The Broke Girl's Guide

Next stop- Calgary (Or “How to annoy everyone with Cool Runnings references”)

When I left Vancouver in a flurry of halloween costumes and packing my bags hungover, I had some tredipation about my next short stop: Calgary.

Why? well I am a fan of the 80s classic, Cool Runnings, a film in which a group of Jamaicans brave the wintery weather of Canada to partake in the Olympics (If you haven’t seen the film- what have you been doing all of these years!) and in this film they emphasis just how gosh-darn cold it is in Calgary.

They weren’t kidding, either. As I made my way to the exit, the snowfall caught my eye. It was the first snow I had seen since my arrival in Canada. I was so in awe I completely forgot that I was just wearing a light cardigan. I strolled right through the doors and BAM! was hit with the exceptionally chilly air. I hurriedly ran back inside and retrieved my coat, gloves, scarf, hat and ear muffs. Passers by looked at me with bewilderment. I guess to them the weather was “mild” or “not that bad for this time of year”. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud because I was reminded of a similiar scene from the film, where the Jamaicans departed from the same airport, and had the same reaction to the freezing temperature. (Note: laughing out loud to yourself, when you have already attracted attention for quirkily hurling on every warm item of clothing you can find- just causes more amused onlookers to give you concerned stares).

I didn’t stay in Calgary, I caught a coach directly to Banff, a small mountain town nearby. This isn’t something I really regret. Calgary, as I observed it through the brief drive through town, was just a mishmash of grey buildings, grey skies, and white blankets of snow. The scene was meloncholy at best. I won’t make this my final judgement- perhaps it is more inviting in the warmer months?

One good thing that did come out of my brief encounter with Calgary was that I decided to download (ahem, I mean purchase legally) Cool Runnings, and it was just great watching the film and laughing at all of its hilarious anecdotes once again.

Another thing I’ve noticed about snow:

I am aware that my blog seems to be preoccupied with posts about the weather, and for this I am sorry. But hey, I am still enjoying what will be my first ever real winter, and it is awe-inspiring at times, no?

One thing I have recently learnt is that in downtown, the snow makes the sky orange at night. This is caused by the orange glow of street lights reflecting on the falling snow, and means that even in the late hours of the night, the sky is a murky brilliant shade of amber. A few weeks ago, when I first happened upon this, by peering out of my window one insomnia ridden night, I freaked out. My first instinctual thought was “Oh crap, another fire!”

See, living in rural Australia meant that there was seldom fog, and most certainly no snow. When the sky burned a feiry orange, it was usually safe to assume the ground burned below.

After overcoming my initial shock, I was taken aback by how eerie it all was. Orange skies, white snow, and the swirling flurries blanketing the city streets.

(via blua)

It’s nearing spring.

I still haven’t learnt how to make a fire.

That’s going to hopefully change, though. I’m picturing a lot of nights camping on the shores of Nova Scotia, snuggling up to a fire.

yes, lots of nights.

(via l4tias)

Especially on a cold winter morning. 

(via misswallflower)

typeverything:

typeverything.com Toronto Map (by Linzie Hunter)

Toronto. I’d really like to go back- for all the wrong reasons. :) 

fromme-toyou:

A quiet autumn rain… 

fromme-toyou:

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, From Me To You

‘

The History of Cinemagraphs

A Cinemagraph is an image that contains within itself a living moment that allows a glimpse of time to be experienced and preserved endlessly. 

Visual Graphics Artist Kevin Burg began experimenting with the .gif format in this style in 2009 but it wasn’t until he partnered with photographer Jamie Beck to cover NYFW that Cinemagraphs were born. Marrying original content photography with the desire to communicate more to the viewer birthed the cinemagraph process. Starting in-camera, the artists take a traditional photograph and combine a living moment into the image through the isolated animation of multiple frames. To quote supermodel Coco Rocha “it’s more than a photo but not quite a video”. 

Beck and Burg named the process “Cinemagraphs” for their cinematic quality while maintaining at its soul the principles of traditional photography. Launched virally through social media platforms Twitter and Tumblr, both the style of imagery and terminology has become a class of its own. The creative duo are looking forward to exploring future display technologies for gallery settings as well as pushing this new art form and communication process as the best way to capture a moment in time or create a true living portrait in our digital age while embracing our need to communicate visually and share instantly. 

Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg reside in New York City.’

[Note: These pictures are absolutely awe-inspiring. If you would like to check out more, which I would recommend, click here or for Jamie’s personal blog and more photographic awesomeness, click here.]

rememberwhenwewere:

Little Red Dress (by Jennifer Grace)

 The over the knee tights, a new trend I have seen pop up, everywhere.  Mostly on my new favourite website to procrastinate on: LookBook.nu. I love it. But I wonder if I can pull it off? 

Things I would like to do during my winter escape:

As you know, I am headed off to Toronto for a two week winter adventure in January. I am overwhelmed with nerves and excitement. Of course, one of the things I am most looking forward to is getting a chance to see a real winter, with snow and everything.

I have decided the only way to make the most of this winter wonderland is by ensuring I do all of the following “wintery” things, however cliché they may seem.

-         - Build a snow man. Complete with top had and a carrot nose.

-         - Make snow angels

-          -Have a snow ball fight

-          -Sit at a window with the snow gently falling on the pane, pondering life and staring absent minded into the distance.

-         - Learn how to make a fire for the fireplace

-         - Re-enact a scene from Fargo “oh, Margie!”

-         - Find and buy a groovy pair of wellington gum boots

-        -  Eat roast chestnuts from a street vendor

-         - Send people snowy town scene postcards

-         - Eat a warm winter pudding

-          -Get a cheesy romantic kissing in the snow photo

I am somewhat ashamed by my unabashed tourist status when it comes to all of this- but hey, I have never seen snow before. Give me a break! 

:)

(via potterforprez)

Every year I write about how I wish I could have a “white” Christmas. This year I won’t. Instead, I am going to write about what makes my African and summer Christmas’s the best.

Every December, since before I can remember, my family has gathered together to celebrate Christmas down at the coast. Mum would pull out all of the spare linen and mattresses and my house would be filled to the brim with aunts and cousins and grandparents and crying babies and awkwardly shy new boyfriends or girlfriends of cousins, bravely spending their first Christmas with my family.

At 5am on Christmas morning, just as the sun starts to peak out beyond the horizon (Christmas in the summer means an early start…) the youngest of us would wake in excitement and run through the house declaring “Santa came! Santa came! Presents for everyone!” and we would all (somewhat begrudgingly) make our way to the living room, where beneath an enormous Christmas tree lay hundreds of perfectly- and not so perfectly- wrapped gifts.

Being hot and humid as it is during the summer months, we would not leave out milk and cookies for Santa. Instead a refreshing beer and a slice of my grandmother’s famous banana loaf were left on a porcelain plate near the windowsill instead.

All morning we would slave away in the kitchen preparing a huge feast. Turkey, chicken, gammon glazed in honey, sweet potato pie, roast veg, grilled potatoes, fresh salads, pasta salads, cold meats, calamari, and anything else you could possibly think of made its way to our Christmas lunch table.

As it would normally be hot and sunny, we would decorate our outdoor yard with fairy lights and umbrellas and have our feast in the garden. Laden with hundreds of dishes, the table would also groan under the weight of my mum’s finest silverware, Christmas crackers and plenty of wine and ice cold lemonade.

Afterwards, we would gather up our dishes, rub our full bellies and relax in the shade, or take a nap in the sun. The Cricket would always be playing in the background and the house would lull into a peaceful and fulfilled silence.

I may not get snow men and warm fireplaces to go along with my Christmas, but I love it all the same.

So to everyone celebrating a summer Christmas, I hope it is merry and warm and wonderful.

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In January, I am going to Toronto for 2 weeks, to visit a close friend, and see the winter sights. I am very excited, but also quite nervous.

Living in Summer, my entire life, I have never been exposed to a true winter. (I have said this countless times before, I know). In Australia, it has always been easy to spot the European tourists. They often don’t really know what to wear in the hot desert-like weather. They get their knowledge from outdated cliché movies, and often you can spot them in Velcro sandals and giant beige Stetsons- what they deem appropriate summer attire.

I am worried I will be the same, but in snow gear. I don’t know what shoes are waterproof but also fashionable. I have no idea how puffy my parka needs to be. Surely those girls in Gossip Girl freeze in their thin little coats and white tights? Isn’t it below zero? They must  all want to wear super warm space suits?

I have decided to take a deep breath and just hope for the best. Simple black wellies, greys and whites. And if all else fails, enough wine to keep me warm enough, and happy enough, not to care about the cold.

(via emilygraceisadisgrace-deactivat)