December 12: Timeslot

1. Colourist agrees to refine her highlights in an open slot.
2. Dude at Laura Mercier examines her shades of plum lips.
3. Babe scores some fancy corporate toilet paper for herself.

Corporate TP is the most enduring and endearing. Snag a roll from work and test it at home. It lasts twice as long. I'd like to know where to buy this stuff. Toilet paper should not be soft and squeezable, of puffy air and no longevity – it ought to be a solid roll of consumer product!

PS - Just went here for a fantabulous surprise.

Three Things: Spaces

Public spaces. Private spaces. Shared spaces.

Voicemail: ‘Hi Julia, please excuse the echo. I am in my bathroom, but not doing gross things... I am brushing my teeth.’

1. People I know openly admit to using laptops in toilets.
2. Recently, a friend picked up his cell phone in the shower.
3. Another friend is installing an iPod bath speaker system.

What else do Bathroom Blackberry addicts do?

August 4: Lovenotes

1. Bit here: My dad prepared dinner for two, in what appeared to be a peace offering.

2. Bit there: Grandma moments. One spoke loving nonsense; the other smiled a toothless grin. One giggled; the other burped in reply when I asked if she was full. Mmm, mushy peas.

3. Bit everywhere: Daydreams about the man on whose forearms I want to inscribe lovenotes with my fingertips. [Extra good because I later realized it was my ex's birthday and I hadn't thought once of it.]

July 8: Fruits, Veggies

Eat is just one letter away from Fat.

How can I describe this? I spent almost my entire weekend in my underwear.

Tea, smoke, muffins, chocolate, candies, smoke, biscottis, ice cream, smoke, wander backyard in rain.

1. Dried fruit snacks, Perrier, email.

Big-budget Chinese film set in Tang dynasty (co-starring lots of boob), ice cream, cheese, smoke, wander around the house.

2. Fresh tomatoes, Perrier, email.

Too Legit to Quit courtesy of MC Hammer and the kids next door (followed by mild depression), ice cream, smoke, wander front yard.

3. Garlic dill pickles, Perrier, email.

My parents were in Montreal for the big Jazz Festival. You'd think I would take advantage... I don't eat dairy and I don't even smoke!

Sad? Rad. In a pathetic kind of way, I will always remember it as my own Home Alone, Generation X.

May 30: Fresh

1. The smell of fresh lilacs, everywhere.
2. Timeslot for fresh pedicure and manicure.
3. Bro met me and brought fresh new music.

I can't get enough of Rihanna's ‘Umbrella’...

May 19: Love Lettuce

1. Un-Shopping: The saleslady takes back the sandals after 60 days and issues a store credit, even though she doesn't have to. All I buy today is Love Lettuce. I can't resist a face mask with a name like that.

2. Liquid Lunch: Lukas and I find a nice sunny/shady spot for swilling down pints of cold, thirst-quenching East Coast beer. I get a little lightheaded and decide to go test-ride folding bikes in the park. Breezy!

3. Couch-Chesterfield-Sofa: Whatever you call it, I call it comfortable. I settle in to relax and finish reading a delightful book called Save Karyn. Then I settle into bed and dream inspiring dreams.

April 6: Mangoes

1. My uncle came over and helped me sort through our family's antique book collection.
2. My phone did not ring once. I felt a twinge of isolation, but got over it quickly and enjoyed my silent Friday.
3. Unable to buy groceries, I consumed my fruit quota in the form of dried, sweetened mangoes.

‘Being alone is not the same as being lonely.’

April 2: Laughter

1. Leftover apple pie and vanilla ice cream for breakfast.
2. My dad helped me out big-time by making a phone call.
3. Chuckling my way through hilarious high-school photos featuring my dearest Ursula, The Guardian Angel of Laughter.

These were my silver linings today.

April 1: Played

I'm just not feeling it today.

1. Shopped, cleaned, cooked, cleaned - and finally rested. So very grateful for the help of my roommate as my guests colonized.
2. My brother offered me music and movies. Gael Garcia Bernal can certainly brighten up any evening of mine.
3. Listening to music, had a healthy little cry and played with some new photos. See 87 and 89 on 365 Degree View.

Time for that movie!

March 17: Home

1. Big brunch at home, newspapers spread out.
2. Rediscovering my buried treasures in the closets.
3. Couch potato self-infliction: DVD indulgence!

March 14: Tickets

1. Bloggy Award wrote some nice things about my blog.
2. People are taking my books and magazines (I have to lighten my shelves and want to find them all good homes).
3. Two free tickets to the MAC warehouse sale this weekend.

February 14: Crunch!

Happy Singles Awareness Day!

There is no getting past Valentine's - there's a lot of love out there. (My favourite film illustrating this is Love Actually.)

I've been lucky. To honour that, good V-Day memories:

1. Two years ago, landed in Buenos Aires, hit the spa, and had a massage I will never forget (after a flight I will never forget).
2. Last year, my man biked across the city to be with me.
3. Today, a quintessential Canadian winter picture in Toronto, bringing back memories of childhood. We awoke after a blizzard. Beautiful. Mother Nature gifted us with a bright blanket of the whitest snow and blinding light shining down. Snow angels. The sound of packed snow under boots: crunch!

February 11: BA!

This post was originally full of witty, but sarcastic, content. I needed to let the anger fade... after all, it wasn't such a bad day.

1. My weekend ended the same way it began: watching Da Ali G Show over two meals (dinner and breakfast, respectively).
2. I learned about short tons versus metric tons and performed colourful mathematical calculations. So hot!
3. My 1yr-old nephew and I had an intense conversation. Auntie Julia talks. Lukas moans like he's constipated and yells, 'BA!'

February 10: Humming

3. Silent day: my bookshelves and I, spending time with my work, past, present and future.
2. Silent dinner: rested mind. No talking, no singing. Just peace (and the fridge humming).
1. Silent friends: laptops side by side (she taught me how to better organize my music).

January 29: Panties

First, it was the hegemony of the thong. Now, the boy-cut.

Yes, they're all hot. But the bad news is that a basic, low-cut bikini brief is getting harder to find. Which actually looks good on most of us! Selection is growing sadder by the season. To my relief today:

1. Elle Macpherson - top honours
2. Victoria's Secret - reliable enough
3. Calvin Klein - kudos all around

Ladies, I'm counting on you. Comment or email your faves. (Guys, your two cents will be heard if you feel so inclined.)