Sorry about the missing squiggly line cedilla. I know how to spell basic French words, I swear. #macproblems

Anyway. Yes, as the title suggests, I was aiming for a bit of an androgynous look here. (Maybe I should have aimed for a better ironing job. Zing! But, seriously, I think my iron hates me for ignoring it 99% of the time.) I’m, um, not sure if my vision translated, but surely I can at least get points for effort, yes? Listen, if it works for our educational system, surely … never mind.

But wait! I also tried something new with my hair! I should know better than to do that by now (hint: it always ends disastrously), but I am ever hopeful. I became intrigued by this hack that is supposed to give you a longer- and fuller-looking ponytail. You divide your hair in two sections – top and bottom. You pull the top part back into a high-ish ponytail, then do the same with the lower/bottom part just below the top ponytail. Gah, I’m the worst at explaining anything hair-related. Anyway, the top ponytail hides the bottom one, which in turn makes the top, visible one look fuller and longer. You can kinda, sorta tell from this shot:

I think it only works on wavy/curly/curled hair. You need to fluff up the top ponytail a bit, the better to hide the other one. ‘S alright. It works, I guess, but I was worried the entire time about moving my head the wrong way, and exposing my grade schooler, two-ponytails situation. You can probably pin the top part a bit to keep it from moving too much, but … bah, I ain’t got time for that. I’ll just stick to my one, anemic little ponytail.

But I still get points for trying, yes?

I love colour. I’m the person who buys a dozen eye shadows she’ll never use because all the colours look so pretty and she simply can’t choose just one. And have you seen my nail polish wall? Colour hoarder, c’est moi. Naturally, I was tickled pink (hah!) by this sculpture at Borden Park.

Seriously, though, how amazing is it:

Borden Park is a little jewel in North Edmonton, and if you haven’t already checked it out, you should. Outside of the river valley, Edmonton’s park game is so-so; a lot of wide open spaces, not much in the way of natural features. Borden Park, on the other hand, has a distinct West Coast feel to it – lots of mature trees, winding paths, outdoor sculptures, picnic areas, and one beautiful glass-walled pavilion. They are still working on some of the landscaping and the water features, but it looks very promising. The park also has one of the nicest playgrounds in Edmonton, and is immediately adjacent to an outdoor swimming pool, so keep it in mind if you have kidlets.

Anyway, my outfit. Definitely takes a backseat to the surroundings, but it was very comfy if not particularly stylish. The loose fit of the Joe Fresh tee photographs tent-like, but I love it. Ditto for the J. Crew Factory City shorts.

I know! Two pairs of shorts in less than a month?! Craziness!

I’m not really crafty. Pretty much the only thing I DIY on the regular is my manicure, and it shows. My problem with DIY is not so much lack of interest, as lack of dexterity. I’m a fumbler. And a knocker-over of things. Stainy things. Honestly, I’m just an overgrown toddler when it comes to crafts. But for a while, a few years back, I got really into beading.

(See, I really do have a lot more in common with your grandma than just a love for upholstery florals. You should introduce us sometimes.)

Anyway, beading. Totally random hobby. One day, long before babies, I was bumming around at home (as I was wont to do in those days). I guess I must have had a sudden creative itch, because I decided to put some old beads from a long-broken bracelet to use by stitching them onto a piece of felt left over from one of my husband’s upholstery projects. (Unlike me, my husband is very handy. But, like me, he also has random hobbies.) And so began my brief obsession with beading.

I beaded a LOT in those days. My husband was living in a different city at the time (we weren’t married yet), and I had a lot of time on my hands in the evenings. Being the anti-social butterfly that I am, I loved spending those evenings alone, watching TV and beading to my little heart’s content. The combination of CSI (any CSI, but especially Original Flavour) and beading made for a wonderful mind relaxant after a shitty day at work. I made a bazillion necklace collar thingies, and other useless, assorted doodads. Like any excited toddler, I gave a bunch to my mom (who, to her credit, actually wore some once or twice), and buried the rest in my hoarding drawers.

And, lookee here, I found one of them recently.

I went through a phase when I was obsessed with Peter Pan collars, and was never able to find one I really liked. This DIY project is the result of that. I mean, it’s not exactly Pinterest-ready, but sort of … maybe … not unwearable?

What say you?