Clean

by Amy Reed

"The five of us are some of the people who have been here the longest. Almost everyone who was here on my first day is gone..."

Clean chronicles the stories of five teenagers and their stay at a drug rehabilitation centre. Each one of them take turns narrating his or her own story. They come to the realization that, although they have different reasons for being addicts, they all share the desire to become sober.

Christopher is a meth addict who worries a lot about sinning and going to hell. Olivia has an eating disorder, an addiction to diet pills, and an obsession with being perfect. Jason is an alcoholic who wants to impress his father by being tough and manly. Kelly is a cocaine addict, who comes from an affluent family. Eva is a painkiller and marijuana addict, who turned to drugs when her mother died.

Reed does a good job making her characters seem real.  It was easy for me, as the reader, to be sympathetic to her characters and their motivations.  All I wanted, by the end of the story, was for each member of this distorted and intensified Breakfast Club to be okay.

♥ Meg xoxo

Dusk magic

This street comes to an end at this nice looking, shiny diamond and a corn field. It's probably creepy at night time, but I liked it at dusk. 

Top and scarf: thrifted // Skirt: Tommy (outlet) // Tights: Sears //

Not much in this outfit seems to match, on paper. Navy sweater, brown skirt, maroon tights, yellow scarf, and gold heels.  In action, though, they all sort of come together.  The skirt isn't really brown.  It's this magical tweed that has threads of, you guessed it: navy, maroon, and golden yellow. 

Heels: Call it Spring //

Glitter is spectacular. It's one of my favourite craft supplies. Add it to shoes and I'm in heaven. Also, witness the tweed magic. 

magic.

When I uploaded my photos, one of them turned out like this.  Very odd, oui? It reminded me of something that might happen on an old-school film camera.

Where did she go?

Enjoy those "magic" dusk hours; they are beautiful and fleeting. 

♥ Meg xoxo

White is for Witching

By Helen Oyeyemi

This book was strange and confusing... and not really what I thought it was going to be. But I really liked it.

"Miranda can't come in today Miranda has a condition called pica she has eaten a great deal of chalk."

Miranda Silver is a sixteen year old girl who lives in Dover with her twin brother and their father.  She goes to Cambridge and has a beautiful girlfriend. She is plagued and tormented with a rare eating disorder called pica. 

Miranda eats chalk and other non-edible things instead of food.  This condition is not so rare in the Silver family; her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother also suffered from it.  Her condition links Miranda to her deceased family members, who reside in her house and in herself.  At times she becomes them, and at other times it seems that everyone else is becoming Miranda.  She slips in and out of reality, taking the reader with her on her journey.  

Oyeyemi is spectacular. She switches perspectives between Miranda, Eliot (her twin), Ore (her girlfriend), and the house.  These switches are so flawless that they sometimes happened in the middle of sentence, with each storyteller sharing a word or two. All things supernatural and magical are believable in this story. I really enjoyed Oyeyemi's style of writing... I believed every character and his or her story, even it conflicted with another's. 

♥ Meg xoxo

Diner loving and plaid PANTS

Everyone was shocked and appalled; I wore pants to work.  I mean, it is autumn - the leaves have fallen, the clocks have changed, and the seasonal restaurants have closed. I love the look of this diner; it's like a 50s throwback with black and white tiled floors.

Pants: H&M // Shirt: Buffalo //

I've had these pants for some years and every time I wear them, someone comments on them.  I thought that they'd be suitable again, because patterned pants seem to be très chic this season.

Heels: Nine West //

Hello, pointy-toed heels. These shoes are old faithfuls. They have seen their share of sidewalks, dance floor, and stairs. I feel like wearing them with socks made them fall-friendly.

Peeling paint...

Old school Pepsi case...

Gasp* This diner used to be red. I think that I might like it better in red... but then it wouldn't have matched my outfit. . . 

♥ Meg xoxo

Branching out...

This past weekend M and I went on a hike at a nearby conservation area.  The forest was beautiful in its autumn colours. Unfortunately, I didn't bring a book along with me. . .

Jacket: Old Navy // Hoodie and long shirt: Forever XXI // Tights: TAG // Finger-less gloves: crocheted by Mum //

My helpful photographer instructed me to "look like you're looking!".  Confused, I pulled out this pose:

Helpful M even suggested that I should write his idea on the blog. Ta da. :P

my shoes: Winner's // M's: Nike? 

Here are some pretty shots of the forest :)

A babbling brook. 

I like these declarations of love on the trees. 

I loved the fresh air, the crunchy leaves, and my rosy red cheeks.  

♥ Meg xoxo

Fishtailing

by Wendy Phillips

I read another novel in verse.

There. I needed to get that off my chest straight away.  I just loved the last one so much that I needed to read another.

"They bleed all over the page/ but she sees ink/ nudges it into startling shape / with a red pen"

Phillips writes about four high school students and their troubled lives.  The lives of Tricia, Natalie, Miguel and Kyle unfold through the poetry they write both for pleasure and for their English class.  Their tortured pasts and conflicted presents are vivid and realistic.  Their poems are interspersed with their teacher's descriptive feedback and with her concerned correspondence with the guidance department and the principal.

I was quite taken by the book.  I found myself wondering about the teenagers who I see hanging around the school near my house, and about the rest of their stories that happen outside of school. 

Don't worry, I'll be going back to prose now, instead of poetry.  I mean, it's in the title after all. 

♥ Meg xoxo

Good day sunshine

New things I love include: pleated skirts, lace, and Peter Pan collars. This little number, alone on the sale rack, spoke to me; it had all of my new loves in one.

Dress: Monteau LA at Winner's // Tights: Mexx outlet //

I paired this dress with leggings and boots, because it is fall and I was going to work.  On a breezy day during summer hols, I might wear it with knee socks and saddle shoes. It's just too short for school.

Off to Neverland ! 

Peter Pan collars have swept the Blogosphere. I like them because they are so cute and feminine. I thought this to myself and then wondered "why they are called 'Peter Pan' collars anyways?". Apparently, a collar much like this one was worn by Maude Adams in her portrayal of Peter in the 1905 Broadway production.

Boots: Charlotte Russe // 

I love these boots. They were one of the spoils from the road trip weekend with Mum :)

"Good day sunshine" : the Beatles

I heard the fab four singing on the radio, and couldn't get them out of my head all day. It was a good day, sunshine.

♥ Meg xoxo

The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus

A novel about Marriage, Motherhood and Mayhem.
By Sonya Sones

This book made me smile, laugh out loud, and tear up. It was witty and very self-aware. It was fresh and different.

"which is when/ I notice that my/ frighteningly King-Kongish posture/ has snuck right back up on me .../ Is this how it all began for her?/ Twenty years from now, am I going to be/ the hunchback of Neiman Marcus?" 

This novel is about an author in the middle of her life. Her seventeen-year-old daughter is about to leave for college 3000 miles away. Her aged mother is sick, and delusional. Her husband is keeping a secret from her about something. Her editor is constantly pestering her to meet her deadline for her book.  The author is plagued by hot flashes and mood swings; she bursts into tears when she sees her neighbour's new daughter and when her husband buys her a new kitten.

  

When I read the summary of this story, it seemed very common to me. I work with a lot of women, and hear many stories which could be found in the pages of this book. 

This book is different though; it is written completely in verse. It is a series of poems with delightful titles and pleasing meter. Sones chooses each word with care, so that a simple collection of words becomes extremely meaningful to the reader. Sones writes about topics that many women deal with everyday, making her struggles and joys relatable. 

I'll be looking up her other titles in the future. I hope that they are as enjoyable to read as this one. 

♥ Meg xoxo

A walk in the park...

So, I pulled a long summer dress out of the closet for this one. I know, I know... the temperature was hovering around the freezing mark, and I could see my breath in the air. Dresses ARE allowed all year long though. That's why stockings and cardigans were invented. :)

Dress {worn as skirt}: Forever XXI // Shirt: H&M //

I love playgrounds. They are so bright and cheery. While I was here, I wondered why playgrounds are frequently made in primary colours.

Shoes: Zeller's [RIP] // Tights: Tag //

This dress is pretty scandalous in summer. It has two very long side slits. It has a short under-dress while the rest of it is long. And it has a cut out in the back. Maybe I'll show you its true form in the summer. Here though, paired with tights, and a shirt... it seems appropriate for everyday (autumn) life.

As you already know, I heart* these shoes so much. I hope that Target will be as good to me as Zeller's always was.

Necklace: Tiffany's {gift from Erin} // 

I had to zoom in to show off my curl(s). Straight hair is a blessing and a curse. haha. 

♥ Meg xoxo

Le Road Trip

by Vivian Swift

I adored this book. I love a good romance and all things French, so it was an obvious sort of love.

"Flâneurs are found in abundance in Paris, lolling in its scenic cafés and strolling aimlessly along its beautiful boulevards."

Swift's book is sort of a travel diary meets sketch book meets guide book. It details a trip to France with her new husband, and compares it to her visit there before as a young teen. She gives the reader travel tips for surviving a voyage to France.  At the same time, Swift seems to talk to the reader as if he or she is also experiencing life in the cities and towns of France, along with herself. 

Vert-de-gris: the official colour of Paris

 She illustrates her travels beautifully, and peppers them with thoughts, connections, sentiments, and quotes.  It's as if everyone can experience France and French culture in his or her own way with Swift providing the framework.

St Malo, France.

Swift describes lunch as a five course meal; the fifth course being "le nap."

I have been to France, both its famous big cities and its quaint countryside villages. I loved Swift's vivid descriptions of these places as well as her relationship with her husband. I found myself chuckling at her remarks about travelling with a loved one, and identifying with her feelings.

I wholeheartedly recommend this unique book.  If you've never been to France, you'll probably want to go after reading this.  If you have been to the beau pays before, you may find yourself longing to return to the country of love and its city of lights.

♥ Meg xoxo

Indoor recess all week . . .

Last week I was complaining about indoor recess. A lot. I mean, it rained every single day, the kids were stuck inside, and everyone was miserable. That was the worst thing that happened to me because of the hurricane.  I didn't lose power, my home didn't flood or burn down, and I wasn't left cold or hungry. Some trees came down in the area around my school.

fallen trees...

My miserable week was nothing compared to my neighbours to the south. My thoughts and prayers are going out to those people who experienced loss of any kind due to the storm.  

Boots: Charlotte Russe // Tights: CK //

Necklace: Forever XXI // Skirt: Urban Outfitter's // Sweater: thrifted // Shirt: H&M //

Some goals I have for this week include:

1. appreciate the people and things I have in my life

2. stop complaining so much; things could be way worse. . .

♥ Meg xoxo

Radio Iris

by Anne-Marie Kinney

I chose this book because it had corrugated pages, I liked how the cover felt, and I was unsure about the content of the book from the summary on the back cover. It told me nothing really useful or descriptive about the plot. I was intrigued.

"This neighbourhood is hers and not hers. She comes here five days a week, drives here, knows where to find the nearest dry cleaners, record store, place to buy gum. But she is a visitor. She has never walked these streets in flip flops."

Kinney tells the story of 25 year old Iris, a receptionist who knows nothing about her boss or about his company. She is a dreamer who frequently loses herself in daydreams, memories from her childhood, or songs on the radio.   Kinney writes about the mundane: traffic, groceries, emails in an extremely creative way. She is able to find beauty in these everyday occurrences.

Iris is lonely and lost, yet happy with her life. She becomes obsessed with a stranger in a neighbouring office. She writes hidden messages around her office and neighbourhood with a Sharpie.  She forgets about her own birthday. 

I liked Kinney's novel about Iris, but felt that I wanted more once it was over. Although this story is a novel, I felt like it was a short story; readers learn so much about Iris in this one moment in her life, but never get to see the big picture. It made me wonder how people see me in one moment of my life. 

♥ Meg xoxo

Trick or treat!!

I hope that you all had a super awesome Halloween yesterday. I absolutely adore Halloween. I mean, when else is it socially acceptable to dress like mad people?

M and I usually start talking costume ideas in August. Costumes and outfits are some of the few things in life that I actually like planning.

Coat: Forever XXI // Hat: thrifted // Dress: vintage //

Along with our group of friends, we were the kids from the television show Recess this year. I was Spinelli. This costume turned out to be super easy to make and everyone loved it.

Socks: Spencer's // Boots: Steve Madden at Town Shoes //

Spinelli's red and yellow striped socks were the hardest thing to find for my costume. I ended up getting  red and white striped socks and dying them yellow. This was the second wear for my costume; the yellow was brighter the first time around :)

"We're all Ashleys too!"

Spinelli and I are both preeeetty hard core. Nbd. 

Don't eat too much candy today!

♥ Meg xoxo