prairie girl musings

Tag: photos

  • Balancing Two Polar-Opposite Jobs

    Balancing Two Polar-Opposite Jobs

    Daily Inspiration

    Whenever I’m lacking motivation, I turn to my favourite source of inspiration – Pinterest. Sure, it’s visually stimulating, but I get an extra special kick out of the quotation boards.

    She designed a life she loved.

    Follow the call of the disco ball.

    Remember why you started.

    Short one-liners are sometimes all I need to remind me why I do what I do. Working from home, as a freelance writer, will certainly test one’s limits. When does the work begin and when does it end? Have you ever checked your inbox at 1am only to start preparing tweets and Facebook updates for the next day?

    While I know I’m not alone here, I do know that balancing two very different jobs can be a challenge. When I have a pile of blog posts, social media updates, and newsletters to complete for my freelance job, (which, by the way, I adore!) there’s nothing I want less than to shower and put on my most fashion-forward outfit. Rushing out the door to my other job as a stylist can be daunting. After all, who really wants to leave the comfort of their apartment with its endless supply of French press coffee and atmospheric candles?

    On the flip side, the constant isolation from being a freelancer can be terrifying. I’ve learnt the importance of scheduling coffee dates with friends, and in-person meetings rather than relying solely on Skype. And I know I’m lucky. I’m able to juggle a social, customer-focused job with a more internally, self-guided position. It’s just my time management skills that need a bit of fine-tuning.

    What do you do for work? Are you happy in your current position?

  • Twenty Reasons I Love Summer (Toronto Edition)

    Twenty Reasons I Love Summer (Toronto Edition)

    Image(Photo by Kimberly Pesch)

    1. Fashion is simple and baring one’s legs is perfectly acceptable.

    2. Pool parties with copious amounts of beverages and floatation devices are a thing.

    3. Havaianas are the closest I can get to walking around barefoot.

    4. I’m allowed to eat as much ice cream as I desire.

    5. Running outside (to counteract said ice cream) is far more pleasant in the (spring, fall and) summer months.

    6. There’s always something going on. Toronto comes ALIVE in the summertime.

    7. I’m allowed to laze by the lake for at least a week, maybe two.

    8. OSHEAGA Music Festival is the place to be during August long. And festival fashion is my kinda fashion.

    9. Exhibitions, fairs, carnivals (whatever you’d like to call ’em) are an excuse to eat mini donuts and candy apples, then scream your lungs out on rides called Vertigo and Gravitron.

    10. Dining outside is a daily occurrence.

    11. Baseball games are an affordable and fun way to spend an afternoon.

    12. The sunsets are breathtaking.

    13. TIFF in the Park is re-inventing and urbanizing the drive-in movie theatre.

    14. BBQs. Need I say more?

    15. It’s the perfect time to wear your favourite Karen Walker sunglasses! Harvest are my personal faves!

    16. Everyone is out and about, making the most of the season.

    17. Road trips are much more pleasant (and safe) in the summertime!

    18. Rooftop patios are a weekly (sometimes thrice weekly) thing.

    19. There’s nothing better than whiling away the afternoon at The Toronto Islands.

    20. Torontonians sport an abundance of amazing, well done tattoos, that are more visible in the summer months.

  • Bright Lights, Big City!

    Bright Lights, Big City!

    Image

    I initially fell in love with the Big Apple during my first visit in 2006. It was the summer prior to my last year of high school; the summer I decided I was going to be a Broadway star.

    After five days of intense dance classes at the Tremaine Dance Convention, evenings spent exploring Manhattan and catching the world’s best shows, I was convinced THIS was the place for me. Infatuated with the bright lights, the multitudes of tastes and sights, and its vast history, I felt compelled to return.

    Luckily, thanks to the upcoming nuptials of my friends, Kirsten and Steve, I had the opportunity to return to NYC for a second visit. Kirsten chose New York as the location for her bachelorette trip; a city she had always wanted to visit. The eight girls who comprised our group had all gone to the same elementary school, so you can imagine what a reunion it was! Our five-day trip was packed with sightseeing, gallery hopping, riding bicycles through Central Park, indulging in local cuisine, partying in Greenwich Village, and taking in all the sights and sounds of New York. I also had the opportunity to catch up with some of the friends I’ve had the pleasure of meeting during my travels.

    A lot has happened in the past seven years, but New York still holds infinite optimism and possibility. Not only is it the city that never sleeps, it is a city that anyone can enjoy. Regardless of age or gender, New York City will captivate you; it will dazzle your socks right off. There’s Manhattan that only runs 13 miles long, yet is packed to the brim with people, culture, and skyscrapers. We visited both MoMA (Modern Museum of Art) and the Met (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) where we caught the Punk: Chaos to Couture exhibit.

    Brooklyn, a hipster mecca, is perhaps my favourite borough. It is stocked with flea markets (Artists & Fleas is a must-see) carrying handmade, locally-designed goods, vintage shopping (Beacon’s Closet, anyone?), locavore food scene (you’re seriously missing out if you haven’t been to Smorgasburg), independent galleries (Brooklyn Art Library) and stores and trends that began right in Williamsburg (Catbird!)

    I can’t possibly list all the amazing spots we visited throughout Greenwich Village, SoHo, NoHo, Chelsea and the Meatpacking District, so instead here are some memorable photographs:

  • … and so she would dance

    … and so she would dance

    “Go into the arts, I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or how badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”

    -Kurt Vonnegut

    Until quite recently, all I wanted to do was dance. I grew up auditioning for ballet companies and annual production of the Nutcracker and The Lion King. Weekends were spent rehearsing my solos for competition, performing and touring with provincial companies, and teaching the wee ones how to point their toes.

    After high school, I found myself at a crossroads, seriously deliberating whether to pursue dance professionally or to obtain a university education. The practicality of a university degree is not lost on me, despite my decision to study English rather than engineering or commerce. However, I do sometimes wistfully pull out my toe shoes or attend a drop-in class that caters to trained contemporary and classical dancers. I still shed a tear whenever I attend a Broadway show, be it in New York or Yorkton.

    Dance, especially ballet, can be a controversial subject. Many argue that it imparts a destructive bodily self-consciousness, self-hatred and an unhealthy perfectionistic streak. I can’t deny that is sometimes breeds emotionally under-developed young adults, with overly narcissistic desire to succeed. For me, however, it gave me a vehicle for communication and self-expression when words didn’t seem to fit. It also taught me self-acceptance, for the parts of myself that didn’t seem to fit with my small-town upbringing. Feeling perpetually awkward throughout your high school years is certainly not a rare phenomenon, and a natural part of growing into the person you’re supposed to be. But when I danced, I felt invincible. I worked hard to master my technique, which has paid off in my adult life and in my editorial pursuits.

    Check out this video from CTV’s So You Think You Can Dance? Canada entitled “Will I” from the musical RENT. It’s choreographed by Mia Michaels, and features Saskatchewan dancer, Mackenzie Green.