Weekly Bests VI

BEST THING I DID

The best thing I did this week was go to The Retreat and pamper myself with an amazing manicure and pedicure. I usually don’t like getting shellac nails done because I tend to change up my nail colour a lot - and shellac lasts a reaaallly long time - but because I am going to be so busy for the next little while, I figured I’d get some cool nail art that’ll last.I couldn’t be happier with my AMAZING mani!! Every time I look down at my hands, I fall in love a little bit :) They are SO MUCH FUN. Look at the sparkle! Look at the stripes! Look at that JEWEL! And my pedicure was perfect too. I’ve been wearing shoes that have been shredding my feet this summer, so they definitely needed some TLC. I feel like a new person.Monday was the Civic holiday, so I did a good job of making the most of my time off. I spent a lot of time with family, and tons of delicious food! My friend Steph hosted her annual AWESOME BBQ and it was really nice to catch up with some of my high school friends that I hadn’t seen in a long time.I made an effort to go for walks every day to keep my head clear, and called my cousin on almost all my lunch breaks for nice long chats. She talked to me all week, and I am so grateful. I guess I’m old school, but I MUCH prefer phone calls :)

BEST THING I WORE

Definitely my new culottes that I scored at Marshall’s last week! I’ve been on the hunt for culottes for a long time, but never found a pair that were quite right. They’re not an immediately flattering cut, but they’re very cool. The more you look at them, the more weirdly flattering they become. At least, that’s how I feel :)My reaction to culottes goes like this:

• They look like pants a clown would wear in a flood. Why are they so swishy? Why is the length so awkward? Cropped but swishy.
• They DO look cute on the butt actually…
• Ok, I can see why the swishiness works, they look good when you’re walking.
• Wow, blazers and cropped shell tops look awesome with culottes – that is a really cool silhouette! More interesting than a skirt, with the comfort of pants.
• I need culottes.

So the pair I bought are great because they’re a stretchy knit material, but they’re heavy so they fall really nicely. The navy hue guarantees I’ll be able to pair them with lots of different pieces. I wore them this week for a 19 hour day (overtime at work followed by a long commute – THANKS TTC – followed by a hospital appointment), and I was supremely comfortable. A winner in my books!

BEST THING I ATE

I’m not sure if we’re in the high point of mango season right now, but the mangoes my grandma has been buying are INSANE. When I eat them, I become a happier person. They are perfection.

BEST THING I READ

I started a new book called All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai, and although I’m only a few chapters in, I’m really enjoying it.For all you Toronto buffs out there, this story takes place in city…well, it’s actually an alternate-universe version of our city, but it’s very cool. It even has a picture of our skyline on the book cover!I’ll give you my actual opinion once I finish the book, but here’s a synopsis:You know the future that people in the 1950s imagined we'd have? Well, it happened. In Tom Barren's 2016, humanity thrives in a techno-utopian paradise of flying cars, moving sidewalks, and moon bases, where avocados never go bad and punk rock never existed . . . because it wasn't necessary.Except Tom just can't seem to find his place in this dazzling, idealistic world, and that's before his life gets turned upside down. Utterly blindsided by an accident of fate, Tom makes a rash decision that drastically changes not only his own life but the very fabric of the universe itself. In a time-travel mishap, Tom finds himself stranded in our 2016, what we think of as the real world. For Tom, our normal reality seems like a dystopian wasteland.But when he discovers wonderfully unexpected versions of his family, his career, and—maybe, just maybe—his soul mate, Tom has a decision to make. Does he fix the flow of history, bringing his utopian universe back into existence, or does he try to forge a new life in our messy, unpredictable reality? Tom’s search for the answer takes him across countries, continents, and timelines in a quest to figure out, finally, who he really is and what his future—our future—is supposed to be.Another notable read was this article from the New York Times: Don’t Let Facebook Make You Miserable.I think a lot of people are starting to feel social media fatigue. So much endless scrolling, so little learning or retention. This is why I’ve found a lot of happiness in going back to traditional blogging, without the pressure of outfit posts/metrics, etc. Writing and making a connection with those of you who read my blog is so much more valuable to me than posting and waiting for likes. And actually, I find that now that I’ve taken the pressure off, I’ve been able to use Instagram more, and with more satisfaction! That probably won’t be a permanent thing – I’m still not a huge fan of Instagram – but I’m definitely moving into a better space, for me.

BEST THING I SAW

Bravo to the creators of this short animated film! Watching it filled me with hope and optimism for the future. It’s so important for (LGBTQ) youth today to see stories and characters on screen that they can relate to, instead of feeling shame that they may be different. This short film will tug on your heartstrings no matter how you identify yourself…many of us remember that feeling of our first crush :) Thanks for reading xo!