WORKING GIRL

This week I wrote a column about how to not get a job. Not that I'm an expert. I spent almost (okay a little over) a year as a casual traveller/unpaid intern/basement dweller following my graduation. But now I have a job (actually sometimes I have a few) and so I feel obligated to offer some advice on how to move on with life after grad school.

Before you go any further I should warn you, this is not an inspiring column about chasing your dreams and doing what you love. This is about expectations management and some realistic advice on how to get a job (any job).

Every May, a fresh crop of university graduates emerge from the cosy bubble of undergraduate life, ready to face the rejection-letter reality of the working world. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.

“What have I done with my life … why did I ever get an arts degree?”

But don’t fret, new grads, you won’t be broke forever. Eventually, you will get over your quarter-life crisis, get off the couch and you will find a job.

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OLDE GOOD THINGS

After a recent trip to New York, my friend Katherine returned home raving about an antique vendor she had spotted at the Brooklyn Flea Market. Upon further research she discovered that Olde Good Things happens to be a lot more than just a market stall. The architectural antique dealers actually have a number of locations in and around NYC and LA.

The shops specialize in salvaging all things old (and in some cases historically significant) and offer a wondrous inventory of furniture, accessories and architecturally unique items. Think beautiful banisters from Penn Station and monstrous anchors hauled off the Staten Island Ferry. After pouring over JPEGs of art deco mantels, stained glass windows and door knobs from The Plaza Hotel I'm craving a trip to the Big Apple to find some new vintage decor. 

However, since my budget doesn't exactly allow for such extravagant shopping trips I'll happily make do at the annual Christie Antique Show, which rolls into town this weekend. The sprawling outdoor market is the perfect way to spend a sunny Saturday - just make sure you bring plenty of cash and hydrate often (lemonade if you're lucky) as the field is quite epic. Last year I found two paint stained pieces of tin ceiling and a set of perfectly white washed antlers. This time, I'm on the lookout for a polished silver trophy, vintage milk bottles, mason jars and a factory cart coffee table.

Below are some photos from last year's event and you can read more about my adventures at the show here. 

TULIP FIELDS

Bloom and Bust in the Netherlands, The New York Times Magazine

May 15, 2011

These beautiful aeriel views (shot by German photographer Julian Faulhaber) of tulip fields in the Netherlands are making me fall even more in love with my already-favourite floral. I actually purchased four beautiful bunches this weekend (at just $10 for the lot at St. Lawrence Market) and they are currently overflowing in vases around my living room. 

Apparently I'm not along in my affinity for these delightful dutch blooms. According to the NYT Mag article, tulips rank as the third most popular flower worldwide, with roses and chrysanthemums taking the one and two spots respectively.

SHE SAYS: FREQUENT FLYER

Image from TUESDAYAFFAIRS

I'm a very frequent flyer. I took my first plane ride at two weeks old, my first solo trip at six and have more Aeroplan points than I know what to do with. I get antsy if I go more than a few months without getting airborn but my most recent experience was less than stellar.  I thought I would vent/share some of my in-flight frustrations in my column this week. Bon Voyage! 

Last week I found myself in a terribly uncomfortable position. I was travelling cross-country on an overnight flight and somehow, in spite of all my diligent planning, I was assigned the dreaded middle seat. Wedged in between a rather rotund woman and Mr. Goes To The Bathroom Every 30 Minutes I thought to myself, why are in-flight safety videos mandatory while basic plane etiquette is rarely enforced?

And so fellow travellers, if we’re going to be stuck together we should probably set up a few ground rules. 

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PERCH ON PANTONE

It's springtime in Toronto which means I can finally start enjoying my balcony again. Once I sweep away the leftover winter grime I think I might pick up a couple of these of these Pantone folding chairs to put out on my neglected little patio. Created by Italian design company Seletti these colour coded seats come in seven shades - although regretfully not the 2011 colour of the year Honeysuckle. 

So which hue do I choose?

YVR

Just a few snaps from my trip to Vancouver. A brief three days filled with market eats, sunshine, cherry blossoms, beach sand and plenty of west coast love with one of my very best friends.

Things I loved...

• Rosemary and Sea Salt bagels from Siegel's Bagels at the market at Granville Island. I'm regretting not picking up a dozen to take home.

• Tripping up Hastings for big bowls of pasta and colourful murals on every wall.

• The city in bloom - magnificent florals on every street corner

• I'm a sucker for Aritzia and the downtown flagship store was like my shopping mothership. I bought quite a few things including the green army coat pictured above; I'd been searching for one for a while and an afternoon rainstorm made me commit

• Kitsalano - we spent hours on the beach, leaning against the logs and reading novels while everyone around us made daisy chains, sipped on Strongbow and played guitar

Best coast indeed.

SHE SAYS: SWEET ON GINGERS

Images lovingly borrowed from here, here and here

Rumour has it that women tend to favour men of the tall, dark and handsome variety.

I, on the other hand, have a thing for redheads. Yes, that’s right, I’m not afraid to admit I would take freckle-faced Ron Weasley over Harry Potter any day of the week. In fact, I’ve been in a relationship with a ginger-haired man for more than three years — before you cringe, think Prince Harry not Carrot Top.

Redheads elicit passionate reactions, they are both demonized and fetishized by the plain-haired majority. Whether strawberry blond, burnt orange or deep burgundy, it seems people have a pretty definite opinion when it comes to redheads....

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CHERRY BLOSSOM GIRL

 

I'm taking a tiny (two day) work vacation to enjoy some time with one of my very best friends in Vancouver. I'm out of the office and away from my laptop for the first time in months and every little part of the outdoors just seems so beautiful. It helps that there has been an unprecedented amount of sunshine in this usually-rain-soaked city since i've been here.

There are lot of reasons I'd love to relocate to Vancouver, among them are the magical corridors of cherry blossom trees that are just so ubiquitous throughout the entire city. Pictured above are some of South Granville's finest flowers, a sign that springtime just might be in bloom - on the west coast at least.