But First, Coffee.

In the summer I’m always on the hunt for new ‘coffices’; spots in the city with really good coffee and an atmosphere that stirs my creative side. I found a gem this morning. Jimmy’s Coffee in Kensington Market. I’m sitting on the back patio in the sun. I feel like I’m still up north at the cottage.

So while I’m super happy about the ‘little bit of north’ discovery in the city, I’ve been scanning through some pictures from this past weekend north of the city. (While listening to Chromeo’s new album because it was on repeat this past weekend and I kinda maybe sorta can’t stop listening to it.)

The kind guy behind the counter that poured my coffee just a few minutes ago asked what I’m up to today while I handed him a couple of toonies. It’s kind of silly but it threw me off guard. Routine behaviour is always interesting to observe. (And this coffee spot is great for people watching.) It’s also refreshing when someone breaks that tunnel vision pace like the kind guy behind the counter. How many times in your morning madness have you flipped the focus to someone else? Or in your general everyday hustle? It was nice to be asked about my day when the coffee house was stirring with people who had places to go and people to see. Just a couple of selfless extra seconds from someone else put me in the right place for the day. I asked him the same and he said that after work he’ll see what the sun says.. but first, coffee... -k

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Hey Yo Miss Bright Side.

photo-2you mustn’t be afraid to sparkle a little brighter, darling.

I have been connecting with old and new friends a lot this past month and I am so addicted. Addicted to their peekaboo stories and beliefs and the way that they clash or mash with mine. Addicted to watching the emotional lines change direction on their face as comforting realizations pop up about the future. Addicted to the buzz of the brighter side of things and really good food and really good drinks and really good company. Everybody’s got a story and they’re all so dope.
I’m addicted to this gold ear cuff too right meow. Like a peekaboo story itself. -k

Hello Summer in the City.

Signs of summer: Now that the windows are open, at this time everyday while working from home, the smell of eggs and bacon comes through the window from the restaurant below my apartment and it’s kind of a comfort thing.

I absolutely love getting up north and escaping the concrete jungle on weekends in the summer. But I absolutely love taking advantage of weekends where there is no concrete jungle escape. So about the last one…

There are far too many choices on the Saturday/Sunday shuffle in the city. This is a trigger for my extreme case of FOMO. (That fear of missing out thing… and my continued case of trying something new. Crossfit started this past Sunday!) This past weekend some friends and I chose the west end, specifically the Dundas West Fest. Street festivals are kinda sorta maybe my favourite summer thing to do in the city. You really don’t feel like you’re in the city; visiting vendors, the smell of BBQ that takes you back to swimming in your Grandparents backyard as a kid and a few cocktails with friends at a fold up table curb side, people watching to end the day. I like it that way. While sipping on a dark and stormy, visuals of acceptance stood out in the little fenced off patio where we sat and it was so refreshing. People expressing themselves through laughter and clothing layers and love with no labels. Being able to be completely yourself and accepted is one of the biggest highs. Being loved for being perfectly imperfect. In a field where you’re ‘judged’ for your looks and presence and what comes out of your mouth daily (which I chose to be a part of), I crave what I absorbed on Dundas West some days. This morning I read this saying on instagram and it’s bang on –> Artists are people driven by the tension between the desire to communicate and the desire to hide. SO TRUE. It was nice to hide this past weekend. And when we all had to move inside the bar at sundown, everyone picked up their own table and chairs and helped carry them inside to put away and that was super cool to me. It’s just a little thing but they all add up. -k

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#UseYourLife

Sitting on my balcony, avoiding life for a wee bit.

One of the side effects of my work ways is that every week is a different story. And I am thankful for this. It makes the freebird in me happy. Making your own schedule is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing for the obvious reasons. A curse on those days when life is hard and you don’t want to get out of bed. Or those days when life is busy and you want to hide in bed. Or those days when life is slow and you need to find a reason to get out of bed.

And then I saw this hashtag on a lovely souls instagram this morning. –> #UseYourLife

And that was my motivation. Cause she’s damn right.

Back to rehearsal for me. It’s been a few months but stage life is calling this week. This week life is busy. And Porcelain Headquarters is busy, aka AmberKat’s apartment. A little clip from post midnight rehearsal last night.

Time to face the music. -k

Reminders.

9:32am: The autopilot morning routine of coffee making, checking the twitter newspaper and making friends with my to-do list. But a piece of paper fell out this AM and this is what I wrote just about two years ago today…

I believe in signs from the universe. I believe you know when you know. I believe it takes life experiences to trust the intuitive pangs in your tummy. I believe in giving thanks and being thankful. I believe in dancing your worries away on a messy Friday night. I believe that no word, action, feeling or choice is wrong when it comes from your heart. I believe in forever, ever and the forever that it takes to get there. In dropping below control before soaring the highest that you’ve ever been. In a look that says a million words. In fairy tales and dreams that are wishes your heart makes when you’re fast asleep. I believe in not being ready, timing and patience. I believe in the present and the necessity of past experiences in order to make the future exactly how you want it to be. I believe everyone knows deep down how they want it to be. I believe in finding the happy in your days and in the ability to feel happiness forever. Even when coated with muck for a moment or a murky mile. Alone. Together. I believe in the finding of a purpose. Cause when you do your feet will do the thinking and you’ll roll on along. Go with the flow. Just like a song. Just like dancing. 

Cool.

Have a happy Tuesday, y’all. -k

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Foot Race.

Always walk like you deserve to be right where you are.

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So what did you do today? I received a few thoughtful texts like that tonight. Which pulled this together:
– Early morning coffee run on Yonge Street.
– My goal is to try things that I’ve never done this summer. First up has been pole classes. I’m addicted. The strength you build physically and the strength you build in confidence is what has stood out this month. Crossfit starts Sunday with the fella. Time to flip some tires.
– Home office casual. Birkenstocks and books and business for a few hours.
– Baseball, sun and good friends.

Monday was nice. -k

When in Doubt, Simplify.

Ola June. While the city was sunning and swigging back Stella’s, I was sitting in a host workshop on this summery Sunday. The minute the last basketball buzzer sounds on the season, my everyday escapades slightly shift a smidge.

As a matter of fact, I’m a very private person. If you know me through my workaholic world then that may sound like a fib but it’s a true tale. When the NBA season comes to a close on my end I crave just that; a little bit of shhh. A little salt and pepper shake-up of disappearance and non-existence. I spent the first two weekends of the summer in the same hoodie, sipping on suds and collecting moments. Moments are pretty rad. I was challenged once by a friend to recognize the little things in my days and I realized that it really drops you into a state of simplicity. It cleans up the mumble jumble of city chaos that has built up inside of you. And simple is one of my favourite words as you may have hinted from previous posts. These pictures captured that simple something. -k          

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Shh.

Sometimes you just need a break in a beautiful place, alone, to figure everything out.

I scrolled over that quote with my birks in the sand at the cottage a couple of weekends ago and it inspired the above video. Simplicity is super awesome and super powerful. ‘Summer life’, which I’ve dug into over the past couple of weeks since the basketball season came to a close, is pretty simple for me. I’ve been reminding myself of the things that make me tick and that their presence is a must somewhere between the beep beep beep of the morning alarm and setting it at sundown. Try it. -k