prairie girl musings

Author: prairiegirlmusings

Auckland, again!

Long time, no talk! My apologies for the lack of updates. Since we last spoke, I have been accumulating some air miles, travelling to New Zealand, back to Saskatchewan, and then visiting South Africa. Oh, the excitement! 2012 has truly been an adventure and a half. I spent the last moments of the year on a safari at Kruger National Park, and sipping wine with my family and new international friends. I am incredibly thankful for everything I’ve experienced over the past year, all the wonderful souls I’ve met, and for the beautiful collection of memories. My internship at Ottawa Magazine was a rewarding learning experience, especially since I didn’t study journalism at university. I was able to contribute to both the print and online editions of the magazine, fact-check the most engaging articles, and partake in thought-provoking discussions about the future of the industry and more specifically, our publication. I finished my internship at the end of October, and I decided to venture back to New Zealand (my spiritual homeland and also the place where many of my dear friends and boyfriend reside!) It’s becoming increasingly difficult to stay away from this magical place.

My visit consisted of many lunch and coffee dates, birthday celebrations, several concerts, (The Black Keys and Coldplay, no less!) a beautiful getaway to Nick’s beach house in Mangawhai, and a yacht excursion! I also had the opportunity to pick up my degree from The University of Auckland and take graduation photos!

South African photos coming soon!

January 26, 2013
Frankenstorm

The words on everyone’s lips, Hurricane Sandy has resulted in widespread power outages, various airports being closed, and the possibility of endangering up to 50 million people. The storm has already been compared to the Perfect Storm of 1991, and has already caused considerable damage across the northeastern states. According to CTV News, New York and Long Island will bear the brunt of it: “As rain from the leading edges began to fall over the Northeast on Sunday, hundreds of thousands of people from Maryland to Connecticut were ordered to leave low-lying costal areas.” Set to hit Southern Ontario and Quebec this afternoon, we’re already feeling the chill. I’ve seen a few Ottawans almost blown away while sipping my morning coffee and typing up one last article for the magazine.

I’m a bit nervous as to whether I’ll be able to jet off to Vancouver en route to Auckland early Wednesday morning. I didn’t think I could be any more anxious to get back to New Zealand. Fingers crossed Hurricane Sandy keeps her distance.

October 29, 2012
Intern Nation

One of the best things about completing an internship is actually having articles and clippings to add to one’s portfolio. Having studied English and Writing Studies, I definitely did A LOT of writing in my undergrad days. Unfortunately, (or maybe fortunately?) none of it was published, other than a few self-published portfolios for creative writing and poetry courses. This posed a dilemma when applying for both jobs and graduate programs. Who wants to hire someone who hasn’t had anything published and sends you a copy of their essay entitled, Gothic Fiction in Wuthering Heights for consideration? Luckily, Ottawa Magazine took a chance on me, even after reading my writing samples.

After two months of travelling, I will tackle another internship – this time in Toronto. During this time I’ll need to plan my next move, and I have a feeling it will involve a bit of freelance work and maybe a few more entrepreneurial ventures. Other than crafting up some unique business cards, continuing to update and promote my blog, and launching a website, what else can I do to ensure I land a job every now and then? Well, without a portfolio, I was at a loss. Now thanks to Ottawa Magazine, I have several print and online articles I can submit to future employers or grad schools I am applying to. I am incredibly thankful for all the opportunities I’ve been given at St. Joseph Media, I couldn’t have asked for a better first internship or better colleagues.

The November/December issue of Ottawa Magazine came out this Thursday, and I am thrilled that I’ve been able to contribute to such a respected publication. I had such a wonderful time working with the editorial staff and interviewing Rosina Mahlangu of Capital Fashion Consulting. I also picked out some snazzy snowboard gear (from local stores) for those chilly winter months. Check out my articles below:

Here are a few more of my articles, which were published on the Ottawa Magazine website:

SHOP TALK

SHELF LIFE: A roundup of unique children’s books by local authors and illustrators – Part 1

SHELF LIFE: A roundup of unique children’s books by local authors and illustrators – Part 2

SHELF LIFE: A roundup of unique children’s books by local authors and illustrators – Part 3

SHELF LIFE: A roundup of unique children’s books by local authors and illustrators – Part 4

TASTE TEST: Two local writers join forces to create the cookbook Fresh & Healthy Cooking For Two

October 27, 2012
Up & Away: In her suitcase

Yesterday was the last day of my internship at Ottawa Magazine and Where Ottawa, which has got me thinking about the next item on my agenda, my mini-trip to New Zealand.

I’m spending this rainy Saturday cleaning up my apartment and packing my bags for springtime in New Zealand. Here are a few pieces that have inspired me:

Something Else Cactus Shorts: Anyone who knows me, knows I’m slightly obsessed with prints. These caught my eye immediately because of their gorgeous material and cute pattern.

Insight Del May One-Piece: For those of us who haven’t been hitting the gym quite as hard as we usually do in preparation for summer, have no fear! This gorgeous one-piece doesn’t demand hours of crunches, just pop on a floppy hat, pour yourself some lemonade, (with a spritz of vodka, perhaps?) and lie down with your favourite summer read!

Something Else Silk Panel Dress: Nothing screams “summer” like coral. This dress transitions from a day perusing your favourite gallery, to a lunch date with your girls, to an evening at the ballet. I know I’d live in this dress during the summer months.

Ruby Rockette Peplum Top: Peplum is a favourite this season, and I love Ruby’s polka dot version. It’s fitted, understated and navy is possibly my favourite colour as of late (other than burgundy, of course!)

Funkis: I’m not exactly sure where to purchase these gorgeous wedges made by Swedish designer, Funkis. I’ve been on the hunt for a pair since I spotted them at Tatty’s in February, unfortunately they were a few sizes too small. These are the epitome of cool Swedish style.

If you can’t get your hands on a pair of Funkis, check out these gorgeous MINT GREEN Kathryn Wilson wedges available at Ruby stores throughout the country:

If I had to narrow down my wardrobe to a few items, these would certainly make the cut. Paired with a simple white sundress, you’re ready for whatever events come your way.

October 27, 2012
Ottawa Fashion Week: In Photos

Ottawa Fashion Week took place last week in Little Italy at Sala San Marco. As an Ottawa Magazine intern, I was fortunate to be able to take part in the festivities! One of my assignments entailed writing a behind-the-scenes article on OFW’s creative director, Bruno Racine. I shadowed him a week before the OFW kick-off. Leading up to the big event was nothing short of exhausting for Racine. A typical day consisted of endless emails, financial meetings, interviews, TV appearances, outfit fittings, and coordinating the various designers set to showcase their work at the event. Racine also owns his own hair salon, spa and academy, The Loft. He’s ambitious, experienced, and his energy is contagious. When we sat down to discuss his role as creative director, he told me about his interest in banishing Ottawa’s rep as ‘boring’ and ‘worst-dressed’. We also talked about his constant networking at various fashion weeks around the globe. What a life!

I also tagged along with local designer, Geneviève Lima as she debuted her first collection on Daytime Ottawa.

Here are some of the photos of my day:

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October 17, 2012
Reasons to Love Autumn in Ottawa

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald

Isn’t that beauty of it? Autumn, wherever in the world you may be, is quite spectacular. It’s a time for change, for renewal and for new experiences. It’s a time to put away our cut-off shorts and sundresses, our bare legs will no longer see the light of day. Fall fashion is always the most enticing, encouraging experimentation with layering and new colour palettes. A time that resonates with ‘Back to School’, we often feel as though autumn represents coming-of-age, urging us to take responsibility.

As the weather gets colder, I feel myself more driven, more willing to pursue those activities I put off during the summer months. This year, I’ve started doing hot yoga again, as there’s a studio five minutes from my apartment. Throwing myself into this new endeavour, I can already feel my body becoming stronger and more agile. I am reminded of my years spent at the dance studio, committing to nightly rehearsals. Fall helps us remember, but aims to propel us forward into what’s sure to be a new adventure.

In Ottawa, it’s a thing of wonder. Upon arriving in our nation’s capital early September, I’ve witnessed the trees go from green to miraculous shades of yellow, orange and red. These burnt hues feel comforting as I bundle up in knit stockings, a wool scarf and my trustworthy trench coat. The changing of seasons is a remarkable time, and this year was extra special for me. Having spent the past two and a half years in Auckland, it felt as though I would never witness four seasons again. Luckily, the city I chose to move to is known for its glorious autumns.

So, what am I most excited for?

Harvest Noir, which is taking place this Sunday in Ottawa. A few days before the event, Harvest Noir attendees assemble for a mass shopping flash mob at farmers’ markets to buy the ingredients for their picnic feasts. The event combines an elegant “dress your best in black” harvest celebration with a picnic, plus pop-up parade, and a DJ dance party: www.harvestnoir.com

Haunting Season at Saunders Farm begins Saturday and is host to numerous fall activities and live entertainment both day and night. As a member of Savour Ottawa, Saunders grows much of the food they provide and believes in supporting local farmers: www.saundersfarm.com

Pumpkinferno will kick off Thanksgiving Day Weekend at Upper Canada Village and is sure to be a delightful time! Stroll through an all-new, hauntingly beautiful and spellbinding outdoor exhibit of thousands of hand-carved pumpkins, set against a stirring night-time backdrop just inside the gates of historic Upper Canada Village. Marvel at this eclectic display of scenes from exotic places and historic ages, meet up with forest animals and sea-born creatures, see story book heroes, mythical characters, cultural icons and more …. all carved from pumpkins! www.uppercanadavillage.com

Check out more events on www.ottawamagazine.com (A little PR never hurt anyone!)

xxx, Vanessa

September 26, 2012
Prairie Girl Takes on ONTARIO.

Greetings from our nation’s capital: Ottawa!

I have recently embarked on a new editorial journey with Ottawa Magazine and Where Ottawa, and there is already much to report! It all happened so fast, I barely had time to blink – or to find an apartment. Despite having spent two and a half years in Auckland, which I (unlike my Torontonian friends) consider a big city, I’ve found myself more than flustered since landing in Ottawa. When I initially drafted this entry, I was only due to commence my first internship the following morning. I poured my heart out in a paragraph-length monologue about anticipating this momentous occasion, feeling a bit uneasy about my accommodation options (or lack thereof). As much as I’d like to use this time to vent, complain, and deliberate this issue, I’ll save you the pity party and move on to more readable content. I’m now located in a lovely loft nestled in Little Italy, just off Preston. It’s absolutely charming, and a brisk ten-minute walk from the office!

Luckily, I was able to spend my first night in a hotel to give me time to prepare for the week’s events and the big move. As I opened the drawer to find a map, I came across a Where Ottawa guide brimming with local events, restaurants and sights! How exciting! Leafing through this magazine gave me some perspective, enabled me to relax and breathe during an otherwise daunting situation. After thumbing through a few articles, I decided to call a few of the tenants and to sort out my apartment qualms.

After a few meet and greets, my friend Patrick called me and we went out for poutine (an Ontario/Quebec tradition) in the Byward Market area. As I familiarize myself with Ottawa and my new position, I’ll take some photos of my excursions. Flashforward to today, I’ve been at the magazine for two weeks now (with a quick jaunt to Toronto thrown in the mix) and I’m learning so much! My first day on the job consisted of proofreading (which is pretty standard for editorial interns) and research for two of my own articles! I was pleasantly surprised by these assignments as interns usually spend a lot of time editing and not a lot of time writing. I’ve now conducted my first batch of interviews, and my favourite was with a young entrepreneur, Rosina Mahlangu. She grew up in Toronto, but attended university in Ottawa. She’s young, a year younger than me, but so ambitious, bright-eyed and motivated. Meeting with her on Thursday morning downtown Ottawa was the highlight of my week because her energy was contagious. She’s the founder of a fashion consulting company and she’s already appeared on CTV and in various local publications and media outlets. She hosts her own events, with the help of a single assistant and a newly-hired intern. Pretty impressive for twenty-two, right?

As I’ve now finished two weeks on the job, I’m ready to explore everything Ottawa has to offer. During my time off last week, I went to Toronto to meet my future boss at Weddingbells Magazine as well as catch up with some friends and my dad who was attending a business meeting. Here are some photos from Kensington Market (an eclectic, interesting neighbourhood that has great shock-value!)

September 15, 2012
Southeast Asia: Bali, Indonesia

Ever since Elizabeth Gilbert released her bestselling novel, Eat, Pray, Love with a movie deal to boot, everyone’s been abuzz with the intention of quitting their day job and jet setting around the world. I’m no stranger to this philosophy, in fact, I experienced my quarter-life crisis a bit earlier than most. At the age of nineteen, I resolved to study abroad for six months, merely to escape the sensation of of being sentenced to a life in a deadbeat American town; a town that, to me, personified the expression “bible belt.” I decided on New Zealand because I already knew a handful of people who had been to Australia (Like I said, I was having an early onset of a quarter-life crisis, and determined to go someplace where I knew absolutely no one.) Plus, Australia would be a good place to escape during our two-week Easter break, with a size and mentality comparable to Canada. And that was only the beginning, upon returning to what I considered a mediocre university town, I simply couldn’t seem to get back in the swing of things.

Flash-forward to 2012: As I prepared to begin my last semester at the University of Auckland, I knew this was possibly my last opportunity for frivolous travel prior to beginning my professional life post-convocation. (Who was I kidding?) My high school education and family vacations had already taken me throughout North America and Europe several times. Fortunately, my cousin Lucia had a similar mindset, having just begun her first semester abroad in Auckland. We decided that on top of our local travels within New Zealand, (a country of four million) we would additionally benefit from a mini-vacation to Southeast Asia. I spoke of our Malaysian adventure in my last post, but before I go all Eat, Pray, Love on you, I’d like to rationalize why we decided to visit Bali.

Bali is a breathtakingly beautiful island, with several excellent tourist options available. We wanted to dip our feet in the culture surrounding Bali. We also wanted to indulge in a vibrant nightlife and relaxing retreat that recharged our batteries mid-semester. My Canadian friends, an adventurous couple, Kirsten and Steve, had both been to Bali separately, and revelled about their experiences. Steve urged us to visit Ubud, Bali’s cultural capital. Needless to say, we were not disappointed with its abundance of art galleries, culinary delights, wildlife and exotic temples. Every community in Bali has a local temple, and every family builds a more compact temple in their home. I was incredibly intrigued by this form of devotion. We also visited a monkey temple (or so we thought); our tour guide, Sudarma corrected us immediately and told us it was a regular temple, but the monkeys protected its sanctity and acted as guards of the grounds.

September 15, 2012
Kuala Lumpur, Man vs. Nature

Having lived in New Zealand for two and a half years, I finally ventured to Southeast Asia this April with my cousin, Lucia and a friend from British Columbia. We all fell in love with the sights, sounds and smells of Malaysia and Indonesia. The following are some of our favourite aspects of exploring Kuala Lumpur.

1. Kuala Lumpur’s delicious and enticing street markets:

During our four nights in Kuala Lumpur, we couldn’t seem to get enough of the Petaling market, which takes place every night in the Chinatown district. The options for stir frying were endless, and we ended up having barbecue vegetables nearly every night! The outdoor dining was second-to-none, as most of the stalls were accompanied with picnic tables and various seating options! As we’ve come to accept, Chinatown also featured an array of “Genuine Fake” Longchamp totes, carryalls and Ray Ban sunglasses. Luckily, there were enough culinary options to keep us occupied for the duration of our travels!

2. Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary

Visiting the elephant orphanage was a definite highlight of our trip to Malaysia. All three of us loved the day long excursion to Kuala Gandah, which is approximately three hours from Kuala Lumpur. The sanctuary strives to help endangered elephants. What really caught my eye, in the elephant holding area, where we had lunch prior to feeding the elephants, were the little ones! After speaking to the handlers, we realized that these elephants we thought of as babies were actually adolescents. After the feeding, we stayed around to go on a brief elephant ride.

3. Our fantastic accommodation at Reggae Mansion:

Thank goodness for our travel agent at Student Flights (NZ), Pauline! Not only did she book us several incredible tours throughout our two-week holiday, she also managed to find the most amazing (and affordable) hostels. A highlight was Reggae Mansion situated in downtown KL. It’s the ideal spot to meet like-minded tourists, especially young travellers. The hostel features a rooftop patio bar, along with a cafe and restaurant in the lobby. The rooms are air-conditioned (a big MUST due to KL’s record-high temperatures and humidity!) We engaged in various social activities during our stay, organized by the hostel owners and I’d highly recommend a stop at Reggae if you are ever in KL!

4. Shop ‘Til You Drop!

Kuala Lumpur is a shopper’s paradise, with its sky-high malls and monumental towers featuring shops to suit every taste and budget! Many visitors are surprised by the modernity and man-made glory of Kuala Lumpur. Others are convinced KL is the prime example of man versus nature. We appreciated both aspects of our visit, and couldn’t conceal our excitement with both the Bintang Bukit and Pavillion Malls, which featured an array of restaurants, high street stores and ridiculous architecture.

5. The famously beautiful Batu Caves

You cannot plan a trip to Malaysia and not visit the Batu Caves. Standing at 140 feet, the world’s tallest statue of Murugan, a Hindu deity, is located outside the Batu Caves. The venerable, visually-stunning monument is a breathtaking place for worship. The trek up to the temple consists of nearly 300 steps, lined with monkeys who like to tease the visitors. The caves are a top tourist attraction bringing international guests to KL’s suburbs.

Part II, coming soon! It will feature some highlights of our Bali trip!

Until next time,

Vanessa

August 14, 2012
Gumboots, meet your match!

Festival season is upon us! This time of year has always been a favourite of mine. Not only am I able to wear rubber boots and traipse around with flowers in my hair, I’m spoon fed some of the best music by my favourite artists, and able to explore new artists not yet discovered. In preparation for OSHEAGA in Montreal, Quebec, I selected garments with the precision of a Ukrainian gymnast (too soon?) I couldn’t help but peruse archives from Coachella and Glastonbury for outfit inspiration. Kate Moss really set the standard at Glastonbury, when she first donned her Hunter wellies. They are now an iconic item not only for festival goers, but also for students in rainy climates worldwide. I did see one or sixteen festival goers in Montreal sporting these covetable wellies.

OSHEAGA featured an eclectic range of bands from The Black Keys to Aloe Blacc to Austra. My favourites were undoubtedly as follows:

Florence and the Machine (I’ve seen her before, she continues to impress and amaze!)

Yeasayer, they are so very entertaining to watch! The crowd was equally as energetic!

Of Monsters and Men – why aren’t they more famous? They are wonderful!

Austra featuring local talent from my hometown, Ryan Wonziak!

M83, also underrated and incredible!

Bloc Party because they know how to get a crowd amped up!

Justice. I never thought I would enjoy them as much as I did! I was D.A.N.C.E.ing the night away. Bonus: a professional hip hop dancing set up camp next to us and her moves accentuated the music perfectly!

Passion Pit, I couldn’t help but dance foolishly and clap my hands continuously throughout their set.

Honourable mentions to The Black Keys, I knew they’d be wonderfully melodic and hugely popular. Their set definitely delivered, but I think I’d prefer to see them on their own in an auditorium. The Shins were also amazing. I regret not seeing MGMT and Bombay Bicycle Club, but there were simply way too many shows that conflicted. Next time!

Here are some of my favourite festival looks, featuring celebrities and non-celebrities alike:

August 10, 2012