time to head into the unknown.

Sharing this today because I love seeing wonderful people do exactly what they love and are meant to be doing with the people they care most about. I have the pleasure of knowing a couple of these folks, and today they graduate and head off on another journey, as do several of my friends (including our own Miss Rachel). Here's another song by Atlas for the road, an encouragement to all of you who feel like life keeps veering off of course (it's no secret that success is not a straight path), a reflection on farewells, and a big hug from me.

xx Nat

striped tees.

Groundbreaking, right? Who doesn't wish for the the certain "je ne sais quois" of a French woman once the layers start to come off? I bet you are wishing for the perfect striped shirt for summer too. I think mine might have royal blue stripes and be worn rolled to the elbow, like these ladies. If I could get a Kronenberg and a sailing boat to accompany it...well there goes the summer.

the promise of spring.

This beautiful sketch by Bernadette Pascua had me swooning today. Reminds me of that perfectly crisp time when Spring is starting and the winter jackets just start coming off. Toques are no longer necessary. And also, something about that flared leg looks so fresh (admittedly, I'm a skinny-legholic).

Today after dinner I stepped outside into the dusky streets and walked around the very calm neighbourhood. The air was still warm and the promise of summer evenings was very palpable. It's a tradition I intend to continue.

yoga talk.

Can someone (other than Garancé) please level with me here? When does one go from hot, sweaty mess to beautiful, stress-free yoga bliss?

I'm in the midst of trying to find the perfect exercise for me. Anyone who knows me will roll their eyes and say I've been doing that for the past five years (and they'd be right). I was so spoiled as a teenager, to constantly be involved in sports and never have to give a second thought to how I'd get my physical activity. But once university hit, everything unravelled.

Let's just say, one session at the gym was cut short by almost fainting off the treadmill, I've never been able to do a proper sit-up, and rock climbing equipment is just not that cheap! 

So, when does it get easier? Will I suddenly connect with this inner desire to stay perfectly fit no matter what the cost? And for me, the cost always chimes in dollars or having to strategically plan my showers! Plus, a girl can only walk up a steep hill on the way home so many times before she starts thinking, "This means I don't have to worry about the gym, right?" This summer, I think the trick will be challenging myself with something (I'm thinking tennis, or ballet...) or simply just making myself get outdoors and explore the city with a pair of sneakers on my feet. 

This is going to be a pretty constant battle for me. Although I agree with Garancé...I may be bored in the yoga studio or just counting down the sweaty minutes until I can be dry, but there is something that makes me walk on cloud nine when I leave the studio. 

nothing fancy, huh?

Nothing fancy today. Just a bit of my headspace, whether it be toques, film, how cool swimming pools look (just me?), sneakers, quilted leather, Cara, Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, or struggling to play guitar.

I had the loveliest getaway to Ottawa this weekend (the bottom image is shot from space by Chris Hadfield). I can't recommend jumping on a bus and reconnecting with the people you care about, enough. Yes, pursuing dreams, careers, etc. is all well and good...but if you can't share it with people who make your heart soar, what good is it? That is obviously melodramatic, but you get where I'm going.

obakki changes their game.

I'm not one to be coy about something I love. If I'm into it, I'm into it, and I'm not going to tiptoe around the issue and pretend I'm not behind the cause. That all to say, I'm on board with Obakki.

Obakki is a Vancouver-based fashion brand that recently has turned 100 per cent humanitarian. While they have always designed beautiful, on-trend pieces rich with a story, now all the profits from the sales of the brand will directly feed Obakki's humanitarian efforts in South Sudan, where founder and creative director, Treana Peake, focuses her attention. The Foundation's main projects are water well drilling and bolstering education in local communities. Last week, The Province did a great feature on Peake and her hopes for Obakki.

I was lucky enough to intern with the brand last year and saw first hand the dedication of the team to making their passion count. What I love about Obakki is that their design is smart, current and wearable. Apart from their charity efforts, the clothes are beautiful and covetable - you want to wear them! But I love to see this step towards fusing both of Peake's loves together: now, fashion supports philanthropy.

Take some time to view their collections, read about the cause, and watch some of the stunning videos of South Sudan by Brian Ceci. Ahead are some of my favorites from the Spring/Summer '13 collection and the recent Preserved In Time collection.

development days.

"Only one thing is certain about coffee...Wherever it is grown, sold, brewed, and consumed, there will be lively controversy, strong opinions, and good conversation."

-Mark Pendergrast

Wednesdays are my "professional-development" days. Really they just look more like catching up with new friends, the continual constant emailing of my resumé, fitting in a yoga class if I'm good, and wandering the downtown streets. But I like to think everything has a way of contributing to the goal. So if Wednesdays are only my day to refine my coffee tastes...rest assured it'll mean something greater, soon.

Image from this darling site which has been helping me (along with coffee-guide friends) find the best lattes in the city. That particular cup is from the same cafe I visited today, Le Couteau. 

the real atmosphere.

As someone who gets the entirety of my fashion runway experience from second-hand sources (whether it online photos of a collection, write-ups, videos, etc), I can't be one to complain about how the online experience is never what it is in real life. I mean, it's all I have...doesn't that make it real life for me?

That being said, I always look forward to the atmosphere photos that Style.com releases. How else am I able to see the sheer drama and elegance that the sets bring to the collections? In particular I swooned for the boudoir set at Louis Vuitton. It really makes the whole thing seem more intimate.

And now, I will stop waxing poetic about something I have only experienced at a distance. But...a beautiful distance.

sunnies and skiers.

 Images via: Garance Doré, WhoWhatWear, Stockholm Street Style, Pinterest, Minna May Blog

There's nothing like a malfunctioning keyboard to make you want to throw your laptop against the wall, curse technology forever and live in the woods. I still have a shred of sanity left, so I'm not going to do that (although the woods sound lovely...) - instead I'm going to let a few of these photos speak to my headspace over the Easter weekend. Are you picking up what I'm laying down in terms of my crush on reflective lenses, Paul Newman, and skiers?

On another note, my favorite Easter poem; also happy first day of April (my birthday month!) and here's to a week of continually receding snow, strong lattes, clean sheets and making this short week special.

xx Nat