Bra-zen

The fantabulous Sally has given me a wonderful opportunity to inflict my passion for lingerie on her readership today. Why don't y'all add to the mix and check out my guest post at Already Pretty?And do leave a comment! (Please don't let me be that girl who does a guest post that nobody comments on. :-))

I should mention that I'm doing a fancy work thing today and tomorrow is Canada Day (aka get the kid on the bus and off to camp so the freedom can begin day). What's the bet I turn into that crazy helicopter mother I was last year when she went to camp? I mean, last year they had phones. Note to Kristin: Do not dwell that element of the child going to camp.

Fortunately, I won't have long to wallow because the day after our country's birthday, I am on my way to Quebec! I do imagine I'll post and respond to comments / read my daily blogs, but I'm going to play it by ear. Relaxation is the order of the day. What counts as relaxing remains to be seen. xo

Falling Water

Photo: Studio G

Nothing quite like a FLW-inspired pool... (Suburban chic, no?)

Isn't There Something About This in the Bible?

OK, I'm really trying to stay positive here but between the insane hormonal moment I'm having and the fact that my city has experienced, in the last week, riots, floods and a significant earthquake (5.5 - in a place that doesn't have a fault line?!), I'm kind of at the end.

Add to it the rather crap day I've had and my totally obnoxious 'tween and I'm ready to hop a one-way flight (stowaway-style) to Tahiti.

I'm sure I'll be back in the swing shortly but let's wait till I can say something without spitting venom, shall we?

Maybe you could take my mind off it by commiserating. What's up with your day? Is it awful? Can you one-up me with the crappiness? I'll even listen to fun happy stories, if you must. :-)

We Live Like This*

We Live Like This Ginseng Macadamia Bath Gel

(* aka my fave hotel in-room freebie)

You may know that my vacation philosophy is simple: Actively channel your inner-affluent. Big time.

My holidays involve a potent combo of walking (hours a day), dining finely (hours a day), drinking fun beverages (with the eating), people-watching (hours a day), absorbing beautiful scenes, caring nothing for the matters of my regular life (after all I'm a woman of luxury), having scintillating conversation (non-stop), a bit of shopping (natch) and sex (that's as far as I'm going with that one...)

I am restored by beauty and sensual pursuit. The texture of things, the sound (which often overwhelms me), intensity of light or dark and scent. The aptly named We Live Like This manages to capture association it its pretty bottle (not that the photo, above, depicts this particularly well) and the fragrance, while strong, is like nothing else I've encountered. It's sort of floral, sort of spicy, a little sweet. It's the complimentary room product at Auberge St. Antoine, though I buy it at from the concierge in mini and regular size when I stay elsewhere.

That's Where I'll Be...

Photo: National Geographic Traveler
(Am I the only one who's surprised there are no boobs in this photo :-))

No joke peeps, it really looks like this.

Or, if you prefer, like this:

Photo: L-One Sakae Staff Blog

Though thankfully that's not the scene right now!

Quebec City is one of the most historically interesting and flat-out gorgeous cities ever.

The food is awesome. Panache, at the Relais & Chateau Auberge St. Antoine, is where we'll enjoy our first dinner (and maybe others). It's a fantastic restaurant with a truly magical atmosphere.

What makes this trip particularly exciting is that we won't be going with the kid! Don't worry for her though. She'll be in Algonquin Park at an amazing summer camp - one that's totally off the grid. I mean, they use a wood stove to cook, lanterns when it gets dark and they pee in the woods (or in an outhouse). OK, maybe you should worry for her :-)

We had to outfit her for the event - she'll be portaging and camping and living off the land - which, I understood, would cost about $250.00 in addition to the (exceedingly outrageous) cost of the camp. $750.00 later, my husband came home from Mountain Equipment Coop with a kid who can now fall into the lake with all the stuff she brings and absolutely everything will float safely and stay dry.

Let's just say this is about to be the most expensive week of domestic vacation ever. Oh, and the child is going to camp for the next 5 years whether she likes it or not :-)

We're not leaving just yet but I'm getting myself into the vacation swing of things!

This month, while memorable and fantastic in so many ways, has been very tiring. I have been moving at a frenetic pace, it seems, without stopping, for 25 days now and I haven't taken more than a long weekend off since Christmas. Between momentous transitions and guests and 2 birthdays and a school play, party and picnic, I feel I haven't had a second of down time.

I am so happy to see holidays looming on the horizon.

So let's talk about QC - do you have any stories about this great place you'd like to share?

Upside Down

I do like this room:

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Gotta appreciate a space with floors for ceilings. It maintains visual warmth, while allowing the cool to circulate.

I'm enjoying the splash of colour from the comic book art and the get-it-on furniture. I bet this space really comes to life during a Friday night dinner party with some good lighting and sharp tunes.

I do think it needs a spectacular view out that window, though.

Love Potion No. 3

Diorshow Blackout Mascara, $31.95 CDN

By all rights, potion 3 is a cosmetic. But I'm not going to let that stand in my way!

I'm one of those women who's always searching for the elusive eyelash perfector. In truth, my eyelashes are adequately long, so I am frequently told. I just like to plump them up a little. For drama.

According to the experts, when you plump you can either "thicken" or "volumize" (I know, the market-speak is iffy...) I tried to determine the difference between the two, and the best I can tell you is that volumizing is vaguely better than thickening. Don't ask me why. There was too much pseudo-science involved for me to commit it to memory. As luck would have it, Diorshow does them both.

I have a friend who insists that the best mascara is from drug stores. In her view, you get nothing more from paying $32.00 for mascara than for paying $7.95. In fact, the cheap stuff is more effective, in her opinion.

In my opinion, packaging counts. As does the fantasy encouraged by good marketing. So I'm the idiot who paid big bucks for eyelash volumizer.

But you know what? It's excellent.

No clumping (my peeve bar none), it does thicken (I mean volumize) and the colour is dramatic without making me look like a goth.

Could it be cheaper? Yes. But I just might buy it again.