Invisible

Demi baguette, prosciutto, baby romaine, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, sundried tomato, hummus

These pictures were taken a little while back on an overcast day, spent painting costume jewelry among other things. I actually am not a big fan of nail polish - I don't like the smell of it. However, I do own some clear nail polish and it comes in handy for a variety of little tasks. I just always make sure to have a window wide open when I'm working on it. Besides being used as a varnish on jewelry, a quick dab on the centre of a button works in a pinch to stop unraveling threads. Similarly, it also prevents the runs in pantyhose from getting larger.

Do you have any alternative uses for your nail polish?

Smart Mouth

I heard about Snakes & Lattes a while ago and I have been eager to drop by ever since. How could anyone resist a cafe with boardgames galore and no set time limit to the hours of glorious fun? It sounded perfect to me and I recently had the chance to drop by with a friend.


As it was my first visit, I'll refrain from forming a solid opinion but I did not have the best experience in terms of service. In all fairness, my experience was not necessarily the norm as I saw staff happily helping out other guests and joining in on games. Regardless, this place is extremely popular with the young university crowd even on a weekday evening and there are clearly issues with seating - don't bother with an impromptu visit on the weekend. There is a huge selection of games and that novelty factor though so I do think it's worth a try still.

Turning Tables

Since we were in the neighbourhood, we decided to head to the small Big Fat Burrito location right by Lee's Palace. When I say small, I really do mean small. It's mainly a takeout location although there is a small counter that seats about 3 people.

I'm no expert when it comes to burritos - my standard is Chipotle. I ordered the small pulled pork whole wheat burrito. Unlike Chipotle, the guacamole was not an additional cost which was a bonus. The burrito was prepared within about 5 minutes. I immediately noticed it was significantly smaller than Chipotle and was pressed like a panini. The pulled pork was good but not as flavourful as I would have liked it to be and only made up about 25% of the burrito filling. There was a good balance of the other fillings though whereas I find Chipotle tends to have loads of rice. Overall, still pretty tasty and satisfying but it won't leave you stuffed. Next time I'll be sure to try a large burrito - maybe yam?

Christina Ricci

Stunning.
Vogue Italia January 2007

Lazy Days

Well, hello sunshine and beautiful weather. I spent a lovely little afternoon in the park with my dear friend doing a whole lot of nothing. Admittedly, it's not very exciting but I know it won't be long before these kind of lazy days become a forgotten luxury once again.




My friend owns a sweet little Kindle - I thought it was an agenda/planner at first. As you can see, it has a Scrabble game on it amongst other nifty features. It's definitely perfect for travel but I'm not sure I'll ever be able to give up the smell of a brand new book or the feel of glossy magazine pages.


I have finally been able to pull out the day dresses from my closet. With the little black dress considered a wardrobe staple and the little white dress lauded for summer, it's no wonder the little red dress doesn't get nearly as much love. This bright hue is universally flattering though and perfect for the warm weather.


Bib necklaces are one of my favourite accessories and I find them to be particularly great with V-necks. I picked up this one on a whim and I love how it looks like fish scales.

A Local Labour of Love

The Globe Poster Printing Company plays a lesser known part of Baltimore's and, in the grander scheme of things, American music history. The Globe has churned out advertisements for iconic musicians like James Brown, Bob Dylan, B.B. King and more over the years. Now on their last legs, the company is selling their assets including the printing equipment, typefaces and poster reprints available on Etsy. (Leah Scarpelli) The characteristic retro style of these posters are amazing and provide an interesting glimpse into the past of advertising as well.

One particular individual, Andy Mangold, is setting out to preserve a piece of the Globe's legacy in a unique local labor of love. Using canvas from a Globe print job that fell through, Mangold has created a sweet little satchel with some help from a local Baltimore manufacturer and leatherworker. But he is currently still looking to raise funds to actually produce the bag.

Personally, I am partial to leather bags for practical reasons as I don't find canvas to be as durable. However, I love the story and history that this bag connects back to. The added versatility of the straps just cinches the deal for me - it can be carried as a backpack, briefcase or messenger bag.


(Photo is the property of Andy Mangold.)

Take Three

Just a few snapshots from the past week. The weather has been fluctuating between sunshine and gloomy rainy days but it's taken a turn for the better recently.





Surrounded by retail storefronts, I love when an entire display - as opposed to a single item - works cohesively and artistically to catch my eye. This BCBG Max Azria window display did exactly that. Presenting a sweet summery setup in the creative context of the barrel of a camera lens, I obviously could not resist taking a snap of it.