Thursday, August 31, 2006

Little Bee

It's been a busy couple of weeks, which is why I haven't been writing. I'm buying for Spring '07, and all of our fall inventory is starting to not roll in, but pour in. We've got some really exciting new things for the fall season so I can't complain.

I've been wondering about something...I'm not sure that I can express it very well but I'll try. A couple of weeks ago I was talking with Dane and I asked him what kind of person I seemed like. What I meant is that people dress certain ways so that they can be recognized by their tribe, so to speak. Some people you can tell like certain things and you can guess what kind of conversation you would have with them by the tattoos they have or their hair cut. Dane said to me that I am like the little girl in the Bee costume in the Blind Melon video that made them famous in the 90's. In the video this little girl is in a Bee costume and she tap dances but no one in her town understands her. One day she finds a field full of people dancing in Bee costumes and she joins them. I can't remember the details of that video, but that's the sentiment anyhow.

You'd think that I would feel better knowing that my tribe is out there somewhere, here's the problem...I think my tribe are spies incognito. I know this because I'm incognito; which would mean that if I ever came across a field of dancing people in Bee costumes, so to speak, I'd be completely unaware of them.

Why am I boring you with this? I want you, if you know me, to write to me and tell me where I belong, not because I'm lost, but because I'm really curious (I already know that I'm a total geek though). All of my friends, to me, seem really different from one another.

So you tell me.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Battle

I have spent the better part of my life in a battle with my body. It's been the enemy I've either felt the need to conquer or surrender to. I think a lot of people feel that way. For myself it started from as far back as I can remember, you see I grew up in a house with two chain smokers, so I was always short of breath. I was picked for every sports team last because I couldn't run very fast or far, my lungs would feel like they were tearing to shreds inside my chest while the other kids seemed to just fly right past. I pretty much gave up on any sort of sporting activity and lethargy set in.

The enemy then was the second hand smoke that was eating away at my lungs and making my clothes smell really bad. I guess I'm still mad about that! I just read today that second hand smoke inhalation by pre-menopausal women leads to a twice as high risk of osteoporosis and lowers bone density.

naturally I went through the typical girl phobia of being overweight no matter how thin I was. I felt chubby when I clearly wasn't and only felt thin enough when I was seriously underweight. I do however have edema in my legs which makes them swell and look sausagey if I don't elevate them or wear compression stockings (which in this heat is unbearable). My body was the enemy then because I couldn't wear whatever I wanted without being self conscious. I haven't worn shorts or summer skirts/dresses in more then 10 years and I'm not even 30.....quite yet. My legs were always tired and heavy.

Now that I've been practicing yoga for a few Months I'm starting to make friends with the enemy. It's an amazing feeling when your body does some kind of crazy contortion that takes strength of mind as well as body, and a shitload of flexibility. For me a serious achievement has been feeling my lungs capacity really expand. The legs still give me grief, but in general they don't feel as heavy as usual and the swelling is not as bad.

What I've learned is that it's not the body that is the enemy, it's the mind! You can't blame it on societal beauty requirements because the problem is a weak mind that is willing to absorb it all and believe that their physical being is their self worth. Honestly, when you're in a hot room sweating your ass literally off (he he) and you're standing on one leg with while holding the other with one hand while stretching it up and out behind you, well, you just respect your body more.

Now that there is no battle to fight and I've matured enough to realize that it is how you feel and not necessarily how you look I've found some peace of mind. If this is a glimpse into my 30's, bring 'em on!

Friday, August 04, 2006

Lovely


These are some photos that I took on a walk with Dane. There is and inlet a few blocks away from where we live that opens to the ocean. Mario's ice cream factory and shop is right there too! Mmmmmm chocolate.


This is the area where the Olympic village will be built. When the 2010 winter Olympics are over the buildings will be turned into fair market condo's. What might save Vancouver from another architectural nightmare is that many of the old warehouses that are quite charming have been granted heritage status. Though most of them are derelict the facades must remain and be brought back to their original state. As you all know by now, I think that most of the architecture in Vancouver is embarrassing and uninhabitable. Let's cross our fingers and hope that this new era of construction mania doesn't add to the clutter known as Vancouver.



Along the seawall I caught the sun as it was setting behind the Burrard Street Bridge.

I am constantly amazed at how near to natural beauty I live. What I can't even begin to describe is the air. It's salty, fresh and so clean. It has you breathing in deeply so that the very far reaches of your lungs can fill with the sea salt infused air. It makes you feel dizzy and alive. Although I'm prone to exaggeration this does not even begin to explain the feeling of breathing in the fresh sea air.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

David Emanuel Photo


Photo's finally! Here is one of David Emanuel drawing on our writers block at the store. It was a pretty interesting day. I found David (yes we were on a first name basis) to be very fun and well mannered. We talked fashion and had a few laughs.

Being on camera was kind of fun I'll admit, though I won't be racing to be on any kind of reality show anytime soon. I will receive a copy of the episode in a month or so and it will probably air sometime in the winter.

So there you have it folks. I was one degree of separation away from the British royal family for a day.