calm, love & ted talks

i keep hearing from people over and over - your twenties are such a hard time of life. which seems funny, doesn't it? we're all probably at our most attractive stage of our lives, a lot of us have the luxury of being in school, we don't have huge familial obligations... we have a lot of freedom! however, they have proved to have their stresses! and as this ted talk, why thirty is not the new twenty points out, maybe that's for the best. 

as someone who managed to be happy-go-lucky for the first twenty years of her life, these past few years of twenty-dom have been filled with finding ways to rediscover that happy-go-lucky-ness. 

my favourite relaxation techniques lately have included:

aujourd'hui, ca commence avec toi.

it's been an edith piaf sort of weekend. from surprising myself by singing la vie en rose at a gay karaoke bar after a few too many drinks to rewatching the movie of the same name with my roommates this afternoon... it all seems to come back to that inspiring, strong parisienne woman.

edith piaf's life can teach us a lot about empathy and compassion. people's lives are not cookie cutter. i'm sure edith piaf would've been a piece of work to collaborate with, and had i encountered her i might have judged her as someone inconsiderate and impossible to work with. however, she had a hard life and a strong, good heart despite all of that. a nurturing childhood is so important to who we become later in life. i have so much admiration for marion cotillard after seeing her brilliant portrayal of piaf. what a taxing role that she embodied with so much rawness, kinesthetic commitment and refinement.

late summer in chicago

the garden of sara

do you ever wish you lived in a garden? this article in the nytimes about mileece petre's garden home in los angeles sounds so perect and idyllic. eating a nectarine off a tree while you shower? i've been working on redecorating my room/house lately, and it's all turning into the garden of sara....

readings lately

i've been doing a lot of reading lately, and wanted to share a few memorable things.

les adieux: saying goodbye to my childhood home

as i prepared to move back to chicago this week, i also said goodbye to my childhood home as my parents will be moving further downtown in a few months, onto a beautiful old street in walking distance of their works in toronto. i'm excited for the move - i've always wanted to live within walking distance of all my favourite shops and spots. however, it was a bit nostalgic saying goodbye to the lovely home i've lived in since i was six years old.

beet brownies, broiled grapefruit and watermelon salad? oh my!

so it doesn't roll of the tongue quite as well as "lions & tigers & bears," but i have had a lot of fun mixing up fruits and veggies in traditionally sweet or savoury foods lately!

the idea for the delicious beet & orange brownies came from this delightful cookbook, kitchen & co. by ellie grace. you can hardly taste the beets - it's all about the butter, dark chocolate and orange. mmmmm. you won't regret trying this recipe out.