Another Writing Gig

In addition to writing for The Models' Coach (I've written two more pieces that have yet to be published and I'm covering two more events, this week-end so stay tuned for more), I now write for a blog called Vintage Maya and this is my first piece. My word count maximum isn't hefty and I have to go heavy on the visuals but it's fun, nonetheless, and I appreciate the chance to build my portfolio up.

Lili St-Cyr

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Project Montréal

The kids and I are launching a project this spring. Most Montrealers only leave their 'hoods to go to work, to  scope out a mall or to go to a bar. Every neighbourhood is so unique while offering everything one could possibly need that people tend to stay put, especially after they've reached a certain age. And when not self-confined to a specific neighbourhood, people who live East of St-Laurent tend to not go further West than McGill and people on the other side tend to halt at St-Denis. Now that I no longer DJ or bartend and now that most of our lives are to the West of Peel, I have also fallen into this comfortable pattern.

Now there are a few things going on: I have to train for a 60 km walk, I've decided to leave Montreal in a handful of years and I'm realizing that my kids know nothing about 'hoods that aren't in Montreal's Southwest. Those reasons, along with the fact that my wanderlust grows on what feels like a daily basis, have lead me to set up Project Montreal.

I've made a list of different areas that includes a few very specific streets and attractions. At least once a month, starting next week-end, the kids and I will pick one of these out of a box, pack some snacks, dress appropriately and set out to explore whatever zone the luck of the draw has given us.

The deal is that, while there, we must learn a bit about the history of the place (this will probably entail me blabbing on to the kids, given that I used to giver tours of Montreal), we must sit down and eat at a local joint, we must visit three shops and we must walk around for at least a couple of hours. I'm thinking of adding one Geo Cache session per area, as well.

Seeing as this blog is becoming more of a lifestyle blog than a style blog (I don't think I'll ever be able to stand around in my backyard every day while my daughter snaps a photo just so I can show you what awesome threads I'm sporting), I will post about our adventures. This will, of course, depend on weather and other events but we have a few years to get this done so I'm in no rush!

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Fashion Show Etiquette 101: 3 Basic Rules to Follow

I've touched upon this before but now, thanks to David Tellier, who accompanied me on an assignment not too long ago, I have photographic depictions of what not to do when attending a fashion show.  

1. Be on time. People have a schedule to adhere to and if they're waiting for house seats to fill before starting, it isn't fair to everyone else who did show up on time. You might think you're being fashionably late but you're just being rude. 

2. No matter what the size or relative importance of the event, you should never ever cut across a runway. These things are always set up in such a way that you can get to your seat from somewhere else. There is no excuse for this blatant lack of respect (or public laziness). 

In addition to the fact that you will no doubt offend anyone who worked on the show (and anyone in the audience with manners), you are probably going to distract people with the prints you are leaving on stage (because this is someone else's stage that you are treading across). The lights will turn on and all people can see before anyone even steps out is this:

Now it's one thing for the models to leave prints behind and that they accumulate during a show but there is no reason for you to be leaving your dirty-ass, Montreal-winter-street-slush-stained, size 11 kick prints all over the damn place before a show even starts. 

3. And I cannot believe that I even have to address this last point but here we are: Do not, under any circumstances lean back and rest your feet up on the runway. No. 

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Week-End Round-Up (Or: The Swap Must Go On!)

On Saturday, I decided to ignore the ridiculous virus that had started it's attack on my body a few days prior. It was on this day that I had planned a clothing exchange and, come hell or high water, the swap must go on. I didn't score what I call a "wow piece" this time around but most of the girls did and so I was thrilled!

Claire, from South Side Soaps, was able to make it out, this time.

When only three of us remained I pulled out the bin of "clothes that will one day fit" and had the girls give it to me straight-up. I managed to get rid of a few pieces, both by giving them to my guests and by donating them to charity. It's amazing what some more wine and a few honest girls can help you work out. Here's my new chum Nova, in her new, cropped Forever 21 tuxedo jacket I only ever wore for a photo shoot, four years ago:

My daughter on the pile of leftovers, at the end of the night:

Some buttons I took from a vest I will be upcycling:

And this is how my sick self spent Sunday and yesterday:

Today I'm back in the office. I'm hoping I get a lot of my strength back soon as I have an article to submit and a clothing collection deadline that is fast approaching!

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Hello, Ipsy. Goodbye, Ipsy.

In December, I subscribed to Ipsy. I've received two of their glam bags since and I do not want a third. I'm not sure why they ask people to fill out a survey, if they're going to send you whatever the hell they need to get rid of anyway. A coworker also signed up. She has olive skin, dark, curly hair and uses completely different products than I do and this month we got the exact same bag.

In January's bag, I received five products. I love one, am indifferent about two and I hate the other two.

(I normally use natural light when taking photos but I live in Canada and I work five days a week and so most of the time, that's impossible in the winter).

This Healthy Sexy Hair nourishing soy spray would probably be better if I wasn't allergic to soy. The eye shadow pencil is super shimmery, which I can't stand. The pencil tip is also really tiny and rounded, two traits I'm not looking for in an eye shadow applicator. I'll stick to powder and my Lancome brushes, thank you.

This facial scrub is terribly greasy. If I want a super exfoliator such as this one, I'll stick to raw sugar and lemon with a drop or two of olive oil.

This lip gloss is one of the products I feel indifferent toward. The colour is quite nice but it's super thin and the amount I need to apply in order for it to show makes my lips feel disgusting.

The one product I do love is this argan and rosewater face lotion by Nourish Organics. I'm actually going to be buying more of this.

I figured I'd wait and see what February's bag looked like before calling it quits. On Monday, this arrived.

The lashes are great and I'll try out the facial mask but the rest is not anything I would buy or even try out. Light purple, shimmery eye shadow (with a fuzzy, lip gloss style applicator), hot pink lip gloss and the palest pink nail polish. I feel like this was put together for my fifteen-year-old sister and that's exactly who will score all of the pieces I do not want.

The concept isn't a bad one, though, and I might hook my sister up with a subscription for her sixteenth birthday. ...I hope she doesn't read this.

I think what it comes down to is that I am a product snob and I do appreciate finer make-up than what I have been receiving from these guys. I'm just not the right market.

I'll try to find time to review my January Wantable box, this week. Now that was a hit!

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Week-End Roundup (Or: A Fashion Show, A Listing That Almost Made it to Etsy and Some Country Air)

February is turning out to be an incredibly busy and unusually social month for me and I'm thrilled about this. It's during this month that I start to get rather antsy, with regards to winter and if I don't keep busy, I tend to get blue. Hopefully, if I keep my head down and push through all of the activities I have planned, I'll blink and it will be March. I used to dislike March too, until a few years ago when I started planning trips during that time or for the first week of April. Two years ago I went o Jamaica, last year I was in New York City and this year I'll be in Las Vegas. But, before I take this tangent and run any further with it, this is what last week-end looked like:

Friday night I covered an event on behalf of Naiade for The Models' Coach. It started late, ran later and was kind of a mess but the photographer was good company and I was happy to be in my element. While waiting (and waiting) for the show to start, I cupped my balls in one hand and, with the other, wrote to a beautiful boy I've known online for a while and asked him out for a beer. He quickly and happily said yes and I must admit the exchange helped me ignore my mounting impatience.

Saturday morning, before listing some dia de los muertos cushion covers I made on Etsy, I decided to post them on facebook. Two people expressed a desire to purchase them and so they have yet to go up on the shop.

Midday, my stepdad came around with a rented SUV and we all piled in and headed up North for some quality time with my mom's three brothers and their families.

After a loud and enjoyably emotional dinner and much wine, I got geared up for the great outdoors and began my tipsy march down the hill behind my uncle's house, to the skating rink he and his boys work so hard to upkeep every year. On my way down, I thought about all of the times I had loudly proclaimed that my next boyfriend would not be a closed-minded Quebecer who can't wrap his head around the world beyond our borders and I knew something had changed within me. While I do want someone in my life that is worldly and accepting of other cultures, a part of me realizes that he'll either have to be able to relate to this side of my family or be incredibly open-minded as, for the first time in my life, I realize that that is important to me. There are two completely legitimate sides to me, when it comes to culture and, while I would greatly appreciate finally dating someone I can take out to a seven-course meal, who can hold his own throughout intelligent and stimulating conversation, who is well-read, who gets my Monty Python references and my dry humour, it dawned on me that he's also going to need to go with the flow when my French-Canadian family lets loose. I'm not saying he has to be from here but, for a moment, I thought of how nice it would be bring someone to my uncle's house for the first time and not have to spend hours explaining and possibly consoling. Whatever happens happens but this is what I was thinking as I made my way down to get my ass kicked by my daughter, sister and cousins on the rink.

The next morning, I took some time to head back down and snap a few photos with my phone.

On the way back, I thought about the family I'd be estranged from for a large chunk of my life and about how freeing it was to open my heart to them again. Looking around the table at all these kids who look like mine and like me and reminiscing about the great times I had with these guys when I was a child made a huge difference in my life and I've been feeling it since. This may be the understatement of the year but having kin is important and I'd spent so many years defiantly preaching about my friends being the family I've chosen that I'd overlooked the fact that I could one day work shit out with these guys and have this big, beautiful, loud, funny, loving clan of my own, after all.

I came home to a gorgeous snow-covered trees. My daughter and I spent the afternoon sorting through some more of our things and relaxing.

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