Don't they know its Christmas?

So, it seems that making new friends has been less of a challenge than I had anticipated it being. Already my weekends have been booked back to back with fondu parties, drinks and shopping with a fabulous duo, bowl after bowl of ramen, midnight rides on the Montreal Metro, shuffling feet across the sparkling snow hand-in-hand towards the house of the night's dinner hosts. And there is so much more in the plans! Never have I been in a place where everyone is so proud of their town, and they are all jumping at the chance to tell you how wonderful life is among the crooked streets and tiny corner stores. Between the language police and man-sized pot holes is a city that lavishes in it's own unique flaws...and makes for passionate conversation around the dinner table.

Christmas this year will be something of a duel experience: On one side, I'll be missing the familial closeness of the Elam tradition of Christmas tamales, cocktail sausages, and ripping through wrapping paper on that glorious morning. But on the flip side, I'll actually get to experience that classic Yuletide scene of snow-topped trees covered in little twinkling lights and people bundled up to the eyeballs. I can remember at home always thinking "its Christmas, but it doesn't feel like it". Here, it certainly feels like the Christmases captured in a snow globe.

Finally some new Etsy stuff!

Man I know its been a long time since I've updated my humble Etsy store, but I am making amends for my former sins. So here we have it, four new items for your shopping pleasure. There will be more to come in the following days...I guess its just been hard to pick up where I left off when it comes to updating the store...I have only just begun to tap into the montreal thrift spots! So, if anything pleases you, just follow the mini-link on the right of this page.

p.s. my green walls are kinda tough to color balance...its so obvious when I see these pictures back-to-back.

I want! I want! I want!

Seems like this whole cut-out-leather bootie design is the trend. I know that I would find plenty of outfits to wear a pair of purple, suede swash-buckling high-heeled booties with.

These boot are great hybrid between something practical and something romantic without looking too frou-frou or too frumpy (not that I have anything against looking a little frou-frou). Ah! I really just love all of Steve Madden's shoes.

This grecian goddess dress looks as if its made of girly dreams and a sorbet. Just look at those little crystalline buttons down the front! This reminds me of a dress that I had borrowed from a neighbor girlfriend back when I was in the 5th grade. It was the same color, but had this sheer, angel-like sleeves. My sister and I would wear it around the house and jump off the edge of the sofa, hoping that the sleeves would sprout into real wings.

Oh my gewdness! How sweet is this little blue-eskimo princess coat? I have such an obsession with furry collars...they are so wonderfully luxurious. I have one kind of like this, but not in blue!

Man oh man, I stumpled upon a gold mine of a band today. I don't know why I havent heard of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's sooner, but I cant get this song outta my head. I love how warm and down home the girls voice sounds. This song is approrpiately called "Home". It conjures up all the heartbreakingly wonderful memories of everyone I love back home. They are actually playing Monday night here in ol' Montreal! Sweet!

So...Im thinking about going to grad school to get my MFA in photography...I know that I have announced with great pride to all of my peers that I am forever "done with school", but I think I may be changing my tune. I mean, why the hell not? Change seems to be the running theme this year, might as well take it another step further into the realms of academia. Well, to be honest, my intentions are not purely for the goal of mastering my craft; it might be a great way to integrate myself into this new place, make some connections and learn a bit more while I'm at it. Once I become a resident here, I should have access to the insanely cheap tuition rates...well, seems like I have already made up my mind about this...

Our house is shaping up to be a funky little pad. The living room is nearly complete...now we just need a credenza and record player, then we will be in-like-flynn. He and I have had our eye on this Electrohome Apollo record player for about 2 weeks now...we spotted it in a furniture store, but it wasn't operating at the time. Hopefully the owner got it fixed, because Im already day dreaming about where Im gonna put it!

This city really is like non other. There is just this charisma that vibrates through the mish-mash buildings and rings across the bike-path laden streets. On days when the sky is covered up, its good to know that night and city lights can make up for the ugly weather. Matt and I went for a walk the other evening around the Mile End. On one hand we held each other while on the other hand was holding a fresh bagel. We dipped into a little cafe that I had been eyeing for a couple of weeks. No sign above the door, just large, steamy windows and a menagerie of chairs, books, art, plants, and warm looking people. Its a good sign when you walk into anyplace that is playing music that you know all the words to.

Decorating and the home sick blues.

Know what time it is? BULLET POINT POST!

• Matt and I have slowly been undoing all the beige that our condo came standard with. Its now an oasis of green and 70`s orange.
• I took off all our verticle blinds and layed them gingerly in the dumpster. Who the hell ever thought those were a good idea?
• I miss the obnoxiousness of American television. Canadian TV lacks all the explosions and yelling that I am so accustomed to.
• Im getting used to the language barrier here. I may not be able to respond in French yet, but at least I can understand a bit more.
• One day Matt and I were strolling through China town and decided to take a chance on a "Mongolian Hotpot". Wrong! We didn`t have a clue as to what we were supposed to do with the boiling hot pot of broth and all the unidentifiable vegitables...boil it I guess?
• Modern furniture is nothing but compressed wood. Nothing really compares to the quality and design of vintage.
• Fall in Montreal is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
• I have my own personal bat cave (a.k.a. underground parking).

breaching the surface for a breath of air

I need a moment to get my mind off all this bureaucratic bullshit that I'm currently eye-ball deep in. Stress doesn't sit well with me. It just burrows into my stomach like some kind of alien parasite that takes control over my mind and limbs. Suddenly I become this zombie-like abomination who lumbers through the house with uncontrollable fits of panic. The ability to compartmentalize stress is a trait that wasn't passed down through the Elam bloodline. In the words of my mother-in-law "Just take a deep breath. Everything is fixable". Well, its not like I expected becoming a resident of another country EASY...but it certainly would be nice if it was!

Anywho, the other night was a good distraction. Matt and I watched the Ravonettes play at ClubSoda in downtown Montreal. It was rather poignant that the Ravonettes were actually the first band we saw together. Awwwww how cuuute (throws up in the corner). They were just as spectacular as the last time (and Sharon just as radiantly beautiful as ever). I confess that I haven't heard much from their latest album, but from what I gathered during the live performance their new material seems more dancy, poppy, and less noisy than their earlier work. Obviously I need to wrap my ears around their new album to make a full assessment!

The opening band, Black Angels, were a delightful surprise. If I had to describe their sound, I'd say "they sounded like high priests bringing down the knowledge of the universe to bestow upon the ears of all listeners". Or lets just say, lots of buzzy reverb, sitars, and echoey lyrics. A nice choice of band to play before the Danish duo.

Well, now its snowing...I think this might be the first snowfall of the season. Little pieces of the sky spiraling down earthward...