How Philly cured the Gotham blues

G'bye, Manhattan.

As mentioned in the previous post, I've been getting a bit tired of New York over the past few weeks. It was a general, no-specific-reason-for-it funk, something that happens from time to time when life sucks you in a vicious cycle of whatevers. 

SOTD: The Wonder Years - Local Man Ruins Everything. 

Enter: weekend trip to Philadelphia to visit some friends. 

Pretty skies in downtown Philly

I made it South on Saturday afternoon and the shenanigans started with a drink at a firehouse-converted-into-bar establishment, followed by a sinfully delicious Greek dinner. 

Said dinner involved setting cheese on fire and binging on vampire vaccine. And baklava. Because: duh!   

My friends took me to a great party afterwards and I got to chat with some great people. I also met a ghost writer. Which was just about the coolest thing ever. Ghost writer, y'all!    

Love Park.
Yes, they are THAT cheesy.
Of course, couples stand under the sculpture and kiss
while someone takes their picture.
Ugh, cheesiness...

Sunday started with brunch, which for me consisted of a delicious french toast drowned in cream cheese sauce with a side of fruit salad. Allow this to sink in properly: buttery rich french toast smothered with a sweet-tart cream cheese (philadelphia, of course) sauce. Yum!

After brunch, my friend had the awesomest idea ever. We went to the Mütter museum. It's tagline is "Disturbingly informed" and it could not be more true. Which is a medical museum full to the brim with freaky sciency medical stuff like a preserved GIGANTIC megacolon, 300 years old obstetric forceps, extremely twisted scoliotic spines and dried up hands. And histologic slides of Albert freaking Einstein's brain. 'Nuff said. 

Needless to say, I loved the place and will definitely go back for more. 

        

After all the weirdo-fest, we rewarded ourselves with a stroll through Rittenhouse square. And since I am a fantastically lucky girl, the Fine Arts Show happened to be happening that weekend, so we go to check out some cool paintings. Seeing some beauty after the freakiness was a welcome cleanse. Also, ice cream! 

Until next time, Pennsylvania.

Jules

p.s. Excuse the non-so-pretty photos. Posting them completely crude without any editing. Not even a smidgen of straightening. Because I am that lazy. 

The Toronto Diaries, Part 3

Friday, April 11th 2014

Pretty sunny day, homemade smoothies. 

I could live with that, yes.

A noon choir and organ recital. The best felafel I've ever had, the Aquarium, ethiopian food for dinner, red wine galore, a guitar, and then gin martinis. And Jameson. 

So far, so good. 

Davie's saying hello (Bloor and Bathurst)

Roy Thompson Hall ready for the Orpheus Choir

Aquarium. Done right.

People in front of a giant tank of jellyfish. Obviously.

Leaving the Aquarium was a sad, sad moment.
Luckily, Lake Ontario's shore really tried hard to make it up to me.
Freaking show-off.

Holy mother-of-binge!

                         

Apparently, Toronto knows all and every single one of the ways to my heart, that I can tell. Oh, you sneaky, sneaky charmer, as if I haven't told you that I belong to New York. That smelly, loud big cousin of yours, you met him, I am sure.

SOTD: Everything is Awesome (The LEGO Movie OST). Duh!

That'd be all, folks. Thanks for keeping up.

Toronto was great, but now it's time to swing back to the real world. File taxes, do laundry, split cells, go for a run, paint nails, fall in love with spring in New York. You know the drill.

Jules

p.s. Many, many, MANY thanks to N for making these past few days beyond memorable. I owe you. BIG TIME.

The Toronto Diaries, part Awesome

Thurs-night, April 10th 2014

Getting giddy.

The venue. 

Demons 

Squalor Victoria

I need my girl

Best encore ever:
Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks.

Matt letting the audience sing.
Many, many shivers down many, many spines.

Finally.

SOTD: The National - Start a War.

One of their finest.

Sadly, they didn't play it. But that's what iTunes is for.

The Toronto Diaries, Part 2

Thursday, April 10th 2014

First thing on the agenda for the day was coffee and pecan pie at Kensington Market, a lively and colorful Toronto neighbourhood that, among other things, possesses exceptionally good coffee and pecan pie.

Back on Bloor

As if good coffee and pecan pie were not enough to teleport me to my happy place, the weather was ridiculously springy and the company beyond delightful. And before we knew it, it was time for lunch. We opted for cheapo chinese, dumplings and fried rice. It was great. 

N and I parted ways after lunch, so I explored Downtown on my own, additionally fuelled by Tim Hortons iced coffee. Totally ignoring Google Maps and Lonely Planet was worth it.

Trees growing out of houses. I can deal with that.

This is one fucking ugly chunk of the ROM.

I really enjoyed wandering the streets of Tornto. The city has this energising vibe, but nothing too intense (as Gotham can be). Overall, it very much feels like if Berlin and New York had a lovechild and decided to raise it by a pretty lake. If it were a drink, it would probably be hot whiskey. If it were a song, it would be the opening track of Interpol's Antics.

SOTD: Interpol - Next Exit. Looping it while walking down Yonge. 

Ok, you must think I am turning into an annoying gooey chipper overenthusiast. I feel the same way. But hey, it is really hard to keep it real when everything was so freaking good. And I am writing it while chewing on maple caramels. See, EVERYTHING is so freaking good. Fear not, half an hour of inhaling New York and I'll snap back to my slightly snarky self.

After a nice day, another highlight: concert night. A whole other level of awesome.
Cheers to that!

Jules

The Toronto Diaries, part 1

Wednesday, April 9th 2014

I dragged my butt down to the lab at 8.15 in the morning. Say whaaaaaaaaaaat? 

Well, a postdoc's got to do what a postdoc's got to do. In my case, it was tissue culture. Wouldn't want the vicious killer cancer cells I so lovingly grow to starve while mommy goes out in the world, non?  

It was a quick and painless 1/3 day at the lab and then off to LaGuardia to catch my flight. All went smoothly and before I knew it, we touched down in sunny Toronto. Oh yes, I kid you not, the North Pole outdid itself weather-wise. 

First impressions were lovely. Canadian dollars look adorable, so do tall blonde immigration officers with hipster glasses and crooked smiles. Free wi-fi at the airport didn't hurt either. 

One other adorable thing I couldn't help but notice was the fact that people here read actual books on the subway. On my first few rides I swear I saw more people reading books than playing with their phones. A bit retro, but undeniably cool. 

My first activity in the city was a leisurely walk down cool Bloor street and further down to Chinatown, where a fantastic place called AGO, aka The Art Gallery of Ontario, is located. 

AGO architeture.
Cool indeed. 

             

I went in and spent a few hours wandering the galleries. It was really beautiful. And the building itself pretty marvelously matches the beauty of the collection stored inside, courtesy of one Frank Gehry. 

AGO & CN & clear blue skies.
Just a wee sample of Toronto's finest.

Before I knew it, it was time to go meet my CS host, which turned out to be tougher than originally planned thanks to my incredible abilities of typing the wrong address into Google Maps and thus ending up half way up to the Northern Territory. The error was rectified thanks to two very nice bus drivers and, about two hours later than planned, I found my way to a shower, a fresh shirt and the obligatory get-to-know-you beers. All was well. 

Incredibly well, actually. 

The Toronto Diaries, part 0

Canada, eh?

You bet.

Source.

A spur of the moment decision to buy tickets for a The National gig + tickets for appropriate transportation up north has brought me to Toronto. The timing was not exactly perfect, but it actually was. Perfect, I mean. After a draining tiring few months of trading my daylight for a career, I needed a break to recharge and regroup. 

It's been a long and freezing winter, but spring has finally marched in. So of course, it makes perfect sense to go and choose the freaking North Pole for a minibreak. I am talented that way. 

In a nutshell, you got three days, two airports and one very satisfied gal.

But since I've always been one for juicy and mellow instead of concise, you're not getting away with just a nutshell. You get the whole shebang down to the last clumsy detail in the form of a few blog posts, which are being typed in at the airport while waiting for my flight back home. The 21st century is a beautiful thing.  

Enjoy!

Jules

Red alert

Oh, hello.

It appears I am alive. Well, time to get those fingers blogging again. My life is dreadfully boring these days. Yes, I have switched boots for pumps and flats and my musky spicy wintery fragrances for a springy one despite the not-springy-at-all-temperatures (compulsory weather rant here). Other than that, no change to speak of. I still pretty much inhabit the lab more than my apartment. Fun, I tell you. 

So, since there's really NOTHING to talk about life-wise or New York-wise, let's talk make-up. Makes sense, non?

Lipstick and gloss goodness.

I have been battling a very annoying case or red eye these past few days. Nothing major, it's not an infection, but one of my eyes was swollen, red, photophobic and gross. A shitload of artificial tears have been consumed and, obviously, a strict NO EYE MAKE-UP rule was enforced. The situation is almost back to normal as mr. eye only gets itchy in the evening when I am really tired, but the NO EYE MAKE-UP rule is still in full swing, just to make sure the eye heals properly.

Leaving me to play dress up with lips instead. Not that I am complaining!

Since lippies have been in heavy rotation lately, I forced myself to make some sort of inventory and go through my stash. To keep with the "red" theme, I am sticking to lipstick only and red only. There are a few glosses in the stash and a couple muted mauve pinks and, of course, a tube of Clinique's Black Honey, but if you see red, you're definitely sensing a theme here. 

I am a red lipstick girl, have been for a long time and I don't see how that's going to change any time soon. Even before the make-up free eye situation, red lips were my jam, now I am just choosing my red consciously. I do not have a large collection by any means, nor is it a small stash. I deem it pretty reasonable. But then again, when it comes to girly splurges, I am able to justify pretty much anything. Ooooops.

But let me tell you, putting my face on in the morning is fun again, despite the fact that only the "bottom" half of it is actually being put on. 

Oh, and I apologise for the state of some of the tubes. They are battered and bruised. I carry them around a lot. 

 number of scratches = love of wearing * times worn + love at time of purchase

Duh!

Now, let's swatch away...

Left to right: 

Kanebo The Lipstick in Geranium: the loveliest orangey corally red. Vivid and saturated, but never garish. Adorable in the summer, but I've also donned it in winter. I am fearless. 

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Striking: one of the newest additions to the family. I am a late adopter of the jumbo-pencil-sharpie-crayon-thing-for-lips frenzy, but I totally get the hype. Glides on easy, lasts pretty long, is as matte and bold as it gets and does not dry out the lips. The color is one of those saturated mature tomato reds that works with a mean pencil skirt or with jeans and a tee shirt. What's not to love?  

Deborah Shine Creator in 12: Sheer, juicy but not glossy washes of colour are the bomb. This is technically a lipstick, although it feels more like a lip balm. Goes on sheer and gives the lips a beautiful, delicate but very red tint. It doesn't last, but it's soooo pretty and easy to wear. For no fuss looks.

Guerlain KissKiss in Sexy Tango: And oldie, but a goodie. I've had this lipstick FOREVAH. The tube used to be gold and bold, now it looks just old. The shade has been discontinued ages ago. And the lipstick is almost gone. Which makes me sad. I am aware that lipsticks can go bad, but this one hasn't yet. Which makes me happy. So, tons of mixed emotions around this one. Huh. 

This one was my first high-end tube and I guess I'm still holding onto it due to nostalgia issues. The colour is a gorgeous, warm, almost brick red with a silky finish that warms up my face and makes me look nice and sweet. Definitely not a man eater lippie this one. And it smells like raspberries, people. 

MAC Lipstick in Viva Glam Rihanna: MAC has this charity thing with their Viva Glam lipsticks where all proceeds go directly into a charitable fund that makes lives of HIV and AIDS affected people a bit easier and this year's launch was endorsed by Rihanna. So it's a no brainer the lipstick would be a bold red. It is a bit of an anomaly in my collection, since this has SPARKLES in it. Yes, freaking shimmer. Regardless, it does not look cheap or tacky. The colour is quite unique, a bright, but slightly blue-based, red that makes my pale skin look like porcelain. A sexy one and, well, pretty close to man eater material.

Chanel Rouge Coco in Gabrielle: Oh my. My favourite of the bunch. If I was only allowed one piece of make up, that would be it. If getting married with a cosmetic product was socially acceptable, I would seriously consider marrying this one. Gabrielle is gorgeous. It is a darkish true red. Like blood but in the best sense of the description. The colour is perfect for me, the formula is satiny smooth, but not slick or glossy or whatever. And not matte. Just perfect. Smells like roses and has really good staying power. It fades with that annoying red halo, so yes, reapplication is mandatory after a sandwich. Ok, now I am hungry.

Nivea Beaute Colour Passion Lipstick in Cardinal: Ha, if Sexy Tango is an oldie, this one is the Fred Flintstone of my collection. Nivea has discontinued its make-up range years ago. It was never really that good to begin with. And honestly, this lipstick is seriously lacking in the quality department. It might actually be the worst one of the bunch. 

So, what is it still doing hanging out with Gabrielle and Geranium? Well, nostalgia at play again. This one is the very first red lipstick I ever bought. The year I got my BSc. Yes, it was a long time ago. But hear me out. This very humble tube opened up the world of juicy lips for me. I hardly ever wear it, mostly because the formula is quite crappy, but every time I do, I can't help but smile at the memories entangled with this one. And I still remember showing up at my grandmother's house one Christmas wearing this bad boy and one of my uncles scolding me for it, saying that it was too red and that although it looked good, it was still too red. 

I still hold on to it because I am a nostalgic nut. But also because the color is just incredible. The truest of true reds. Rich, saturated, bright. Like the most perfect strawberries you can imagine. Classic. 

Ok. Time to stop blogging and get out of the house. It's actually gorgeous outside.
Kisses (just this time, so I can stain everything red).
Jules

Bag lady

February is my birthday month and birthdays need to be celebrated. Pretty things in the form of gifts are the first to come to mind. Also, cakes. 

This past year if my existence on Earth has been a pretty special one and the one I just started looks promising, too. Which calls for some spoil-myself-rotten action. Serious splurge, yes. But I deem it deserved, since I am a very very good girl. 

5...

... 4...

... 3...

... 2...

... 1...

BAM!

Oh, Bayswater. I have been dreaming of thee for soooo long. Thou art a classic, but without the "old lady" feel. Thou art simple and elegant and perfect in every single way. And thou cost me an eye. But worth every single one of those many (many, many) pennies I left in the store. 

I went for a classic no-nonsense black natural leather since I honestly plan to carry this bag A LOT and I didn't want it to become one of those outfit puzzle pieces so many statement bags or shoes, no matter how gorgeous, become. Those who know me also know that i love me some loud statement accessories and my new Bays is by no means loud. But it is preeeeeeeeeettyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

What else can I say?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Jules

I just swam a mile.

My girl M and I made a solemn pact before I went back to New York and she made her big move (both flights out happened in a matter of days, so you can imagine the degree of gooey emotions and all-around panic).

Yards, feet and inches. Say what?

We had agreed we'd pick up our good, but sadly neglected, habit of swimming regularly. As a way to fell better, and, more importantly, because being in the water is the best freaking thing in the history of forever. So she found a pool close to her home in her new city, with me following into her footsteps in my own city a few days later. We're on, bitches!

Cool vintage looking locker room. 

And we both loved our respective ones. My pool is a community one in my neighbourhood, exactly halfway from home to work (yup, convenient!). And being a community affair, membership is really affordable and the whole atmosphere is very down to earth and relaxed. Not a very common good here on the fancy UES, by the way. And I figured I'd go and splurge and bought a 3-month membership. Talk about commitment.

Putting those Miami Beach flipflops to good use.
No comment on that fish cracker there, not mine.

I finally made it to there today after work. The pool itself is small. A half-size, so 20 yards long. Which roughly translates to 18-something meters. I had no idea the yards vs. meters thing would give me such trouble. The original plan was to do 1000 meters + a little warm-up and cool down, which translates to 55.5 aka 56 lengths (I did the advanced maths all on my own!!!). Since I am colossally out of shape, I figured that would be a good start.I am by no means a serious swimmer, but having virtually grown up in a 25/50 m pool, I am sort of used to those lengths and, apparently, so are my strokes. I lightly bumped either my head or my arm into the edge a few more times than I care to admit and I shall never speak of it again. Back to serious workout now. I'm going to talk imperial, as it's just easier in this context. 

The first 400 yards, aka 20 lengths, were pure hell. It was awesome to be IN the water, but moving around in it? Strange. Very strange. Fortunately, after a while I found my pace and boy it felt good. So good in fact, that I ended up doing a mile. A MILE, as in 1.61 km. I feel on top of the world right now. 

Coolest cap & goggles ever.

You, proper swimmers who munch miles like it's nobody's business, can shut up and let me have it, ok? It is very likely that I won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning, so I am enjoying my endorphin buzz while it lasts. Dinner also helps.

SOTD: From Disney's The Little Mermaid - Under the Sea. 

Because: duh!

As mentioned before, I will very likely resemble something dead tomorrow morning when my muscles decide today's adventure was a bad idea. But until then, I'll enjoy my buzz and do some work around that sciency thingy I love doing so much. 

Source.

Just do what Dory days, just do what Dory says, just do what Dory says.

Jules

Miami Bitch*

I spent this past weekend in sunny Miami working on a tan, swimming in the Atlantic and finishing off copious amounts of coconut water/mojitos/lavender-gin cocktails. 

In the meantime, there was an ice storm (don't even know what that is exactly, but sounds cold) all over New York. 

South Beach. AKA Exactly What I Needed.

The best mojito I've ever had. With Haitian rum.
Yum!

Time to snap back into work mode. It's Monday.
Yuck!

Jules

* In reality, it was Miami Beach, bitch.