: London Fashion Week : Mulberry VS Topshop Unique
• Corals and Cognacs: Target Does It Again: 8 Affordable Faux-Leather Finds
• Hey Mischka: A Q&A With NYC's Freshest E-Boutique
• Highland Fashionista: Shop Like A Teenager
• Hot Beauty Health: Fall Fashion Survival Guide
• Inspirations and Celebrations: Fall Fashion Trend Dark Florals
• Kiri Yanchenko: We Heart Burberry
• Le Style Connoisseur: The September Issues
• Mules and Manolos: Testing the Best Sites to Consign or Sell Clothes
• Nothing to Wear Novello: The Big Hair Cut: Why Women Fear Cutting Their Hair
• Runway to Style: An Approach to Minimal Femininity at Spring 2014 Shows
• See Lark: Phillip Lim for Target: The Aftermath
• Stilettos and Tequilla: 23 Quotes By Stephen King To Help You Become A Better Writer
• Style Through Her Eyes; 3 Ways To Be A Better Customer
• Style With Friends: Bow Bun Hair Tutorial
• Stylish Butterfly: Tips for picking tops that are trend-proof
• The Curvy Elle: Pop-Up Shop Observations
• The Lifestyle Project: An Ode to Quitting

SPONSOR: Eastdane United Nude, Prism Bags, M Nii, Levi's Vintage, Evleo, JW Hulme, Gareth Pugh, Diemme, IIIbeca, Stone Island, & Men's Brands

Thank you IFB! I'm off to explore some other great blogs!

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It's Friday and I'm Just Sayin'... Target Edition

This past Tuesday marked the opening of Ottawa’s first Target stores as the retailer (finally!) opened shop in Canada’s capital city. Considering this week also featured the debut of 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target in American and Canadian stores, it was quite an anticipated event. 

Image via Our Mode

And while I thought the collaboration had some lovely pieces (like this navy and black blazer and this funky trench coat), I didn’t think it warranted the hysteria-level scramble to swipe the shelves of pseudo-designer purses and clothing. (Didn't it seem like everyone and their sister was itching to get their hands on one of these cute and very hotly desired mini-satchels!) 

Elaine writes about her “social experience” that she went through at 3 am waiting for the US launch and this Daily Mail article details how shelves were wiped out within 10 minutes after one LA store’s opening. Clearly some people are very eager shoppers. But, in the words of Peter from Family Guy, you know what really grinds my gears? 

Crazy eBay ladies.

Yes, I said it. And if you are a crazy eBay lady, why you gotta be so mean?

It’s Friday and I’m Just Sayin’... Baby Bump Edition

It’s time for the second edition of It’s Friday and I’m Just Sayin’ and today I’m talking about baby bumps. Excessively cupping them to be more specific. Between celebrities on red carpets, people online, or those I see in real life, for some reason I keep seeing pregnant belly cupping all around me and for some other reason people think this is so cute and stinkin’ adorable. 

Now before you get all huffy on me, let me say that I recognize belly cupping has its purposes. Instance #1: A 10 pound being is growing inside of you and that shit can get heavy! Sometimes you just need a little extra support. Instance #2: You and your man are taking maternity photos and it’s a super cute moment you want your photographer to capture. Instance #3: You’re in the privacy of your own home / presence of your friends and family / it’s your baby shower and everyone’s fawning.

But celebrities who complain about keeping their personal lives private then turn around and exploit motherhood as a career when convenient (ahem... Jessica Alba)... or women who take every single opportunity to remind you that they’re pregnant and simultaneously rub their baby bumps while filling you in on the latest details that you weren’t sure you wanted to know in the first place when you were just trying to get some H2O at the water cooler... that’s a little weird. 

And while we’re on this topic, at which point do pregnant women decide that all time must be measured in weeks? Is there a hormone that’s released in the first trimester that causes women to forget that greater units like months and years exist? Did you ever describe things in 38-week or 21-month increments prior to becoming pregnant? Didn’t think so. 

Look, we get it. You didn’t have an extra large hamburger at dinner that’s sitting uncomfortably in your stomach and accidentally making it protrude in a perfectly round bump. You’re preggers and you want to highlight your growing tummy and declare to the world that a baby is on the way! If you’re the guy, maybe you’re really proud and want to show off exactly how far your sperm was able to swim. 

Images via WENN

But if your baby bump is cuppable, it’s probably quite conspicuous, meaning we know it’s there. Not exactly a secret anymore! There’s no need for the super obvious gentle resting of your hand just so to highlight a bump that is most definitely not related to bloating the miracle of life growing within. 

I’d love to hear what your take is on this! Leave a comment below and join in the discussion. After all, it’s Friday and I’m just sayin’...

Linking up with Heather from Fiery and Opinionated. Have a great weekend!

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What I'm Wearing: Pops of Neon

Life Lately

Lately,
I’ve been thinking like a blogger. This weekend I instagrammed my food – twice! – before eating it. I use instagram as a verb. I use hashtags when I write (see below). I get blog post ideas and must. write. them. down. immediately. Even if that means breaking traffic rules or jolting from my sleep to scribble them down in the middle of the night. 

I’ve been making small strides as a blogger but I’m still pretty happy with my progress. I hit 70 followers on Twitter this weekend and no I’m not being facetious when I say that I’m proud of that. (But yes I did shamelessly just plug my Instagram and Twitter accounts.) Exactly five of those followers are people that I know in real life. That means I made 65 online connections in the past four months of blogging part-time. Remember when I talked about recognizing small accomplishments? 65 followers in four months of blogging averages out to four new connections a week. Small but measurable steps! Chiara from The Indie Chicks personally invited me to guest post on their site and let’s just say that’s kind of a big deal for a newbie like me! I’ll be submitting some guest post ideas this month and am very excited.

Lately,
I’ve been reading a lot of books. Getting sucked into non-fiction travel memoires – particularly Love with a Chance of Drowning and The Lost Girls. Love with a Chance of Drowning was my favourite out of the two. A solid 9/10 as far as memoires are concerned, it tells the true tale of Torre DeRoche as she decided to follow her lover of nine months on a year-long voyage across the Pacific Ocean on a 32 foot long sail boat. Light-hearted, funny, and engaging, I devoured this book in less than 24 hours.

Fun Summer Drinks (Part 2)

*Just in time for the Canada Day long weekend, here's Part 2 of some alternative summer drink recommendations by my libation-loving-alcohol-connoisseur-fabulous-friend Laura*  Missed Part 1? Get caught up here.

Ciders

Let's clear the air: beer and cider are not the same thing! Beer is made from fermented malted barley or wheat whereas cider is made from fermented fruit.

While most ciders are made from apples, more brands are starting to incorporate many different fruits such as pear, wild berry, blueberry, peach, and elderflower. Since last summer, ciders have been stepping out from behind the shadow of beer and have become a staple drink to have on standby in the fridge. Ciders are a great substitute for the non-beer drinkers: dry, sweet, light or heavy, there seems to be a cider that fits the bill.

1. Magners Pear Cider 4.5% alc/vol. My personal favourite, this cider has a delicate balance of carbonation and light sweetness with a smooth pear flavour. 

[Sidenote from Danielle: Magners is my favourite cider too! Very nice for a casual drink.] 

Image via Cake Group

Fun Summer Drinks (Part 1)

I have something a little different lined up for the blog today and am proud to introduce you to one of my very best friends, Laura Iosue. This is the first guest post on The Lifestyle Project, and despite the fact that Laura isn’t a blogger herself, she offered to write an amazing two-piece article about this summer’s hottest (yet coolest) drinks. Considering that yesterday was the first day of summer, I think it’s perfect timing to share some Fun Summer Drinks (Part 1)! 

Image via Sarah Hearts

After what felt like the longest winter ever, the summer is finally showing its beautiful sun-kissed face and what better way to celebrate this long awaited season than to kick back and pour yourself a glass of awesome.

Met Gala 2013: Best and Worst Dressed

Every year Vogue hosts the Costume Institute Gala, aka the Met Gala, to celebrate the opening of the Costume Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. This red carpet is considered the best of the best in the fashion world precisely because it caters specifically to the fashion industry. Edgy, contemporary, fashion-forward pieces dominate the red carpet and safe wholesome dresses are (supposed to be) left at home.

This year’s theme was Punk: Chaos to Couture. The priority is supposed to be theme first and pretty second. I’ve gathered the highlights of which fashionistas rocked punk glam and my top 3 picks for best dressed. Of course, what is a red carpet without a worst dressed list so keep on scrolling to see my choices for the top 3 offenders as well.

{TV Review} Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 2 Recap

Spoilers Ahead!

Click here to check out my review for Season 3 Episode 1 from last week.

The writers heard my plea last week and started off this episode with Bran, Rican, Osha, and Hodor (Hodor!). I was so distracted by Bran’s new pubescent face and voice that it took a while for me to pay attention to his dream. Then who should hijack Bran’s vision but the kid from Love Actually! It seems that Jojen Reed will become a crucial character who will guide Bran as he develops his gift. I just don’t quite understand why Jojen also seems to be physically weak – is this a characteristic of wargs? Do all wargs have a psychic-we-can-see-things-together connection?

 

{TV Review} Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 1 Recap

Spoilers Ahead!

Let me start by saying that I was never the type to enjoy fantasy novels or movies but there’s something different about Game of Thrones and I am hooked!  The production design is excellent, the dialogue is always interesting, and I look forward to a new episode each week.  Unfortunately we have to wait a year in between seasons but at least the wait is over!

When we last left Westeros at the end of season two, white walkers were attacking The Wall and the Lannisters won a wicked battle to remain in power at King’s Landing.  The third season begins in the north where Sam and the majority of the Night’s Watch have managed to survive a white walker attack and Jon Snow sees his first giant in wildling camp.  I’m really interested to see where Jon’s storyline goes and how his chemistry plays out with Ygritte (wildling girl).

Photo courtesy of IGN