I know that part of this is a manifestation of my grief. The natural process of working through a devastating loss and trying to come to terms with it.

And then there’s that creeping anxiety of realizing that the year is half over and my move is less than three months away and there’s so much to do and what have I even been doing with my time? Cue panic.

Factor in my tendency to take on the emotions of everyone around me and the multitude of drama that seems to be cropping up everyday among those closest to me (can it really be a coincidence that Mercury is in retrograde right now?), and I’m left feeling frazzled and stuck and a little bit lost.

When I feel like this, things start to slip. My brain feels foggier. Work takes longer. And while I start every day with a pile of good intentions to get back on track, by the end of it I’m berating myself for not doing well enough because I haven’t suddenly transformed my life to look exactly as I want it to. Or I think I need to wait for a “fresh start” – whether it be a Monday morning or the mid-point of the year – to begin working on my new goals or routines. And when these days slip by unnoticed, I put things off just a little bit longer.

Yet, every day, every hour, every minute is a fresh start – a chance to start something new, to begin again, to pick up the pieces and put them back together in a new way. I know this.

Today, right now, I intend to living out of that knowledge. I’m finding a way to take a step, however tiny, in the direction of each and every one of my goals. Yesterday this meant cleaning my room to locate my old and current passports to apply for my visa (funnily enough I found them both in old Laduree bags) and going for a run, no matter how brief. Today it was a cup of English breakfast tea instead of coffee, an hour dedicated to magazine pitches, the beginning of my closet purge, and the intention to go to bed by 11pm.

I’m trying to go easy on myself, to celebrate each of these small steps, and to take the time to think about what I want my life to look like, to feel like and figuring out each small step that will take me there. For me, scribbling in my journal and talking to my friends and family about my dreams is helping to create clarity, motivation, and a sense of agency.

Even the largest, seemingly insurmountable goals start with the first step. And all of the little steps and choices along the way build on one another to create rhapsodic supernova that you never thought possible.

So, what are you going to do to make today a fresh start?

Big dreams and baby steps,

The post Fresh Starts. appeared first on The Laughing Medusa.

During my time away I did manage to keep my Instagram feed up to date – I can never resist the urge to stop and take a pretty photo or document a wonderful moment. Looking through all of them made me so grateful for all of the adventures I’ve been having – the laughter, the sunshine, the new books, the delicious treats, the fun outfits, the time spent with friend and family. I’ll definitely be reviving my LML series but for now I just wanted to share a peek at how I spent my time away from the computer…

1 // My mom gifted me this amazing purple dress that she used to wear when she was my age. It’s kind of perfect – bright, comfortable, pockets!!, and a slit that shows off my leg tattoo – the trim even perfectly matches my hair.
2 // The shoes I ordered from ModCloth after winning Emma’s birthday giveaway came in the mail. I was inspired to buy them after seeing Kaylah wear them in one of her outfit posts and they are just as adorable in person…although breaking them in is proving rather painful.
3 // We went out for my friend Tash’a birthday. It was such a treat to actually go out and I loved spending a night with such amazing ladies. It was my first time wearing this leather dress that I’d had on layaway forever. I paired it with a sequin-sleeved shrug and my favourite Jeffrey Campbells. There wasn’t as much dancing as we’d hoped for (this city is a bit of a ghost down when the students leave for the summer), but we loved taking photos in front of this creepy skull wall.

4 // I haven’t stopped snapping photos of every pretty flower I see. I’m just instantly happier when the world is colourful and now that the lilacs are blooming, things sure do smell heavenly around here.
5 // I won this amazing patch from Three Inch Stitch in Emma Deer’s giveaway. I can’t wait to sew it onto my jean jacket!
6 // I got the second issue of Things and Ink and I’ve been devouring it ever since. I’d definitely recommend it to any tattoo lover. Their third issue was released this week and I’m really looking forward to it showing up in my mailbox.
7  // I insisted on pulling over to snap this photo of fog hanging over the fields during a sunset drive.

8 // Spending an afternoon at the beach with three of my favourite ladies and Ernie the puppy was absolutely heavenly. It was warm, the water was clear, and we collected so many pretty beach stones for various DIY projects.

9 // Things got a bit messy while we were making tissue paper bowls.
10 // This delicious berry-flavoured kombucha matched my nail polish.
11 // I got dressed up to go see a band play and hang out with friends. There’s nothing like a full-length purple velour number to feel like a total 90s rockstar.
12 // Henry follows me down the street when I go out to the store – isn’t he the cutest?!
13 // They don’t look like much but I made Meghan Telpner’s cinnamon rolls for Mother’s Day brunch and they were such a treat!
14 // I spent Saturday night tie dying so I got to unveil my creations when I got home from dinner on Friday night. Pretty psychedelic, eh?

I’ve got a million post ideas swimming around in my head – recipes and DIYs and outfits and travel stories and tips to share. Like all of us I guess I just struggle with that elusive thing called balance, but I’ll be back to regular posting again, promise. Is there anything in particular you’d like me to post about? Any burning questions you’d like to ask?

What have you been up to lately? Have you been soaking up the sun? Going on any summer adventures? I’d love to hear!

The post Lately // Sunshine, & beach days, & Internet sabbaticals appeared first on The Laughing Medusa.

Today certainly was a busy one for me.. I worked at the shop for the afternoon, interviewed a woman for an article before dinner, and spent the evening finishing up a client project. Perhaps not a restful Sunday, but productive and interesting and now I’m taking a few minutes to appreciate all of the lovely moments that have made up my life lately.

How about you? What have you been doing, loving, making, seeing…? I’d love to hear!

The post lately // 04.22.13 appeared first on The Laughing Medusa.

After a March that pushed me to the edge of my limits in many, many ways, I was happy to wake up today feeling refreshed and inspired for the first time in a long while. I’m brimming with ideas for new posts and exciting feature ideas. For now, here’s a snapshot of what my life looks like these days.

Reading: Since I got my hands on a copy of the newly-released UnDiet: Eat Your Way to Vibrant Health I’ve been devouring Meghan’s inspiring lifestyle tips, nutrient-packed recipes, and scrumptious food photography. It’s been the gentle kick in the butt I’ve needed to get back on the path to abundant, healthful living …but more on that another day. ;)

Watching: Last night I watched Bill Cunningham New York on Netflix. It was a beautiful portrait of a sweet, inspiring man who needs no reward from his work other than the joy of the work itself. Bill is a pioneer of street style photography and I’d rate this film a must-watch for fashion-loving bloggers (and blog readers!) everywhere.

Listening to: I downloaded an audiobook copy of Gabrielle Bernstein’s May Cause Miracles from the library and it’s providing an inspiring soundtrack to my walks these days. It is a little distracting as I’m constantly finding myself compelled to stop and jot down notes. Even still, it may be my new favourite way of consuming personal development books. I can’t believe I haven’t tried it before!

Obsessing over: Likely a result of engrossing myself in UnDiet, I’ve been inspired to get in my kitchen to create delicious food from scratch. I’ve been pinning recipes like crazy and making trips to the health food store to pick out new ingredients. Today I’ve whipped up a tray of maple cinnamon granola, concocted a delicious new soup recipe and, after I hit publish on this post, I’m going to bake a batch of crackers. Yum!

Planning: I’ve been sketching and sourcing materials for a new creative project that I’m not quite ready to unveil the details of yet, but if you peruse my birthday list you’ll probably come up with a pretty good guess.

What have you been up to lately? I’d love to hear!

This fun prompt post is inspired by the lovely Danielle of Sometimes Sweet.

The post Currently // 04.08.13 appeared first on The Laughing Medusa.

Since it’s been so quiet around here lately, I thought I’d do a little bit of an update on what I’ve been up to. Currently I’m…

Obsessing over: Vintage dresses. Although this isn’t really a new thing, my Etsy scavenging has gone into overdrive and I’m constantly cooing over the pretty frocks in the shop. It’s probably the fact that we’re five days into spring and there’s still snow on the ground, but I’m yearning for bare legs and flowy skirts and lots of twirling.

Reading: I’ve gotten way behind on reading lately. I’m still working on the exercises in The Four-Hour Work Week and I have a stack of business development books checked out of the library, but I’m really craving a dose of delightfully escapist fiction. I’m thinking something fantastical with rich characters and lots of twists to leave me guessing. Any suggestions?

Watching: I just finished watching the first season of Smash and got caught up on the current season. If you’ve never heard of it, it follows the behind-the-scenes drama of bringing a Broadway musical into production. The show’s star-studded cast features Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston and it’s really very entertaining. Today I watched the first episode of a new murder mystery/thriller called Deception. I expected it to be terrible but the storyline is compelling and the acting is pretty good (I love Tate Donovan and Victor Garber).

Listening to: I’m on a big ’90s kick and I have Feeling Good in the 90s on Songza playing almost all of the time. Maybe it’s just the nostalgia, but it definitely puts me in a good mood.

Planning: My scholarship application for the Toronto session of The Blogcademy. I won’t go into details, but I think it will be pretty neat. And getting to spend a weekend learning from Gala, Kat, and Shauna would be dream come true. Gala was one of my major inspirations to start this blog in the first place.

So, how is your week going so far? If you write your own “currently” posts, drop me a link! I’d love to check it out.

This fun prompt post is inspired by the lovely Danielle of Sometimes Sweet.

The post Currently // 03.24.13 appeared first on The Laughing Medusa.

1//Pretty fabric for making curtains.
2//Kiko insists on sitting right on my wrist while I type (do you think this has something to do with my repetitive strain injury?)
3//Trying out some Valentinsey nail art (I smudged them about 10 seconds after taking that shot).
4//I liberated my shoes from storage and have them displayed in my bedroom.
5//Tea breaks with milk oolong & Betty magazine are the best.
6//A reminder of London hidden in my coat pocket – man I’m aching to be back there.

7//My vintage chandelier from Brydges Street Market.
8//The 1950s slip I grabbed from The Sentimentalist.
9//My family has concluded that I make the best tofu scramble ever, and that may be true.
10//A vintage valentine from my mom…
11//…and silk peonies so I can have my favourite flowers all year long.
12//A package came from my Valentine just in time (thanks, Canada Post!).

13//An over-the-top vintage outfit (because if you can’t wear your sequin top on Valentine’s Day, then when?)
14//Jessi and I cooked up pad thai and fresh rolls and celebrated the day of hearts with a couple of friends.
15//We finished off with this no-bake strawberry pie (recipe from The Vegan Table) and it was AMAZING. We ate the whole thing.
16//I found this hilarious book while we were antiquing the other day, but sadly left it behind (I have ten boxes of books in storage…it might be time to get a Kindle).
17//Almond croissants at the market are my favourite part of Saturday morning.
18//Pumpkin pie smoothies are my new breakfast obsession. I add some bee pollen, maca, hemp, and flax for an extra nutritional punch.

So, there it is, a little snapshot of my life lately. I’ll admit, the February blahs have been getting to me a lot lately. I’ve been doing my best to surround myself with pretty things, yummy food, and good company, but I really can’t wait for this month to be over. And since it ends with my 25th birthday, I’m really really looking forward to it.

What have you been up to lately? Any tips for getting through this last stretch of winter? I’d love to hear!

xx S.

The post Lately // 02.19.13 appeared first on The Laughing Medusa.

Obsessing over: Bedroom decor and storage solutions. My room needs a bit of a facelift as my Betty Paige and Audrey Hepburn posters from high school are no longer doing it for me. Plus, I’m trying to get everything out of my storage locker before the end of the month so I’m searching for ways to maximize the small amount of space I have. Since I’m moving again in August (ish), I don’t want to spend too much, so I’m just picking up little things here and there, like these Emma Block prints and a garment rack from Jynsk.

Reading: I’ve currently got both The 4-Hour Work Week and The Portrait of Dorian Grey on the go – a little bit of business/personal development reading and a little bit of delightful fiction equals a whole lot of awesomeness in my opinion. I’ve also been discovering and devouring new blogs by the moment – just as I got my Google Reader cleaned up, it’s overflowing again. But it’s so great to connect with other bloggers as I grow this little slice of Internet and I’m loving discovering likeminded British bloggers in hopes that some will become real-life friends when I move across the pond.

Listening to: The C’mon, Get Happy playlist on Songza. It’s full of upbeat, old timey tunes that have me tapping my toes and bopping around while I type this.

Looking forward to: You might have noticed in yesterday’s DIY post that I’ve had more work done on my floral sleeve tattoo. It’s all healed now and I have an appointment on Friday to add a few more flowers and hopefully we’ll get through most of the colour as well. I’m a little bit nervous as my last session was so painful, but I love, love, love how it’s coming along and I’m looking forward to how vibrant it’s going to be. Plus, the type-a side of me hates having something incomplete on my skin ;)

Planning: I’m creating a “6-month plan” with one of the worksheets from The 4-Hour Work Week. When you want to tackle big dreams it’s great to break them down into smaller, actionable steps and realize hey, maybe they’re not so crazy or unaffordable after all.

So, how is your week going so far? If you write your own “currently” posts, drop me a link! I’d love to check it out.

xx S.

This fun prompt post is inspired by the lovely Danielle of Sometimes Sweet.

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The post currently // 02.04.13 appeared first on The Laughing Medusa.

I’m taking a quick tea break to write this post. It’s blustery outside, which makes me feel better about having to be a shut-in today while I work madly on client work and personal branding “homework” (that I assigned myself…nerd alert!) Here’s a little bit about what life currently looks like for me…

Obsessing over: The milk oolong tea that I bought last week! I’ve already gone through a whole bag of it; it’s definitely my new favourite. And my new tattoo-inspired teapot makes it all the more fun. I love having pretty tea things – it just adds to the ritual of it all. I can’t wait to get my collection of vintage tea cups out of storage.

Reading: I took The $100 Startup out of the library and started reading it over the weekend. I like the author’s no-nonsense writing style as well as his orientation toward getting started right away and learning through doing. Plus, each chapter is peppered with interesting stories about successful startups who applied the principles he talks about, which is very inspiring. What with The MASON, my freelance work, and another small business venture currently bubbling in the back of my mind, this is exactly the kind of book I need right now.

Watching: I started watching Sons of Anarchy with my brother over the weekend. While some parts have me absolutely wincing (like the burned tattoo scene…eek!), it’s like a bad ass soap opera and I can’t get enough of it.

Looking forward to: A Skype call with a handsome someone from across the pond. ;) I’m also looking forward to getting started on some exciting blog posts that I have planned, a few DIY projects I am working on to spruce up my room, and moving forward with the second issue of The MASON (we have so many exciting stories to share!)

Planning: The finishing touches of this blog redesign (what do you think?), as well as getting started on my portfolio site. I keep getting frustrated that I can’t make things look exactly the way I want because, let’s face it, code really isn’t my thing. But I’ve realized I just need to take the advice in The $100 Startup and put up what I’ve got  right now – it’s enough. I can always fine tune it over time, or hire a pro when I’m more flush. I need to keep this in mind when my naggy inner perfectionist starts to get in the way.

So, how is your week going so far? If you write your own “currently” posts, drop me a link! I’d love to check it out.

xx S.

This fun prompt post is inspired by the lovely Danielle of Sometimes Sweet.

The post Currently // 13.01.21 appeared first on The Laughing Medusa.

I figured I’d come back from Europe broke & travel weary. So, I planned to spend the holidays with my family, recharging and relining my bank account before beginning my search for a new apartment.

But, as they often do, my plan has changed.

Instead of being eager to find my way back to the city I thought was my true boo, my one-and-only, ’til death do us part, I’m longing for another place – I’m longing to get back to London.

It started to creep into me as soon as I arrived – a desire to stay, to make that big, wild city my own. But I didn’t take myself very seriously at first. I’ve admitted to falling for cities like this before and having gotten on that airplane with a broken heart, I couldn’t help but wonder whether the distance was all part of the allure. So, I held on to my original plan.

And in truth, London is an easy city to love, but can be a difficult city to like. It’s big and crowded and expensive and wet and grey.

But, it’s also a wonderful place full of brilliant people doing creative things; there’s so much beauty and history around every corner; and, the whole place seems to buzz with an electric energy. Slowly yet surely, as its winding streets became more familiar and I began to discover some of its hidden corners, London really took hold of me. When we’d come back from one of our adventures, brimming over with memories of the beautiful places we’d seen and the talented people we’d met, it always felt like coming home. And slowly, a new plan began to form in my mind.

I’d always envied people who’ve packed up their lives and moved across the world. Whether indefinitely or for a fixed period of time, it seems so brave and exciting to start over somewhere new. But I’ve always had reasons why I couldn’t – the money, the time away from loved ones, the risk of leaving a steady job…

Yet bouncing from city to city, spending so many mornings waking up somewhere unfamiliar, my mindset started to change; the world began to seem not smaller, but more accessible. Instead of my usual litany of excuses, my attitude has shifted. Now I think, “If not now, when?”

If not now, when I have no child, or partner; if not now when my career is mobile; if not now when I have the unending desire; if not now, then when will I choose to make this leap?

So, rather than an extended holiday visit to my hometown, I’m sticking around. I’m living out my new plan of saving every penny I possibly can over the next eight months so that I can apply for a Visa and move back to England in the fall.

Yep, what I’m saying is I moved back in with my mom.

I moved away for university more than five years ago and admittedly, it’s strange to be back. After living in a big city, this mid-sized town often feels small, quiet, and well, boring. Not too mention, having lived here for nearly 20 years, my past seems to quite literally be standing around every corner. Whether it’s an ex-boyfriend or a former acquaintance, I can hardly turn around without running into someone ready to place expectations on me based on who I used to be. More than once I’ve gotten caught up with feeling like I need to justify why I’m back and what I’m doing with my life, probably because, as excited as I am, I’m still uncertain myself.

After living on my own for so long, it’s hard not to think that moving home is a way of moving backwards. But I know that any dream worth chasing requires sacrifices. And, truth be told, it’s not all bad. I like spending more time with my family. And without a seemingly unending number of places to go and things to see right around the corner, I have to be more intentional about seeking out activities and events. I’m feeling more centered and taking advantage of this change of pace to focus on doing more of what I love.

So, while I might be back where I started, that doesn’t mean I’ve digressed. I’m simply leaping headfirst into a new adventure.

What big dreams are you chasing? I’d love to hear!

xx S.

The post Back Where I Started. appeared first on The Laughing Medusa.

My own New Year’s Eve was full of sequins and glitter, silliness and giggles, dancing and fake facial hair (yes, really!) I spent it with some of my very favourite people and if it’s true that the way you ring in the new year sets the tone for the following 365 days, 2013 is bound to be a good one.

And now we have a brand, shiny new year in front of us which always feels like a fresh start, ripe with opportunities for reinvention. Having read a little bit about Danielle LaPorte’s Desire Map (I haven’t bought the program yet, but I’m planning on it), I decided to take a different tack to creating resolutions by first deciding how I want to feel this year and then figuring out what new habits, activities, and plans will help me better embody them.

I sat down with a blank piece of paper and my favourite pen and started making lists. It was a fun task for a word nerd like me. I started with “fearless,” but that wasn’t quite right. Life will always be scary, but this year I want to avoid making choices out of fear. So, I kept going. With the aid of a thesaurus, I filled that paper with scrawled words and scribbled ideas, until I knew.

In 2013, I will be…

audacious & ecstatic.

These are the big, bold words that describe the kind of big, bold choices I want to make in 2013 and the big, bold life I want to live. In 2013 I will have the audacity to go after what I want. I will say yes to new opportunities. I will take risks in the name of my dreams. I will choose to fill my life with people, and places, and words, and music that increase my joy and weed out anything that diminishes it. I will be brave enough to cultivate my very best self and leave the naysayers in my wake. I will be audacious. I will be ecstatic.

In reality, we all know that the new year is merely symbolic. We have the possibility to start over, reinvent, and get back on track every single day of the year. But, I love the idea of arming myself with these words for when I’m faced with tough choices and using them to combat uncertainty when doubt starts to creep into my mind. I’m thinking of ways to display them in my room so that I’ll wake up and go to bed everyday remembering who I want to be and how I want to feel this year.

Do you have a theme for 2013, or have you set more traditional resolutions? I’d love to hear!

Audaciously and ecstatically yours…

xx S.

The post In 2013, I will be… appeared first on The Laughing Medusa.