All kinds of sugar,


 

I love sugar. All kinds of sugar.  Whether it's sprinkled on honeycomb cereal, made into circles, squares, jellies or jams. I was born with a sweet tooth, and occasionally (more often than I should) I put some sugar on that sweet tooth and carry on singing.

I do believe there is no finer gift than a homemade jar of strawberry jelly or a hand crafted huckleberry pie.  To be my lover, you could send me lace, patches of grass, charms made with moonstone, but none of that would do. I want raspberry stuffed pastries and almond croissants.  I want honey painted biscuits and berry filled doughnuts

The only gift that comes close to pastries and sweetened dough on my tongue is plastic pastries and dough shapes on a chain. I strongly believe in jewelry that is cuter than a kitten's paw and sweeter than a bowl of peaches. That is why I am madly in love with my doughnut necklace from boopydoodle.

 
 

About a month or so ago, a very warm ray of sunshine came dancing on my porch. I think the sun arrived just in time to tell me that I was picked by Fashion Magazine for their style panel.  (Insert yodels here!) Each week a crew of Canadian girls will be answering questions and strewing their stylish secrets through outfit photographs and matching sentences. 

The first weeks question was : How to wear a summer outfit before the weathers ready for it? You can see my answer here and be sure to fawn over the other sugar made style panelists!

kissesssssss!

 
 

Black Blouse- forever 21
pink skirt - forever 21
wedges - aldo - $50
doughnut necklace - boopydoodle - sponsor


birds and maps,

 
There is a sweetness that flows through the morning light.  All burdens of midnight disappear, as if they've been swallowed by the moon while I was sleeping.  There is something about seeing my own hands in the daylight that keeps me from pulling on bad thoughts.    When the sun reaches my bedroom window, it's like a thousand tiny poems are waiting to be written. I can see the woodland phlox bloom fest and the dandelion courting spears of grass. 

In the morning, there is possibility. Whether possibility comes in the shape of blueberry pancakes, bending knives into butter dishes, swimming in a sea of maple syrup, or quite simply, just opening the drawer to where the cups and saucers meet.  There is no need for flashlights or shadows or running up the stairs so quick that the monsters below can't reach you.

In the morning, I feel safe.
In the morning, I write my greatest poems.
In the morning, ants look like tiny specks of peppercorn and birds look like dancers.

 
 
 
 

For as long as I can remember, cartography has fascinated me. Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. As a little girl, maps taught me how to understand time and space. The days spent looking at atlases and road maps taught me the difference between traveling by sea and traveling by road. The maps also taught me the length of space between my cousins in England and my cousins in Australia.  I could poke through photographs found in National Geographic to understand climate, culture, and the architecture of places, but without maps I'd never understand distance.

While growing up, I had a bright blue globe in my bedroom. It was a bit sluggish at twirling and I caught my fingers on it too many times, but it was a very good friend to me. I would use my tiny hands to push pins into the places I dreamed of traveling to. There were pins in Africa, Antarctica, Greenland, Japan, Brazil, and even the Indian ocean.  Of course, these pins were only pipe dreams but they fed me with hope.

Sometimes, I'd play tricks with myself. I'd spin the globe with my pointer finger ready and my eyes closed. The globe would do ballet for a few clock spins then I would place my finger back on the globe. I'd open my eyes and wherever my pointer finger touched was the place I'd raise my babies, or the place I'd meet my lovers, or the place that I would perish.  (So far I've met one lover, and no,  we didn't meet on a boat in the Pacific Ocean, or a camel ride in Africa.. )

You can imagine my excitement when shopakira offered to send me the map bag I'm wearing in this post. It's as if the bag was made by a cartographer using my dad's old belt buckles.  I'm in love.




Lapel Bird Print Dress -  sheinside - sponsor
brown floppy hat - jc penny - $5
socks - ardenes - $2
map bag - shopakira -


lipsticks from lime crime,


There are fragrances, blushes, pencils and eye poppers, but of all the things that can make a girl into a lady, lipstick is my favorite. I admire lipsticks crayon-like attitude. It can decorate your pout, make your lips look like a landscape, and sometimes it leaves your lips for the edge of a coffee mug. 

When I was a little girl,  I often fawned over lipsticks in the cosmetic aisle of supermarkets. I let my fingers brush against the plastic cases, deeply wishing I could bring all of the bubblegum pinks and burgundy pigments home.  I remember being 8 years old and sneaking into my Mum's bedroom while she was preparing dinner, just so I could try all of her lipsticks on. She always had rose colored reds, which I never saw her wearing, but they were bold and they were compelling. (Especially when painted all over my teeth....) 

I didn't know what I was doing. All that I knew is that lips were for kissing and my boyband posters looked particularly inviting.   If only I could see those posters now.  I know they're filled with the shape of my lips..... in the color of a red rose.

 

Because of my love for colorful lips and all things whimsical, I was very excited to be gifted a package of lipstick from lime crime. If these lipsticks could talk they would say : I am adventurous, fanciful and merry.  A dazzling unicorn makes it's home on top of the purple tube, while bright colors peak through the tip just waiting to kiss you.   My favorite pigments are cosmopop (orange) and airborne unicorn (purple)

My eight year old self is gleaming right now, and my dishwasher is mad.

Kisses for you all!