Seven

You could say that I'm a horrible person for not posting in about a zillion years (cha I just said zillion) But that would be grossly untrue. I doubt anyone reads this, so in a sense I am writing to myself right now, which I am totally cool with. Point is, my lack of posts affects no one save myself! On that note, I have promised myself to do one tomorrow... Procrastination. Gorgeous.

And now a little something I took on one of my walks in the fall. Yeah, it naturally has that weird green-ish tint.

SixPointFive

Okay, so, still no REAL post - I have promised myself that I will do one tomorrow - BUT, I was just on the Vanity Fair homepage and stumbled across a really profound thought. Accompanying a spread of Emily Blunt in couture was the following quotation, "In times like these, couture is a bet on the future..."(VF) Obviously "times like these" refers to our collective current economic situation. It struck me as really beautiful and inspiring that we can think of the continued creation of beautiful and creative things as a sign that we have faith in a brighter tomorrow. Deep, I know. Anyone else have any thoughts? Do you agree with my appreciation of the thought, or am I reaching...?

Real post tomorrow!

Six

Okay, so this is not at all a real post. Things have been cray-zay here lately... hopefully in a few days I will be able to post some pictures showing exactly WHY things have been so nutso. I have some ideas for posts lined up though, so I will be back soooooon!

Five

Everybody should have a little "secret hobby" that makes them glad from the inside out... I have several including painting on old jeans, painting odd and abstract canvases with watercolours and acrylics, and making collages. I'm not even remotely skilled at any of the above (well, my collages are pretty rockin'...), and none of my friends know that I sometimes fill my days doing those things - but, they make me happy. Another thing that no one really knows I do is photography. I took a couple of classes when I was much younger (we are talking grade eight here) but other than that I don't think anyone has any idea how much time I spend taking pictures. I don't really know if anyone else would think that my shots show any talent, but here some of them are for all of you to check out!

Four

There's no place like home.... home for me being Toronto. A recent query (shout out to Mary from Hail Mary woot woot!) got me thinking about what recommendations I would make for a visitor to my fair city. Whether coming for work or for play, a long time or a little, there are a ton of things to do and see in the T-Dot (gah, did I just say T-dot?) There are about a zillion things about calling Toronto 'home' that make me glad! Here are my top picks for the un-sung heroes...



In my humble opinion, there is no better place to stay when visiting the city than the Fairmont Royal York. It is located smack dab in the centre of downtown, right across the street from transportation hub Union Station, and fricken GORGEOUS! I cannot do the place justice without dedicating one whole post to it, so do yourselves a favour and check out their website! Ah-May-Zing. Ever since I was a little girl, I have said that I would someday LIVE here full-time right at the top behind the lettering at the top of the building.



Speaking of Union Station, one of my absolute favourite things to do is to sit in Union in the Great Hall and people watch. Making myself a part of the landscape, being in a place that has seen so many people start or finish their grand adventures, its easy to feel like I am part of something much bigger than myself. Everyone should feel that way at least once a day I think... its good for the soul (and ego!)



Designed in part by Cellist Yo Yo Ma, Toronto's Music Garden is a nice scoop of serenity in the heart of the city. The whole garden is 'composed' as it were, to mimic a piece of classic music. There is a Prelude, an Allemande, Courante, and so on and so forth. If you start at the Prelude, and follow the signs, you experience the garden as you would experience Bach's First Suite for an Unaccompanied Cello. It is pretty divine. And its remarkably purdyyyy too!








Toronto isn't exactly well-known for its waterfront, but we are trying to change that, I swear! Its a good thing, too, because along the waterfront there are so many places to sit and relax, and enjoy the boats coming in and out of the harbours. I wish the up-loading of my pictures didn't cause them to be so squishy, because in my original image you can just make out the faintest ripple on the water even under the ice (I took this picture a week ago, and sadly, yes, in the middle of March we still have snow and ice!). So calming. The second picture shows one of the 'Wave Decks' that are currently being constructed. I feel it in my fingers that these will be wonderful places to relax come summer. I am a huge hype-er of the Waterfront, because I am currently doing a major thesis project on its development and regeneration. Basically, I am in love with my field site....


There are several buildings in the city that were once used as part of Toronto’s booming industrial and transportation sector that are now being adaptively re-used to house theatres, art galleries, and studio spaces. In the picture above it is possible to see The Power Plant art gallery, which is housed in what used to be a Powerhouse Building in the 1920s. It is also possible to see in the image the enWave Theatre which is in a building that was constructed in 1926 as an ice-house facility. When visiting Toronto, I would highly recommend checking out the offerings at The Power Plant and the enWave. Local talent which bridges past and present? Count me in!

During the Great Famine in Ireland the Toronto Harbour was one of the busiest ports in Canada, alive with the bustle of Irish immigrants who came seeking refuge and hope. Renowned sculpture Rowan Gillespie created the tribute above to commemorate all those who did not survive the voyage, as well as to celebrate the tenacity and spirit of those who did. One of my favourite places in the entire city, Gillespie's figures are placed beside the wheat silos of the Canada Malting Company. Despite the fact that the silos have not actually held any grain since the closure of the building in the early 1980s, the juxtaposition of famine and abundance is still striking. For me, it is a place to reflect and be thankful for what I have been blessed with, and a place to think about how I can help those who are less fortunate than myself.

There are so many more places that I would love to share, but I fear this post is already ridiculously long. Maybe a Part Deux will come somewhere down the line! All pictures in today's post are from my very own camera (oops, aside from the one of the Royal York), so feel free to ask any questions about where they were taken or what not. I'm a huge fan of Black and White photography PS... but I swear I'm not pretentious hahaha.

Three

You know those days when one terrible thing makes you sort of sad and mopey all day? Maybe the fellow you are really feeling has stepped out with some sort of shady lady... maybe when you think about them it makes your heart hurt a little? Well, its days like those that you need to think of the small victories all the more! So today I had one of those days... but I'm going to list my glad things for today in an effort to, well, be glad!

Having a really nice, cute, funny guy you had a class with last year and totally crushed on until the end of the year write on your Facebook wall can totally make you glad. Even better if you can somehow turn these Facebook Communiqués into a full on hot chocolate meeting!


Getting a random text from a friend, saying that they just ran into someone from High School who asked about you because they always thought you were "sweet" is totally cause for gladness. It was like a warm and fuzzy feeling grew in my heart.




While I am a Hee-Ugeeeee fan of the winter, and snow, and cold weather... by mid-March I am so over it and ready to break out of the confines of my heavy duty boots and insanely big winter coat. Looking at the weather forecast for the next six days to see that snow is not expected is reason enough to be glad... looking to see that rain is expected for two days of those six (see previous post) is reason to be extremely glad!


One amazing reason to be glad... getting back a twenty-five page paper that you wrote the night before deadline in two hours... and getting an A+!!! Yay! Even more reason to be glad... realizing that Britain's economic situation in the inter-war period is neither as bleak or boring as you once thought it was! Bonus!


Okay, I think I am sufficiently glad for the evening... I don't even remember why I was un-glad in the first place! Okay, that is sort of a lie... but, hey, fake it till you make it? Who is with me?!?

Two

I don't know what it is like where in the world Carmen Sandiego is today, but where in the world I am is wonderfully grey and rainy. Now, I know most people tend to hate rainy days because roads are wet and slippery, hair gets damp and frizzy, and the sunshine that does wonders for complexions and mental health is pointedly absent. Myself, I love rainy days. So today's post is an 'Ode to Rainy Days' of sorts... a list of things we can be glad for on rainy days.

When I see a rainy day outside my window first thing in the morning, the first thing I think of is which pair of rain boots I will wear. I have at least three pairs, my favourite being a navy blue pair that is very similar to the pair pictured above, with the exception being that instead of whales, my boots have adorable little anchors all over them! Walking around the university campus toasty and dry while everyone else slugs about in their soaked runners (or ballet flats!) makes me feel like a little champagne bubble of a girl - carefree and fun.


Mona Lisa Smile is one of my favourite movies ever. In terms of costumes and themes it is a picture of 1950s perfection (or imperfection as the case may be) and the scene when Julia Roberts takes the girls of her Art History class to see a Jackson Pollock is fabulously rainy. All the girls have on their 1950s rain gear - cute hats and slickers galore. Any chance I get to think of this scene (or the movie in general to be honest) is a reason to be glad!


Yet another reason to be glad on rainy days is the smell of the rain on the sidewalk, and the sound of the rain hitting the surfaces all around. If you are either a) doubting that there is indeed a smell when rain hits pavement or, b) doubting its greatness, I feel very sad for you! Next time it rains, go outside and just stand under an awning or something and just listen and smell. You won't be disappointed. PS - Is that moving picture not tres cool?



The last reason I will give today to be glad on a rainy day is that if you absolutely cannot bear to go out and brave the cloudy skies and wet world, rainy days are perfect excuses to curl up by a great fireplace with an even greater book. This particular fireplace just seems too perfect to resist. Shout out to The Land's End Inn in Provincetown. I've never been... but clearly its now on my list.


So you see, Rainy Days and Mondays might get some people down... but there really are a whole plethora of reasons to be glad about them!

One

So, first post on the blog ever ever but I absolutely abhor those awkward 'first post' introductions, so I'm skipping it. Is that allowed? I figure the only introduction that is due is a slight explanation of my blog's title! For those of you who haven't read the book/seen the movie Pollyanna... add it to your list because it will rock your socks. So, basically, Pollyanna is upset one Christmas because instead of getting a doll that she had hoped for, she gets a pair of crutches (most random gift ever ps...). Pollyanna's dad invents "The Glad Game" in order to cheer her up; the basic premise of the game being that it is always possible to find the silver lining in a situation.

Pollyanna and her dad decide that they can be glad about the crutches because , wait for it, ... they don't need them! Super clever, and really a great idea... finding the things that you can be glad about all around you. You see where I am going.? This is going to be a mash-up of all the things that make me glad... fashion and style, literature, architecture, art, music... a little bit of everything!

So, I totally just did an introductory blurb... Oh well it was short.

Now to the real post! Because I just finished reading a great article on architecture and its ability to influence society, I'm going to share some buildings that are truly inspiring and should not be missed!

The newly renovated Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada is quite a site to behold. The Michal Lee Chin Crystal designed by Daniel Libeskind is absolutely a marvel, and the symbolism behind the juxtaposition of the old and the new is pretty awesome.


The Guggenheim Museum in Bibao, Spain is another building that gets a lot of attention. While I am not a huge fan of the building itself, it spawned a renaissance of architectural interest and I think that in itself makes it worthy of our praise! Google "The Bibao Effect" and you will see what I mean. Frank Gehry is kind of a HUGE deal.



The "Dancing House" is an office building in Prague, Czech Republic. Designed by Vlado Milunic and Frank Gehry (!) the building stands where bombs destroyed the previous building in 1945. Is it just me, or does it sort of look like a dress form?

Those are just three buildings that fascinate me - the list could continue but I think I will save the others for a Part Two somewhere down the line. The built forms of our cities are great representations of specific times and places in our collective history. The Egyptians have the Pyramids, what will our generations leave behind?