Re-do's...

Fave!

One of the best things about being half chinese (half chicken, half duck as it has been affectionately called...) New Years Resolutions not going so well? Hello Chinese New Year, Hello Round Two of New Years Resolutions!

This time, instead of a long list that I (occasionally) put off for seemingly more important things like, well work and sleep - I am going to Simplify and Go! Here's three...

1. Be Present. I think we all get too caught up in the need to be multi-tasking at all times. When you're there be there. When you're in a meeting, be there completely. When you're at dinner, don't pull out your crackberry! Be there 100%. That's when you will see the best results. 99% on anything and everything should never be good enough.

2. Be Active. In everything. Not just literally moving more, which we should all do! But be active in conversations. Be active in meeting new people. Be active in trying new things, whether it is an exercise, a food or who knows what else!

3. Be Better. Be better than average. Be better than your last. Be better than the competition. Be better than you can even imagine. They say no one is perfect, so this one is easy for us all.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

x's & o's,

Leslie

Be Presidential.

Stepping away from the fave's for a day - Who in the blogsphere does not have "Baracking the Vote" on the tip of their tongue?

Whether you were for, against, undecided, didn't care or otherwise. Can you say you were not inspired by today's inauguration?

Maybe inspired by the hope for change. Perhaps touched by the engagement of millions. Me? I saw charisma. A plan. A confidence to act presidential. I saw a standard of greatness. Too often in our life, we settle for mediocrity. We are too tired to push harder. We settle when we should be striving for our own achievement. Be better. Practice. Get out there. Do more. See more. Live with purpose. Turn over a new leaf. Take your potential into your own hands and do something great. Be Presidential.

Exciting. But you know, being in NYC for election night was not too shabby either!

And that, my friends, is my anthem of inspiration.

Go get 'em!

Leslie

In Her Shoes...

Fave!

Used to say I was a purse girl. Shoes? Not my fancy. Then one day I realized, a great pair of shoes is like a great piece of art!

In the words of Vivienne Westwood..."I like to literally put women on a pedestal." And rightfully so.

So for your inspiration... Drum roll please...

Every girl needs a bright idea or two. Compliments of Karl Lagerfeld. The man, not the future puppy (Another day, another post).

Once in a while we all need to turn everything on its head and jump out of the box! Introducing Marc Jacobs...

And finally, one of my favourite clients and one of, if not the most powerful brands ever... Are these for real?

Unfortunately, the unlimited shoe budget I dream of does not exist. Therefore, here are a few of my fave's and not so fave's in the "I can actually afford it" department...

Fave's:

- The Killer Black Heel (a must have!)

- The Trendy Bootie (with jeans, tights, shorts, skirts, hot hot hot!)

- The Classic Ballet Flat (not to be worn around my taller friends!)

Not so fave:

- Wedge's... though this may be somewhat like when I say I don't like greek salad and really who doesn't? ;)

X's & O's,

Leslie

Guest Blogger...

Oh, hello there.

Your usual host has buried herself in her notebook, so in the interest of keeping a post per day on this blog... here I am.

Oh, I'm also going to stick with a certain someone's pattern by posting my current "Love".

Love: DARIUS MILES, aka "The $18 Million Man"

Darius Miles chose to forego College and declare for the NBA draft directly out of high school in 2000, eventually beginning his NBA career with the Los Angeles Clippers (see here) Many (maybe just me) thought Miles would have a profound impact on the league. What happened in the ensuing years was a classic NBA story: too much talent, not enough work ethic, a huge contract extension ($48 million to be paid over 6 years, to be exact), until injuries turned Miles into a total afterthought.

An afterthought until last week, that is. While I won't lay out the entire fiasco, the latest of it is that when Miles checks into the game for the Memphis Grizzlies tomorrow night, it will take a cool $18 million out of the Portland Trail Blazers' pocket. No, it won't put an additional $18 million into Miles' pocket (he gets that anyway - oh, the beauty of the NBA and guaranteed contracts), but it will surely derail the high hopes the Blazers had for the 2009 and 2010 offseasons. And until last week, no one (except Bill Simmons) seemed to see this coming.

The recent Miles news-frenzy (maybe just in my eyes) has re-ignited my love affair with this NBA player. At this point, I don't know what would be more satisfying -- to see him waived at the conclusion of his current 10-day contract, making it that much more of a slap in the face for the Blazers, or to see him rise to his previous dominant self (aka 13 ppg, 5rpg, 1 blk, 1 steal in his "prime"). Regardless, it's certainly satisfying to see him having a profound impact on the league, even if it isn't exactly what people foresaw.

Dirty Love...

Fave!

The movie. Not "the love of my life is a hobo." Though I am pretty sure that at some point in my life that was a direct quote!

Back to the my point though. If you want a hilarious movie that does not take itself seriously at all. If you need a twisted love story with Jenny McCarthy, Carmen Electra, and that little (creepy?) guy from American Pie.

...a jilted photographer sets off on a mission to get back at her philandering model boyfriend and along the way discovers that not all love is created equal.

Tag line (platform?) - got dumped?

If you just broke up and need a good cry & laugh, if you're having a girls night and you've seen all the "popular" chick flicks, if you're hanging out with a loved one related or not (though on second thought, it is probably not filed under mother-daughter content) ah, if you're just looking to spend a couple of hours in peace!

x's & o's,

Leslie

PS. A small warning for the post script - after recommending this movie (and watching it!) with countless friends and family. Definitely a love it or hate it kind of thing. Like Madonna. Or straight leg jeans. I love it, but you can make your own opinion!

PPS. Fave quote.. because you know I have to throw one in there... "How do I look?"..."Like a summer flower that got rained on and stung by a bee!" The rest of 'em are not suitable.

Procrastinating...

Not a fave, just something I am really ridiculously good at.

While procrastinating tonight I...

• Purchased a "tego" for my new old blackberry. Yup, as of tomorrow afternoon you will officially be able to reach me again. I will still be the girl with no fixed address but at least I will not be the girl you can reach at work, or on her bf's phone and if you don't get through then you are out of luck. Even if you have box seats to the Raptors game! Grrr...
  
• Watched sports (never happens)
  
• Looked up quotes for procrastination. Did you know there is a whole blog dedicated to just that!? (http://procrastinationblog.com/procrastination-quotes in case you're interested).
  
• Facebook stalked.
• Linkedin stalked.
• Myspace stalked - and I do not even have a myspace account.
• Got my nails did.
• Stole kisses. Gave some back.
• Cheered for Jack Bauer. Even though he does not need it. He is invincible.
• Sang. Not so much sang as screeched.
• Facebook stalked again.
• Checked my email. All of em. Even the one I have not used since grade 6. Perfectpixie@hotmail.com? Not mine anymore apparently!
• Thought hard about how procrastinating is never worth it in the end.
• Got back to work! Or at least got to sleep so that I could get into the office by 7:00 AM!
• Disabled the snooze button for the first time ever. We'll see how that first alarm treats me!

Sigh.

Stealing from the book of Spanish Proverbs... "tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week."

x's & o's,

Leslie

P.S. a very merry Happy Early Birthday shout-out to one of the best people I know!

Sunday Night Quotes...

By the time Sunday comes, you would think I would have taken the weekend to refresh myself but ever so often there comes a Sunday when it still feels like I have been hit like a truck and could sleep for days!

Therefore - on Sundays you can't really expect any (brilliant?) insights from me. Instead, expect a quote. As you will come to see... Quotes are a fave!

"You ever look at a picture of yourself and see a stranger in the background? It makes you wonder how many strangers have pictures of you, how many moments of other peoples lives have we been in, we're we a part of someone's life when their dreams came true, or were we there when their dreams died. Did we keep trying to get in, as if we were somehow destined to be there, or did the shot take us by surprise. Just think, you could be a big part of someone else's life, and not even know it."'

Warning: Sometimes if you look close you see memories that nobody should remember... ;)

x's & o's,

Leslie

St. Lawrence Market...

New Fave!

Had my first trip to the St. Lawrence Market today (yes, I have lived in Toronto my whole life minus a 4 year trip to Sudbury and no, I have never been to this Toronto landmark!)...

Got suckered in by those "my Toronto is Saturday morning at St. Lawrence Market" commercials.

Quick hint for all those Torontonians, visitors and other - Saturday morning at St. Lawrence Market for you hopefully starts before 1:30 PM! There is no homemade bread left at that (late?) hour! Another hint - if you visit St. Lawrence Market on the same day you are journeying home to see parents, buy a pie! Your parents deserve it (even though they did make you sit at the piano and practice on hours end for days - crying!)

New Weekly Tradition - see ya there next Saturday!

x's & o's,

LB

Sleep...

Fave!

Though I constantly use the so-called saying "you can sleep when you're dead!" when trying to get friends up and out...I am also guilty of loving sleep. A little too often, a little too long, a little too much.

I think I even wrote one of those French Immersion grade 4 speeches about the beloved subject!

Quick facts of the day:

1. Able to tell if someone is really awake without close medical supervision? Impossible! People can take cat naps with their eyes open without even being aware of it. Take 5 seconds to think about THAT in your next meeting!

2. Seventeen hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol-level of 0.05%. A good thing when you are having a REALLY good weekend, not so good when the work week gets so hectic that days get extended past 17 hours!

3. (Normal) humans sleep on average around 3 hours less than other primates like chimps, rhesus monkeys, squirrel monkeys, babboons (and boyfriends), all of whom sleep for 10 hours. I may have added the bracketed items but they are tried, tested and true!

4. Snoring occurs only in non-REM sleep. This is a shout-out to friends. There are many of you. You know who you are! ;)

5. Ducks at risk of attack by predators are able to balance the need for sleep and survival, keeping one half of the brain awake while the other slips into sleep mode. No comment. Well actually not true - if you have a kid, know a kid or just like acting like a kid you should go out and purchase "hop like a bunny, waddle like a duck"...tape and book combo...you'll love it!

http://www.abc.net.au/science/sleep/facts.htm - if you need 35 other facts!

Sweet Dreams!

x's & o's,

LB

Currently listening: If I were a Man - PCD

Bailing...

Not a fave! (finally a not!)

BF + Blackberry + Icy Steps = ouch!

LB + Icy Sidewalk + Me being me = OUCH!!

No photo needed!

Enough said.

Black & Blue,

LB

Pants...

a fave! (for now)

This one is dedicated to the one who will never sit near the brick wall.

Dress pants have always been my nemesis! Actually, it is not so much that I don't like them than the fact that I love leggings. I love leggings like Chanel loves Camellias!

But there comes a time in every girl's life when we have to enter this so called "grownup world"...

These days, I figure if I am going to get up on time to put on make up and do my hair, I better make it worth my while and pull on a "real" pair of work pants! Of course I will actually have to give up my addiction to the snooze button to achieve all of the above.

Save the leggings for the weekend!

x's and o's,

L to the B

Group Dates...

Fave!

Though I do love dress up, wax, pluck, primp, fancy dinner grown up dates a lot (bestie or bf dates!), what I love even more is group dates.

Whether it is stay in or go out, bar night or bowling, movies, skating, hangin' out, game time, or anything in between I love love love my friends. It did not happen enough in 2008. More in 2009, please. We are not all single, but we can all plan! Even if it involves a flight to Calgary! =)

So on this note, Second City this weekend? Anyone?

x's and o's,

Leslie

Currently Listening: Live Your Life - T.I. ft Rihanna

New Years Resolutions...

Fave!

This year I have tons!

• Blog daily
• Become a regular at the gym (if only for the sauna!)
• Take a French class
• Take 1000+ photos
• Get a fantastic haircut
• Learn about my grandparents lives
• Find a cause I am passionate about and volunteer volunteer volunteer...
• Read the newspaper every single day (even when there seems to be no time!)
• Go out more (we can sleep when we're dead!)
• Spend more time with old friends
• Make great new friends!
• Do my hair and make up every single time I leave the house!
• Spend more time thinking
• Be less judgmental (At least a little, at least outloud!)
• Be more creative!
• Learn how to cook (At least once a week!)
• Be better at buying presents on time (and better at buying presents period! Be meaningful!)
• Move more! (It's time for action...)
• Stop holding grudges (Even the ones I say I have given up but still seem to creep back)
• Invest in my future (condo by 25 please!)
• Work smarter
• Plus a few others I am keeping to myself ;)

A couple days late but, I'm on it!

An Introduction

So here's the deal.

Took quite a while to get this started.

Threw around some titles like "A Pearl For Your Thoughts" (as you will learn soon; pearls = fave!), "Life, Amplified" (just not really me). New Years Resolution 1 of 67? Just get in there! Finally settled on what I (and my cubicle mate) like!

Houndstooth 'n Argyle, baby!

Welcome to my blog. Home to my faves (and some not so faves)!

To give you a little taste...

VIP's. Celebrities aka soon to be off the market josh duhamel and real life's a la bf, girl crushes, loves of my life and everything in between!

Fashions. Some in style, some out of style, and some on their second round, as in, yes I still love leggings and will probably wear them into their 3rd round!

The occasional F&B. Could live on green apples, sashimi and cobb salads!

...and my personal fave... Starbucks!! (in case you're offering - non fat, no whip, extra hot extra foam venti cinnamon dolce lattes. Yes I am one of THOSE people!)

Keeping this short and sweet!

Rock on!

Leslie