For Fork's Sake!

...I hope you think I am as hilarious as I do!


The only Crate & Barrel near us is in Toronto, and while we were there picking up the bare essentials (i.e. 4 plates and 2 sets of cutlery so now I have 8 of everything, yay!), I had the opportunity to browse around and fawn over all the cool house stuff I wanted and couldn't buy in good conscience until we at least do the floors. So... that's where you come in. Maybe:


Specifically from Crate & Barrel (unless you find the same thing elsewhere):










I love these martini glasses and have wanted a set for the longest time! Competing priorities... sigh. They're not the cheapest, but so cute, right?!














Pretty self-explanatory and I'm sure you don't have to go to C&B for this, but it's the only place I've seen it. It's an over-the-sink cutting board/colander! Genius!












These olivewood spreaders are so pretty and unique and would be awesome for a cheese course. A set of 8 would be awesome :-)

This is one serious cheese grater. And we make a lot of nachos at our house. It's by Microplane, and I'm pretty sure that it doubles as a rocketship.

Other house things:

- POTATO MASHER

- Potato Ricer

- Rotary Cheese Grater

- Garlic Press

- Measuring cups (I have a 1-cup, I'd like a 2-cup and a gigantic one, tempered glass)

Mirror, Mirror

I have wanted this mirror ever since I visited an Anthropologie for the first time in Atlanta. For obvious reasons (i.e. it's $178), I have put off buying it. But I will own it one day, one way or the other!


Here's a link: Anthropologie "Who's The Fairest" Mirror

Are You Ready, Boots? Start Walking!

Since I have no idea whether my upcoming surgery will resolve my Morton's Neuroma issue, I have to expand my inventory of flat footwear. All I currently own are flip-flops, a couple of gladiator-style sandals, Uggs and rain boots. My favourite suede Steve Madden slouchy boots are so worn that there are gaping holes in the heels and I'll have to throw them out as soon I get a replacement pair. Luckily, super cute flat boots are all the rage right now! Town Shoes in the Rideau Centre carries these (PS: I am a size 7.5 in boots most of the time... wink!):




I almost fainted when I saw these.

I love this colour!! They had a slouchy variety similar to these that I like a lot also and they come in black and grey as well.

Gaaah! Maybe being stuck in only flat shoes won't be so bad after all! Kind of.

I Love Smelly Things!

I love scented bath stuff!!! I am also a) running/have already run out of my favourite perfume and b) moving into a house with an enormous bathtub! I am trying to outfit it like a spa... so I would love some smelly bath stuff! Here is some stuff I like, but I'm pretty easy to please in the smell department:


Lola by Marc Jacobs: I got a sample of this last year at Trustfund and I love it!

image from sephora.com

Stella by Stella McCartney: I am out of this and it's probably my favourite scent of all-time. Blind Item: I bought a friend a concert ticket and she was supposed to bring me back a bottle of Stella from L-A in return. She has yet to make good on that offer and it's been 2 years... Guess who?!?!!

image from sephora.com

MAC - Turquatic: My other all-time favourite, especially for summer

image from maccosmetics.ca

Philosophy Bath Products: I love pretty much everything by Philosophy. You can get it at Sephora (there is one in the Rideau Centre) and they smell amazing. I could probably eat the Rainbow Sherbet bath gel... other good ones are Coconut Frosting, Cinnamon Buns and Red Velvet Cupcake!

image from sephora.com

Off With Her Head!

I would love to start collecting seasons of The Tudors. I've only seen bits of Season 1 a couple of years ago, and an episode or two of Season 2, but I think the series is fantastic. It's the type of show I would watch over and over again-- I love the cinematography and the wardrobes, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers is just the right kind of crazy. I love the Tudor era and I often wish I were alive back then... until i think of the fact that there was no running water, plagues were rampant and I probably would have been burnt at the stake or beheaded by now. But if you minus all that... I could have ridden horses all day in a fancy dress! Fun!!

Also... isn't that the greatest advertisement ever? They all have no heads! Get it???

Before my Warrior Turns Into an Inadvertant Pigeon Pose...

image via jiggaroo.com

Yoga in the hot room requires a towel, for obvious reasons. Although a "sticky mat" is the type recommended for doing Hot Yoga and Bikram, about 15 minutes into the class all the sticky in the world can't prevent you from sliding all over the place. I've been using a beach towel since I started, but it's not quite slip-resistant enough-- there have been some close calls! I've noticed people around me, HSLM included, having lots of luck with the Manduka Equa Towel from Lulu Lemon. It's a towel that you don't have to pour your entire water bottle over to get traction, and it's made specifically for yoga in the hot room. It's also not as pricey as the ones with the little rubber dots all over, and works much better than those do, as far as my armchair online research is concerned.

Going from this:

To this:

...is not a good accident to have!

Coffee: Do Stupid Things Faster With More Energy!

No self-respecting public servant can get through a week without going to Starbucks, Bridgehead and/or Second Cup at least once. Help keep me awake at work with a gift card to one of the above... your tax dollars depend on it!

Tiffany & Co For Under $40!

I have a love affair with Tiffany but their stuff is so expensive it's actually embarrassing to ask for it. I have resigned myself to the fact that from here on out, I will probably be purchasing the bulk of my Tiffany baubles myself. And before you point out that spending $35 on brand-name playing cards is ridiculous... I know. But look at them! Right?!

Gifts of Hope

photo from plancanada.ca

I love this website and I think it is such a great idea, especially if you have no idea what to get someone or if you would rather not get them just a gift card. Having lived in Africa and seen some of the social and economic issues first hand, this is something that is close to my heart. Gifts of Hope are organized by budget and popularity. Even if this isn't for you, it's neat to see what you can do for a community with a $12 mango tree :-)

Home Sweet Home

I love decorating and shopping for stuff to outfit the home, especially now since Boyfriend and I have just bought a brand-new house and will be moving in 2 days before my birthday at the end of September! You never really realize just how much stuff you need to get before you move in (i.e. every light fixture for every room in the freaking house! Lighting did not come standard, apparently), so here is some of the stuff I've been drooling over lately:



The Urban Barn

There is one of these in the Byward Market on York street, just across from Kinki and the Expedition Shoppe. I've never been in, but I went on their website and they have some pretty awesome stuff. A lot of it is way out of my price range, but the smaller things (throws, pillows, accessories) are more reasonable.




I love this style of accent! Moorish or Moroccan-inspired designs manage to combine simplicity with intricacy and are just overall really cool to look at. This wire hanging lantern is on sale at Urban Barn for $23.00. Not bad!

This Mia Mini Bud Vase Set, also from Urban Barn, is so cute. 3 vases and a tray for $30.

This Sherpa Throw looks so soft and comfy, right?!

Another place I love-- for lighting and accessories in particular-- is Ikea. Check out those BIGARRÅ planters and vases! So cool! Ikea is also wonderfully inexpensive without looking cheap (most of the time). I'm planning on getting most of my lighting from here. I feel like this FILLSTA lamp will look pretty cool over our dining room table.

Tally-Ho!

The time is coming, very soon, for me to get back on that horse! (Well, not that one, specifically)



I don't want to jump the gun yet in the way of tack and accessories as plans are not yet set in stone, but there are a couple of basics I will be needing. I was surfing around looking at horsey stuff (because I am keen on torturing myself in the meantime) and I came across good deals at Running Fox in their closeouts section (http://www.runningfox.com/productlist.php?id=57):

The Rectiligne Half-Chap:

That's a pretty good price for a high-quality leather half-chap. I currently still own the suede ones I've had since age 11 ... the velcro tabs do not quite do up over my calf anymore, but I can still make them fit!

Kind of.



Gifting Specs:
I don't currently have a tape measure to measure my calf, so I'll update when I do.

Laser Beam Concentration, English Bulldog Determination...

image from totaldiet.com

When I sold my horse and stopped riding, my exercise regimen kind of fell by the wayside and I definitely paid for it. A friend of mine got me addicted to Bikram Yoga a couple of summers ago, and I've been hooked on Hot Yoga ever since! Yoga is not cheap to keep up on a continuing basis (unless you volunteer at the yoga studio, which I don't have the time for), so yoga classes are always greatly appreciated! I go twice a week, either to Rama Lotus or to Prana Shanti. Yoga classes are the most straightforward gift you could get anyone who loves yoga or wants to try it, because (in general and in my experience, anyway) you don't have to sign up for or pick specific classes. You just have a budget, and buy a class package or individual classes that fit within that limit. Easy Peasy! And good for the recipient :-)

Rama Lotus

Prana Shanti


Namaste!

Here Comes The Rain, Doo Doo Doo Doo

image from womensdesignershoes.wordpress.com

Hunter rain boots are something I have coveted for a while. I was about to buy myself a pair, and then a colleague sold me her brand new Coach rain boots that she had bought at a Boxing Day sale; they were too small for her, so I kindly took them off her hands. I love them and they are wonderful. So why do I need a new pair?

1) I want them, and they look adorable with the little boot socks folded over the top!

2) I have since somehow injured my foot and anything without a wide toebox (i.e. Coach rain boots) makes the nerve in my foot hurt like the holy dickens. I have a surgery appointment at the end of October, so we'll see how that goes... but it'll rain before then, right? I have been so depressed over this foot thing as I had to go out and buy approximately 5,000 pairs of flat shoes (actually, it was 3) and for the duration of my convalescence and maybe even forever after, I will have to surround my feet with comfy, flat things. I know. I miss my heels a lot.

Here's a neat little post from the RoadTrip Blog (Hint: You can buy them there and at TrustFund too!): http://roadtripclothing.com/blog/?p=876


Look at how adorable they make you look, even when you're outside your exploded house in a nightshirt! Who wouldn't want these?!

Gifting Details:

I have yet to actually try a pair on, but my feet are a 7-7.5 in closed shoes. If someone ever feels like picking up a pair for my birthday (wink) I will actually pop down to the Market and try them on. I think the pewter colour would be the most practical, but I also love them in aubergine and forest (or hunter, if you're an equestrian) green.

I know what you're thinking...

image from debutanteclothing.com

1) Who does this girl think she is?

2) She has finally taken my suggestion seriously! Joy of joys!

3) Is she getting paid to do this?

4) Hahahahahaha



Let me just take un petit moment to address these thoughts:



1) As I just finished telling my Heterosexual Life Mate (HSLM for short), the mere thought of asking for things makes my stomach feel like it is going to fall out my butt. I hate it. I hate it so much, whenever I had to canvas for Shinerama or Relay For Life or whatever... the bulk of the donations came from my parents (clearly, I have less of a problem asking them for things). My mother suggested I make a website (See thought number 2... Hi Mutti!) that organizes things that I want so I can just send the link to my family and friends and not have to agonize over a list like I do every September and December. So... please don't judge me-- I'm only doing what I was told (obviously you are going to... this is the Internet, after all).


2) My mother's exact e-mail went as follows:


Actually, I think I have another unused leather wallet that I could give you - cant beat that price! Wait till Thursday and I will show it to you.....Put Coach wallet on a birthday/Christmas list - or get Mark to create a "Gifts for Sofie" website for you that you can update periodically, add links to Trust Fund and Tiffany etc etc. LOL




Mutti, you are both a hilarious and extremely practical person (unless you are buying things for yourself, then you are just like me) and sometimes those two traits combined make for equally hilarious and also ridiculous ideas. If I get laughed off the Internet for this, you can be the one to take me to St-Hubert to drown my sorrows in gravy. HSLM has to come too.


3) Right now... yes, technically. I am also working at the same time so it's okay, right? I am superb at multitasking.


4) Hahahaha... yes, I am right with you there.


In summation: There is probably absolutely no foreseeable entertainment value whatsoever in reading this blog, but please feel free to discuss. (e.g. "I also want that!"; "Why are jeans so expensive?!"; "You have horrible taste in llamas", etc.)