Big Weddings and Even Bigger Dollars!

What is going on lately with a string of just crazy people having just crazy expensive weddings?

Don't get me wrong, weddings are a beautiful thing, I love them if they are genuine and I love them for love. But seriously gals, there is no need to spend enough money to host an African country for a few days worth of supplies, ahem... including food.
 
I think the idea of Romance has taken a wrong turn somewhere down on Route 66. Gone are the days of poetry that will fill your senses with warm fuzzies. The trick to old love and old poetry was that it still embodied the realities of life. 

Okey dokey then it is settled ladies, no more Cirque to Soliel trapeze artists jumping out of a cake that is mounted on a giant pot of gold (opposite of small Stonehenge). 

Sarah

Long Time No Speak

Since my last blog I have been playing a genuine game of "Let's See Who Doesn't Speak For the Longest".  That game was a family favourite during our childhood van rides to Atlantic City and Cape Cod:

Arabs in Cape Cod?

I always lost as a child because of my enthusiasm for asking if we had arrived at the destination yet. My timing was slightly askew as a child but alas, I have fine tuned and now I practice the art of silence as if a shaolin monk.

You know Batman had to do something along those lines before he really became a superhero... just saying.

Every time the show Weeds has come out on DVD, I wait months before I rent it. I do this because I know that I have to be prepared for a whirlwind of ADD induced bad choices and croquet mallets. The most recent season is just all over the map yet I am trapped by it's heightened sense of urgency. It is so stupid that it is great. I highly recommend this show to anyone who want's to turn of the neuron tap of firing synaptic clefts.

Good Night!
Sarah

The World's Slowest Blogger Award Goes To...

... I won! I won the prize. I am hoping the prize is a pair of tickets to go see the Chicago Bulls when it was Pippen, Jordan, and Rodman. Michael J. and I would hitch a ride there with Doc. This sounds like an adventure worthy of perhaps another sequel in the Series. Which series you ask, the movies or the game? Mmmm open ended that's how I'll leave this. Yesss I think I think I shall.

I hope you have a great fathers day. Happy Fathers day Dad.  Let's go eat some steak and potatoes while watching Back to the Future the next sequel , while watching a game on the other T.V. Rodman will pass the ball to Pippen who will then proceed to Alley-Oop the ball into the air to Jordan, then J-Dawg will slam dunk and shatter the glass.

Sarah

LITTLE JIMMY'S SHOES

Hey lovely people! A song I wrote and produced called "Little Jimmy's Shoes" has been released May 10th 2011 as a single through my collective Broad Way Sleep.

Better yet we are giving the track away for FREE! Yup that's right FREE so go to our facebook page to download it: you won't be sorry.

P.S. Ask me sometime about what the song's about!

Love,
Shafey

http://www.facebook.com/broadwaysleep

COMMON SORT CLOTHING STORE

The first time I walked into this stacked to the brim clothing bonanza I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. So many beautiful clothes sorted by color like a skittles rainbow burst and settled onto shopping racks for me, you, and magical fairies to shop till we all drop.

This place ladies and gentleman is called: COMMON SORT

There are so many great things about this place but what makes it a Gem in a city full of fools gold is the true feeling of community and love that emanates from; the store, the clothes, and the owner Nicole Babin who is one cool chick.

Right away she greets her customers with care and spends quality time helping them to pick out something that works. Oh yes and it's so amazingly well priced that it'll knock your socks off. I always leave feeling like I was just part of a magnificent Goodfellas style heist. The stores mantra is BUY, SELL, TRADE and anything goes, (meaning not only vintage). It's about style so if she likes it great.

I decided to go in one day with a budget of $80 and have Nicole help me pick an outfit for work. I work in a corporate atmosphere but I still like adding a funky twist to my business attire. I let her go nuts and she was even so lovely as to offer to take my camera from me in the middle of a busy Saturday to help take pictures and document this fun day. Have a look:

FINAL CHOICE

Purchased:

1) Navy Blue Button up Blouse

2) Red Floral Pencil Skirt

It was way below budget so I threw in:

3) Leopard Print Skirt (that is dangling off on the side). This is not for work bur for a night on the town. A guilty pleasure.

Total spent: $58.76

Yes you see that total correctly. I took my 16 year old cousin in and her brain almost exploded in sheer joy. Did I also mention they play good music in the store. Alas a full package deal that is true. Now I highly recommend you take a stroll over to one of two locations and feast your eyes on the lovely buffet. Too bad Mandarin there is a new Sheriff in town. 

Check out the website for more details:

www.commonsort.com

SPY-TFUL ACCUSATIONS!

Hey everyone! A serious blog you say, wait don't turn away quite yet. This morning I woke up to a phone call from my brother letting me know of one of our buddies from back home (Middle East) is being detained in Syria and accused of being a spy. This my friends, is HOG-WASH. You never think these sort of things happen to people that you know and when they do it is frightening.

Mohammed Radwan is a jovial type of guy who is an activist working for humanitarian reasons. He actually makes me feel like I am a lazy person who quite frankly is too scared to open my mouth. This world is turning into a debacle and from the sidelines it's a sad view.

Such a good job has been done over the past decade to taint the word "ARAB" that when things like this happen to people you don't know there is always a hint of questioning whether or not they may be guilty. I am telling you folk in this circumstance its complete nonsense. He is a good guy. Spread the word!

http://www.tarekshalaby.com/2011/03/my-cousin-radwan-detained-in-syria/comment-page-1/#comment-30166

Shafey

HOW TO INDOOR GARDEN IN A SMOGGY CITY...

Hey there folks! One week ago something came over me and I felt like getting close to mother nature. First I entertained the thought of taking a brisk walk in High Park while hugging trees but let's face it I am a true blue city gal! Now let's be clear, I am not a Hollywood replica of Sex in the City, that is just nonsense. If you ever do run into someone pretending to be Sarah Jessica Parker's character, I highly recommend giving them a good, stern talking to. I am a a real Torontonian who:

1) Loves the comfort of my apartment until summer.
2) Loves nature when it's green.
3) Loves fresh greens.
4) Likes bargains.

Combine the four you say? That is exactly what I am doing; growing my own veggies and herbs indoors. I am here to take you along for the trip just incase you want to follow suit. I am a novice so if they don't grow I apologize in advance but who knows maybe we can together create our own little indoor gardens of Eden. LET'S GO!

INDOOR GARDENING 101- FROM A DUMMIE TO DUMMIE'S

1) Music

• Crank up your tunes while you are gardening. Seriously plants like music and quite frankly I want my plants to be "hip" so they taste good when I eat them. My playlist for that day included:
• Jill Scott: Golden
• Iron and Wine: Such Great Heights
• Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
• Eve 6: Inside Out
• Moderat: A New Error
• Ozzy Ozbourne: No More Tears

2) Where to buy the supplies and seeds for next to nothing

• Honest Ed's, Honest Ed's, Honest Ed's
• I live and die by that place. Those flashing lights are there for a reason, follow them and I swear you won't regret it. Ed really is an honest kind of guy!
• Seeds: $.15 - $1.69
• Basic plastic pot with water catcher, (I told you I am a novice. I have no clue what the heck it's called so I am coining the term "water catcher") : $1.99 + $.99
• Potting Soil: $2.99 for a medium sized bag
• TIP: For indoor gardening please make sure you get a pot with some sort of drainage at the bottom (holes) or else the water will build inside the pot and cause root rot. I only know this because when I started I didn't follow this advice and now my chili peppers are growing inside a closed off space. They will most likely battle with the pot they are growing in once fully formed; opps!

3) How to plant

• I emptied each pack of seeds into separate water glasses from my cupboard. I have a clumsy habit of breaking glasses so I am going to be honest with you all. I did use my one year old nephews sippy cup for a set of seeds. Please don't tell him I am not in the mood for a rowdy baby tantrum.
• Leave them submerged in water for 72 hours.
• Fill your pots 3/4 full of soil and place seeds. Cover the last 1/4 with soil and water.
• Use a nice bold Sharpie to label your pots.
• Water but don't drown your plants frequently for optimal growth.

That is pretty much it from my perspective. I am sure there is far more to it and avid gardeners will shake their heads at this blog, but like I said I am a city gal!

Good luck with your gardening!

Love,

Shafey