Remember that scene...

When Amelie is making dinner all by herself? And she imagines that Nino is coming home to dine with her, and she hears a sound and smiles... but it's just the cat that's making noise?

I kind of feel like Amelie in that moment. Well, just for the last couple of weeks (but no, I don't have a cat). I've been relatively withdrawn and not particularly engaged with any people, places or things. Probably a little bit lonely. Perhaps it's just the month going out like a lamb, or maybe it's a reminder to search for things that pique my interest a little bit more.

I think I'm nostalgic for European getaways and random strolls through Paris, meeting strangers and not quite knowing what's around the corner. See, I always know what's around the corner from my apartment. Well, except I did find out an interesting fella lives just down the street, but but but...who knows.

Well, gotta go. Tonight is all about wine and New York, I Love You. (Sorry, Paris).

xo,

lori

It only takes five minutes

to clean your house.

Well, sort of.

I went to "The Art of Marketing" conference in Toronto last week, and heard from one of the Heath brothers. (They have a column in Fast Company magazine, and have written two books. Yay, brothers!)

Anyways, at one point in their book Switch, they talk about why it's so difficult to clean your house. The task always seems daunting when you put it off too long, but they offered a different way of looking at it. Putting away a dish is not terribly dreadful, but putting away 27 dishes just might be. So the idea is to create small challenges. Set a timer for just five minutes, and start cleaning up. After five minutes, you can stop -- although it's more likely that you'll continue on, and rest easier/happier because you've taken care of your place.

I have guests coming over for the Oscars tonight, but somehow I've lost touch with my ability to properly host a party. My place is still a mess and I haven't picked up alcohol or food. Oops.

Well, I'm going to go set that timer now.

But I better have more than five minutes in me. ; )

xo,

lori

UPDATE: I set it for 10 minute (so ambitious!) and it worked. But then I got bored and took a break. But then set it (again!) for 20 minutes. And then I got bored and came to update my blog. OK, now it's time to set it for 30, and see if I can finish it off. xo.

Apathy or Boredom?

I've been neither apathetic nor bored this month, but that was a major theme in The Trotsky, a spectacular film by Jacob Tierney. You must see it when it comes out in May. I went as part of TIFF's Top 10 Canadian Films of 2009, and since I've been away from the blog for a bit, I'll document the Top 10 things of 2010 (so far).

In no particular order...

1. The above film. Yay! Also, love listening to director q&a's after a film. It reminds me of how much work & heart went into a project, and it makes me so proud of and happy for complete strangers. Is that weird?

2. The musical The Sound of Music. I still haven't watched the movie (one day, maybe), but I wanted to see it on stage before it said so long to Toronto. It was so very cute.

3. The 3-day green smoothie cleanse. The first major personal challenge of the year. I am proud of and happy for myself. Little steps like these remind me that I am capable of so much more than I sometimes think.

4. My work. The first week back I was rather bored (not apathetic). The second week my boss was back and I was inspired. I was also pulled aside and given a special gift for my work as of late, which was completely unexpected yet entirely appreciated.

5. My friends. I've been able to spend some quality one-on-one time with many of my favourite people, some of whom I was less connected to in 2009. It's funny how friendships have their own ebb and flow and peaks and valleys.

6. My alone time. I really enjoy nights when it's just me, a warm bath and a great book.

7. The 1st annual Golden Balls. I think I blushed just typing that, but it's taking place on Sunday and it's a theme party for the Golden Globes (all food must be in a spherical shape). What's more fun than a theme party?

8. My time in the kitchen. When asked what my NY resolution was, the first thing that came to mind was "I want to be like a '50s housewife, but for me. I want to be better at cooking and cleaning and maybe even sewing (though that's a stretch)." I've spent lots of time in the kitchen developing my culinary skills.

9. Yoga. I think that it kind of changed my perspective on life. Since I started regular classes in the spring of 2009, I've changed a lot of other things about myself. I think that I've grown a lot, but also somehow returned to being that bright-eyed girl before all the bad stuff went down.

10. This post. I miss taking time to just write about the things I'm thinking about, whether or not they change the world. Maybe they'll change the way you think about some things, and that can't be bad, right?

xo
lori

curious george

It's back.

That ugly feeling that sneaks its way into my life time and time again. Just when I think everything's copacetic (how can you not like that word?), I'm distracted by the reminder that, sometimes, my life is lonely.

Usually, I'm OK. Most days, I'm completely cool with my own company, or with the comfort that my close friends and family provide. But I think what did it - besides the couple-centred/family-focused holidays - was Up in the Air.

See, I'm not afraid to do things on my own. I've embraced it and enjoy doing all the things I love to do, regardless if there's someone else out there who wants the same thing at the exact same time. So, after my yoga class, I took myself to the movies.

Only the problem was, I watched Up in the Air... and it's definitely not best viewed alone. It will make you second-guess and reassess all of your relationships and where your life is heading and whether or not you are as fulfilled as you'd like to think... and as I type this, I'm realizing this could be a good thing. Cheers to looking on the brightside.

xo,

lori

can'twait

via stereogum:

THE NATIONAL
TBA (4AD)
Matt Berninger kept it quieter on Boxer than he did on Alligator (i.e. no shout songs like "Mr. November"), but the band deepened their instrumentation, wrote some of their most subtly addictive songs, and had their biggest year to date (both in the National and in ambitious side projects like The Long Count). Curious what kind of mood they're in now? Matt tells us: "We started out trying to make a fun pop record. I had the word HAPPINESS taped to my wall. We veered off that course immediately. We've narrowed it down to about 15 songs now and it's going to be our best record (one song you can dance to) but it can't be described as happy." They've been recording for almost a year and as Aaron Dessner put it to us "[are] emerging from that black hole to start mixing in two weeks." Bryce adds, "There are a ton of songs and we have been working for a year, but as always with us it's the last couple months that change everything so it's too early to say what the overall direction [will be]."