Ahhh.... dang it!!!

Well Vancouver has finally done it! I thought the news about Target coming to Canada was bad. Well this is so much worse because while Target stores won't be open in Canada until 2013, another of my fave U.S. stores is already open.....and within walking distance to my house.
South Granville now has an Anthropologie.....

Oh.... and there is a sale....

Like I said....ahhhh dang it!

I'm back....did you miss me?

Hello friends!
So you may have noticed, it has been awhile since I have posted.....this time the excuse for my absence was a fabulous trip to.....drum roll please....Alberta!! I know, I know... not the most exciting place in the world to travel to (no offense to the Albertans out there) but for my husband and I the draw was not for the scenery but for the people. Where we come from in the sunny Okanagan., it seems that the trend after high school is to head west to Vancouver (like we did) or make the move to either Calgary or Edmonton where the jobs are abundant and cost of living is much more affordable.  So when it comes to milestone events like weddings and babies it can only mean one thing......road trip!

First stop was the wedding of a high school friend of my husband's in Calgary. It was such a beautiful wedding and we were so glad to be able to make it. Of course I was also excited for the opportunity to wear my beautiful blue dress from the clothing swap.

I just missed the dip in this pic...but I still love the expression on their faces...so happy! 
Congratulations Chelsea and Cory

Next stop was Edmonton to visit my bestie Erin and her family, as well as Tyler's sister Michelle and her boyfriend Mike. We stayed at the lovely Chateau Crawford where the coffee was lovingly prepared every morning by a delightful 3 year old named Jade (Erin's middle child)....sooo cute! 

While the two older kids provided mud pies..... 

baby Leighton provided the cuddles....and what good cuddles they were!

I think somebody fell in love a little bit (does it look to anyone else like Tyler is sniffing in the baby smell?
They became fast friends and I am not sure who will miss the other more.

I guess I may have also fallen hard for this little guy.....but what's not to love?

We were also invited to a front yard pool party where we were entertained by the antics of the neighbourhood children.  

Watch out! Who gave that girl a water gun??

  The kids had a water ballon fight, loaded, unloaded and reloaded their water guns and splashed the day away in the blow up pool and slide while the adults relaxed and enjoyed the sun on the porch.....

 We even found a way to include baby Leighton in the fun.....but big brother Kohen was close by to make sure he was ok. Ahhh.... brotherly love begins so young!

Side note: If you can believe it....Tyler....my own husband dragged me to the mall! Not just any mall, but the famous West Edmonton Mall (aka: Ultimate Torture for Lindsay and her challenge!). I really think he was trying to break me, afterall he predicted I would only make it until February at the latest. I am not going to lie.....there were a lot of temptations around every corner and while Tyler shopped I spent a good portion of time watching the Sea Lion show, but I was able to remain 'relatively' true to my challenge. As it turns out, there was a Victoria's Secret and since it is one of only a few in Canada I couldn't resist taking a peek. Well, that little peek may or may not have resulted in a purchase by Tyler and that purchase may or may not have been two new bras for his lovely wife.
Presents from your husband definitely DO NOT count! Loophole #2 :) Don't worry though....I am still committed to this project and I will not being making a habit of using this loophole!

As our visit came to a close and we headed out on the long journey from Edmonton to Vernon I took some time to reflect on the week. We finally got to meet Michelle's boyfriend and Tyler was able to give his brotherly approval. I got some much needed quality time with my bestie....even if we had to stay up until 3am to get it. But most of all this trip reminded me what really matters in my life......the people I love! With three kids running around, it wasn't exactly what I would call a relaxing vacation
(I don't know how you do it everyday Erin) and there were lots of interrupted conversations but all-in-all it was a wonderful visit and I am so glad we made the trip.

Here are a few shots of the beautiful drive....

Our final stop was my hometown of Vernon to see my parents perform in a local production of the broadway musical "The Producers".

My mom, my dad and my sister Shauna sang, danced and performed their hearts out. It was wonderful, entertaining and I am so proud of them!

It is always nice to go back to your hometown and I am so glad it worked out that we could get a little visit in with the family as well as support them by attending their show that they have worked so hard on for the past few months. Plus.....you just can't beat the view!

My parents backyard view

Now it's back to work and back to reality......but let's be honest our reality is not too shabby either....

                                     

Ahhhh....it's good to be back in Vancouver.

Thanks for bearing with me in this 'supersize' post!

Lindsay

Forget shopping....it's all about the SWAPPING SPREE!!

This past weekend I hosted my very first clothing swap and the result was amazing! I felt like I was shopping with all my girlfriends AND I got the benefit refreshing my wardrobe without spending a penny. We made an evening of it.... drinking wine, eating yummy appies while trying on clothes and swapping the night away! By the end of the night, no one walked away empty-handed and I think we all were happy with our newly-aquired treasures.....but NO ONE was happier than me. From Summer weddings to Christmas parties...there is still a lot of time left this year and that means many more events to attend....and I definitely don't want to be tempted to buy a new outfit like I may have in past years! Although I have been doing really well on this no-shopping project, I must admit it was very grateful to  add a few new pieces to my wardrobe....including an amazing new dress for an upcoming wedding. Now I don't have to wear the same dress to all the weddings I am attending this year! So because I have been busy these past two months and because I got so many amazing pieces I think that I will consider the clothing swap my April AND May gift to myself.
Here are some highlights from the evening.

My 'store' for the evening

Jac's 'store'.....

and Jac 'swapping' at my store

I think Jill found a dress she likes!

And so did I!
What a great find.....it was like it was made for me and is perfect for the wedding I am going to this weekend.

In case you couldn't tell.....I really love this dress! 

Wine and swapping are the perfect combo

Cashmere sweater, two tank tops, a scarf, Lululemon running shorts and two beautiful dresses. I think that qualifies as a  pretty successful swapping spree.


Thanks to all my girls for coming out to a great evening and I hope you are all as happy with the new additions to your wardrobe as I am with mine!
Lindsay

Lessons from the 40 day Yoga Challenge

I did it.... I finished the 40 day yoga challenge!! Yay! I think it is safe to say that it has been life-changing. No, seriously....I am not being melodramatic, I really do feel that I am calmer, happier and more in tune with my body and mind than ever before. I have learned that yoga is more than just a workout for your body it also trains the mind to be present in every moment of your life. As a planner and organizer by nature it is difficult for me to unburden my mind of future plans, what-if scenarios and the need to know what my next step should be in life. Yoga has started my journey to realizing that.... to quote the Flaming Lips...."all we have is now. all we've ever had is now". Reminiscing about the past or planning for the future only prevent your mind from experiencing what is happening right here, right now. Now does this mean that I am never going to think about how beautiful my wedding day was, or remember the amazing energy I felt in NYC? Probably not. Am I going to become Ms. Spontaneous and ignore my better judgement when making major life decisions? Not likely. I do however hope that my yoga practice will remind me that where I am in life at any given moment is exactly where I am meant to be, and that I can't control the future no matter how hard I try. Even though I don't know what my future holds, I know there will likely be joy and happiness as well as times of struggle and difficulty, but the only thing I can control is how I react to each of these moments that come my way.
Put very simply...yoga is about learning to greet the rain with the same love as you welcome the sun. Feel it, appreciate it and breathe through it.

That being said....in any practice there are bound to be slip-ups or set-backs and I am not proud to admit it but one of mine came VERY shortly after the 40 day challenge. I got an unexpected phone call telling me that I had won the grand prize and it was a trip to Galiano for a yoga retreat! I was initially very excited, but after learning that the trip was just 6 days away I quickly got caught up in the minutiae of how much planning and organizing needed to be done and actually considered not going at all! How would I get there? Should I take the car or walk-on? I would have to take the day off work....can I afford to do that? Would someone be able to cover my shifts? What if I don't like anybody? What if every one is really old and I have nothing in common with them? I get so nervous in groups of people I don't know.....is it even worth going? WAIT A SECOND...WHAT???!!??
"Lindsay..... get a hold of yourself! You just won the freaking grand prize and get to go to a beautiful island to do yoga, hike and meet like-minded people. Chances are everyone will be friendly and this is a wonderful opportunity to challenge yourself to open up to new people. Stop being an idiot and just go with the flow for once!"
Once I talked some sense into myself....I was able to escape my planner brain, embrace the joy of winning and truly experience the gratitude for being given such an amazing opportunity. We are not perfect and I will likely have many more times where I will get so lost in the details that I forget to be in the moment, but I am getting better and you know what? I really think that this this minor freakout before the trip actually helped me to shift my perspective and make a concerted effort to really be present in every moment on the retreat. We had beautiful weather, delicious food and I met some wonderful people....all in all a great weekend!
A picture is worth a thousand words, so here is my Galiano photo journal.

My first taste of Galiano.....
just a local playing guitar on a picnic table in front of the  only store on the island

Bodega Ridge...our hosts for the weekend.

Our cute little yoga studio, complete with woodstove and view of the ocean on the left.

Enjoying the view and the reward of our two hour hike

Photo shoot on the beach....testing my balance on a piece of driftwood...."quick take the picture"!!
Turns out that cross-legged pose on a log is not as easy as it looks!

Strike a pose....tree pose!

View from Mount Galiano; how can you look at this view and not feel at peace?

Don't we look happy after a weekend of yoga, hiking, delicious food and wonderful company!

Thanks Semperviva for a great weekend retreat!

Lindsay

Lindsay Trudel.....putting stores out of business since 2011

Having successfully made it past the first quarter of my challenge, I was feeling pretty good about my progress but after a recent trip to Fourth Ave, I am feeling a little bit guilty! I think that my challenge has taken a toll on the retail industry of Vancouver.....
For the past few months I have taken the advice of the J sisters and avoided temptation as much as possible and for me, Fourth Ave is the ultimate test of will power so obviously I have tried to keep my distance.  Unfortunately my yoga studio is right in the heart of Kitsilano's shopping district and so, during my 40 day challenge it has been impossible to avoid. My solution? I never bring my wallet.....and I take an alternate route that doesn't take me past my favorite shops with their enticing window displays. Then one day I decided to test my impulse control and face Fourth Ave head-on......thinking "I can't do much damage without a wallet right?" Well it turns out my challenge has been doing a different kind of damage on Fourth Ave stores. No less than 5 stores that I used to frequent are now just empty storefronts. Is it my fault? Did I put these poor stores out of business with my resolution to stop shopping? Well.....maybe I am giving myself too much credit, but interesting coincidence no?

Lindsay

March Gift to myself

Last month I made a toque.....this month a headband/ear warmer. You know how sometimes you just want to keep your ears warm but a toque is just too hot? No? Just me? I got this idea from a friend of a friend who made one of these cute accessories, so I can't be the only one. Check it out .....you know you want one!!

As I was on a roll and crocheting up a storm, I decided to make a pair of booties for my friends baby. And because they are just too cute to resist I thought I would post a pic of them as well.
Next project? I really have to figure out how to make an adult version of these booties.....so cozy!

Lindsay

Shopping my closet for Spring Trends

I don't know about any of you, but for me, there is something about Spring that just screams... shopping! And it's not just because I am deprived right now and everything 'screams'.....shopping to me :)
Spring is the time of new life, new beginnings.....and new clothes. Right? Are you with me?
Picture this......the weather warms up, the colours of Spring surround you and sales signs pop-up in all your favorite stores.....now if that doesn't make you want to freshen up your current wardrobe.....then you are crazy!! Talk about temptation.....as if the arrival of a new season isn't enough, my latest daily report from Rachel Zoe reminded me of all the wonderful Spring trends that I will not be able to participate in this year. Or so I thought.....
As I was browsing through the Electric Spring Brights that Rachel recommends, I did a mental inventory of my existing wardrobe and realized that I actually have a lot of the pieces already! So, obviously I went shopping in my closet for cute and easy ways to brighten up my basics without spending a penny!
I discovered that I had 7 items out of the 20 Rachel listed.....that is an impressive 35%!
Then....because I was bored.... I decided to do a little photo shoot to show you what I found.
Check out these *AMAZING* shots and I hope you like my ideas!


Rachel Zoe's 'Bright Ideas for Spring' .............and my version 

Cool Clutch        Turquoise Gems

My fave coral pink clutch (Feet First)  and giant turquoise cocktail ring (Aldo) totally brightens up my plain white tee and dark jeans!

Fun Shades

Purple ray-ban style sunglasses  ($5 from Garage)....I broke out of my black, white or metallic rut for a less practical (but more fun) pair of shades.

Coloured Skinny Jeans

I found these Volcom Skinny jeans  last summer for $10.  Why did I buy red jeans? Duh....they were $10! Have I worn them? Sadly.... no. I thought I was daring enough, but have you seen how bright they are? However, this year is about breaking out of my comfort zone though....so bring on the red jeans!

Graphic Scarf

As you can tell, I really like telling the price of things.....but it's only because I LOVE a great deal. Speaking of great deals.....did I mention that this scarf was $3!!! So cute right? And a perfect way to dress up an otherwise plain outfit.

Statement Necklace Bold Belt

Wearing the same white tee and dark jeans that has been the staple of each outfit, I added a multi-strand beaded necklace in a fun turquoise colour (from American Eagle) and a coral skinny belt (from Urban Outfitters) to make it feel a bit more 'Springy'. It may not seem like much.....but not bad for making do with what I already have!

* Since sarcasm is often lost in written form....I wanted to clarify that, I know these shots are far from amazing. I am neither a model nor a photographer... but hey....I had fun ok!?!*

So, the moral of this story is......don't just go shopping when a new season rolls in because you feel the need to fill your wardrobe with the hottest trends.......shop your closet first and you just might find that you can make it work with what you have. And if you do decide to go shopping outside your closet I just have one favor to ask......buy something in my honour :)

Lindsay