gratitude cafe

this week i am thankful for... 

- a modern hymn that spoke straight to my heart this week. 'put no trust in the earth...' thank you. - new hair! - delicious food and great company on our wee road trip to calgary - spring grass finally sprouting - banana nutella muffins. yes. - i love this face, even when it's hidden - 

the last little while has been a bit busy and stressful, and i have found myself stopping to give thanks so often - it's a little respite in the middle of runaway-train thoughts. other things i have been thankful for this week: a dear friend's birthday; my freaking awesome landlady; lots of family time over easter weekend; a thought-provoking book written by a dear friend; queen; a lovely coffee date with trish the awesome; nice enough weather to run outside...

have i ever mentioned that i love the internet?! yes, yes i think i have. regardless, here are some gems i've found around the place lately:

- clothes for kids that are both entirely ethical and just a little bit punk rock.
- a photographic exploration of america's rockabilly culture
- an amazeballs t-shirt design that only edmontonians will understand
- the ever-inspiring questlove started a series with venture magazine... i want to read everything this guy ever writes! his work is hella musically motivating and thought-provoking
- on leaving behind the stones...
- i made these muffins, minus the blueberries, plus the nutella, and they were glorious
- a new favourite the voice audition (yes, i have many) - a must-watch, via Sarah

alright, that's it from me - what are YOU thankful for?

gratitude cafe

this week i'm thankful for...

it isn't warm, but at least it's beautiful - dinner & birthday celebrations with dear friends - regular writing dates with my favourite guy - getting back into my DJ grind - remedy cafe and their sweet, sweet chai - officially beginning to train for a 10k race! 

other glitterbombs of goodness in my life: 

- actually buckling down and editing a piece i was mostly happy with to submit to the travelers' tales anthology of womens travel writing - um...signing up for twitter (perhaps a little late to the game?) - making the first paycheque since our trip streeeeeeetch - mega-inspiring coffee date with a lovely lady -

and some cool stuff i found around the internet: 

- because there are better reasons to use '#YOLO'... (also: #14. yup. maybe i should start going by the stage name charmageddon...)

- oh you KNOW i love a good playlist...

- this video warmed my heart to the core, and is fuel for my soapbox sermons that dreams are not only meant to be chased, but to be caught - and caught while holding hands with those who love and support us.

- this beautiful, poetic piece by a new mother oozes purpose and family and body-love... immediately subscribed to this girl's feed - mega inspiring word-weaving happening over there!

- i made these muffins to bring to church family brunch, and they were awesomesauce...

- generous grandma + family in need = tiny home. obviously.

- a must-read for those who've become disillusioned with voluntourism and short-term missions.

- on JOY being the compass for time management... goodbye drudgery!

- a different kind of behind-the-scenes look at sochi


how about YOU? what are you thankful for? let me know in the comments :) 

linkie poos!

photo courtesy of unsplash

isn't the internet awesome? i've found a few gems lately - check em' out!

- looking for images for your blog or business? unsplash sends 10 photos every 10 days, and death to the stock photo sends you a bundle every month - free to use for any purpose.

- these refreshing money truths were a great reminder to kick a 'scarcity mentality' 

- parenting wisdom that, i'd say, is relevant to any intimate relationship...

- thought provoking series of street art that confronts street harassment of women

- i just discovered this website, which is an absolute gold mine of insights on making creative projects come to life - added to my rss feed, pronto.

new zealand
in 15 days, we're going to new zealand! (yup, 'we' - the gentleman caller is coming too!) i can't freaking wait to see all of my amazing kiwi friends and whanau, and i can't wait to show off the beautiful country that stole my heart. also... i can't wait to have a holiday - corporate christmas party season was chaos, and as soon as i had more than one consecutive day off, my body informed me of it's distaste for my lack of rest, and i have been sick ever since. ugh. now to just power through two more work weeks, and we'll be off!

to get amped for our trip, we've been watching the lord of the rings trilogy - can you believe that i've never seen them before?! i've also been reading and watching a bunch of new zealand-related things, here are some of my faves: 

- this video has me amped on what a remarkable little nation nz really is...

- listening to stories and looking at photos of a street that was entrenched in my heart during my years in chch...

skateboarding
for those of you who are new around here, i have a big, squishy spot in my heart for the skate industry and community... though you probably don't come here for skate-related links, here are a couple that any creative mind will enjoy:

- inspired by this video, featuring a few friends of mine, this artist created sculptures made to be skated - and that's exactly what my pal, scotty, did!

- i just watched this short documentary - it touches on all of my favourite things about skateboarding: creativity, community created simply by a common love of skateboarding, collaborative building, contagious passion that draws new people into the community, and accessibility... to name a few

those should keep ya busy for a while.... what gems have you guys found on the internet lately? post me some links in the comments! 

linkie poos

been working on hanging photos in my home this week. and also: can't wait to see this woman in 6 weeks... 

man! the past week has been BUSY. work. more work. macklemore concert (!). pedi's with the sister and sister-to-be. dinner with the fam & quasi-fam. 2:30am denny's date. two dj gigs. introspection. coloring liz's hair. yeah. busy, but good. how's things with you?

the internet has been coughing up some great stuff lately. case and point:

- a perfectly heart-wrenching piece on grief.

- on swimming against the current, and doing it alone.

- on wrestling with unanswered questions during dark times.

- this male actor dresses like a woman to experience a day in the life of a female in cairo - fascinating!

- a cartoon that serves as an important reminder about punk culture...

- ah - the way this guy talks about love just makes my heart grow three sizes. and about a business venture, even!

- i dream of living in a tiny home... lately i've toyed with owning a tiny home in nz and one in canada... but anyways, this guy is living my dream! granted, his airstream is not quite as retro as i would want mine to be...

- i keep reading this over and over again...

- i want to celebrate all the reasons i'm lucky, like these people!

- a beautiful piece of creative non-fiction about breaking cycles...

- i'm not sure how many of you guys are interested in skate videos, but as some of you old friends know, skateboarding is mega close to my heart. i've seen a bunch of great skate videos this week - check em out! this one includes a couple pals, including some chch friends who relocated to melbourne post-quake. this one is super creative skating from one of the kindest young men i've ever met. pretty much every skateboarder i know has shared this video on facebook in the past three days. it's absolutely incredible, and can definitely be appreciated by someone who has no knowledge of skateboarding whatsoever. THE MAN DOES A NOSE STALL ON A HELICOPTER. watch it!

- this social experiment on dating has me absolutely hooked! i find myself waiting anxiously for the next day's journal to be posted.

- my brother-in-law e-mailed me this a while back, and when i saw that sarah posted it too, i re-visited it and remembered how cool it is!

well. i'm listening to the thunder and rain, and ready to tuck in for enough sleep to face this week with a full heart. hope you're well, wherever you are. xoxo

linkie poos

from fathom's guide to surviving the apocalypse

well, it has been a fabulous week so far - on tuesday night i managed to make it to the front row for rancid & the transplants, which was actually one of the best nights of my life. i mean, i know that i tend to hyperbolize most sentiments when it comes to music, but seriously - rancid is one of my all-time favourite bands, and seeing them live from about 6 feet away was definitely life-time highlight material.

over the past week-ish, i've found some pretty interesting and inspiring things on the interweb.... check it out!

- fathom gathered up a list of hotels that will be perfect for escaping the apocalypse

- relevant magazine caught up with vampire weekend

- on being the kind of person you want to be.

- on talking to strangers

- a great reminder that living the dream starts now.

- i flippin love tiny houses, and think it's great that this family went 'tiny' to get out of debt and live more simply. love it!

- i think veronica varlow's danger diaries is my new favourite blog - this post on passionately DOING STUFF with your life was one of the best blog posts i've read in a while.

- this article on race in r&b and hip-hop was super thought-provoking

- ideas for giving character to your rented home that cost zero dollars.

- this group of students took six challenges to simplify their life, and discovered that they can do more than just survive with less.

- thought catalog made a must-read list of quintessential summer beats


find anything good on the internet lately? let me know in the comments!

linkie poos - bounty from the internet...

i found some pretty rad stuff on the internet this week! such as...


- thoughts on welcoming adventure in everyday life.

- facing menial responsibilities after returning from the glorious life abroad.

- golden perspective on working hard to reach your goals.

- just discovered this cover, and have listened to it about ninety-seven times today. it's that good.

- man i love to read, but this guy prioritizes it like it's going outta style!

- killah dance moves to go along with that nineties playlist i made ya...

- words matter! a flowchart and advice on expanding your vocabulary....


find anything good on the internet lately? let me know in the comments!

thought catalog is on fire today...

three poignant pieces of prose, for different seasons of the heart...

'i will not forget you' by chelsea fagan

'how to talk to someone you love' by stephanie georgopulos

'we met at the worst possible time' by christopher hudspeth

linkie poos - rad people, words, music and other fun stuff

the internet can be a pretty unpredictable place, ay? i've found some pretty great reads lately, just thought i'd share them with you!


there are sure some inspiring people out there, like....

this guy, who's on an epic bike adventure...

...or this woman, who embraces simplicity in many ways.

my friend is pregnant, and her writing about it is HILARIOUS. such a refreshing twist on other pregnancy blogs... i mean, she's nicknamed the fetus 'darth maul.' if that's not enough to pique your interest, i don't know what is...

... this guy had face tattoos for a week, and talks about how it impacted is day-to-day life, while these people have permanent face tattoos that advertise websites that no longer exist! cray cray.

these guys live in the tiniest house ever and it's so awesome!


and i found some things that made me think, such as...

...this photo  of young people in russia protesting something that many north americans accept without question...

...or this concept of taking the time to do something that matters immensely.

nate wrote about the world renown jewish rapper who shaved his beard... it's a bigger deal than it sounds, okay?

thought catalog had a two heart-wrenching and memorable pieces, about absence, love and loss.


i've been pumping this music...

the killers released their new album on tuesday. i bought it the day it came out and it is AWESOME.

a couple weeks ago my brother introduced me to fun.'s older album, and it has been on steady airplay in my life... here's my fave song from the 'aim and ignite' album...

this song is just hitting radio waves, and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy (forever indebted to alex for introducing this to me first :D )

i hate to admit to watching reality tv, but  swear i do it to see chrstina aguilera...and this makes me totally teary...

slightly profane but hilarious and catchy song about thrift store shopping...


and just for fun...

russia beyond the headlines compiled a list of foods that go well with vodka... they kind of make it seem like you can have a glass of it with a meal like it's apple juice or something...

for those wanting to have a good time without breaking the bank, here are some old faithful pastimes on the cheap...

these teenie people are so rad!

relatable if you're over 25 and unmarried...

this still makes me laugh til i cry (scantily clad man alert! not for the faint of heart...)


enjoy!

linky links: it's not easy being green...

from threadless's muppets t-shirt design challenge

well, kermit may have been right on that one, it's not easy, but it is possible!

i've had a couple of good reads this week -
 - offbeat home had an interesting discussion on ethical consumption of electronics
 - and one of my canadian heroes gave options for eco-friendly hair dye


both of these are issues that always kinda stick for me...electronics and cosmetics. there are certain things that i can cut out of my life, due to their environmental and ethical impact, but lets be honest - i'm not likely to ditch my cellphone or computer anytime soon. and though i love lush, i'm not always in a place to fork out $20 for a small bottle of shampoo, and they don't even sell makeup... so anyways, just thought i'd share those two little conversations i found this week. offbeat home and hipster housewife are both great sources for discussion on the challenges of living green. it may not be easy being green, but it's worth it :)