tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81408149482624665892024-03-09T04:17:12.558-04:00One can't get over the habit of being a little girl all at once...A lifestyle and life blog...WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.comBlogger762125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-4029691290434163892016-07-08T09:43:00.001-03:002016-07-08T09:43:46.857-03:00Thank You and Goodbye - at least in this space<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is with a heavy heart that I write my last post here at One Can't Get Over the Habit.<br />
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As you are well aware, I have struggled to write regularly here in the last few months. Things have been so busy in my writing and personal life, and I am now blogging weekly over at wendymcleodmacknight.com.<br />
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I've simply run out of time to blog here regularly, and frankly, it has been really bothering me.<br />
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When I began this blog, it was after discovering wonderful blogs like Dani's or Janet's or Fabulous Florida Mommy's. I didn't know anything about blogs and I muddled my way through.<br />
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But it was a creative outlet that I loved. And it planted a seed that led me to pursue a different kind of writing: writing children's books, my lifelong dream.<br />
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Since I left my job three and half years ago, I have had amazing times and good times and even the odd depressive and unhappy time as I began to question whether I had made the right choice or not.<br />
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Finally, last year, I broke through into the publishing world. And later this summer I will be making an announcement over at wendymcleodmacknight.com with even bigger news. But it is news that will be taking all of my time.<br />
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Things are going well, but the writing is never easy and it is WAY more time-consuming and demanding now than it has ever been. That's not a complaint - I love it - merely a reality.<br />
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I'll still be posting personal things over at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wendymcleodmacknight/?hl=en">instagram</a>, so I hope you'll follow along there. There may be the odd packing pic over there, as I expect a LOT of travel over the coming two years! And for sure I will need help picking out the odd dress for an event! I'm also active on twitter @wendymacknight, and will be incorporating more personal into my writer's blog in the future.<br />
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This has been a joyful space and I love you all for that.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">― </span><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5350.L_M_Montgomery" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px; text-decoration: none;">L.M. Montgomery</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">, </span><span id="quote_book_link_8127" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3464264" style="color: #333333; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Anne of Green Gables</a></span><br />
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Thank you kindred spirits!<br />
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WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-12215725772938448112016-05-18T15:17:00.001-03:002016-05-18T15:17:33.878-03:00Works in Progress<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi everyone!<br />
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Thought I would pop in and say hi and tell you how things are going in the bedroom reno (which is really just paint, but seems so much more...)<br />
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First of all, my bedroom is VERY small. It seems especially small with a king-sized bed and two massive dressers. The latter belonged to my great-grandparents, so they stay; the former is a necessity for a happy marriage!<br />
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As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, all I wished for Mother's Day was for my bedroom to be painted a lovely white.<br />
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I typically use Decorator's White by Benjamin Moore. However, this time, they insisted I use Simply White, which is apparently the colour of the year and a more creamy white.<br />
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I love it!<br />
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Two years ago I made a wall of art in my office and I love it. I decided to do it again in the bedroom and have no art or pictures on the other walls. The were two exception - small verdigris angel wings over the bed and my little shadow box containing earrings.<br />
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Below is the wall....<br />
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I just got this little pencil crayon sketch of a Scottie (above) at an antique store for song. I thought he was just lovely!<br />
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It's nice to look up and see photographs of places visited, loved ones.<br />
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And I love the picture of me and the kids done by the youngest many moons ago. If you squint you can see the little cafe at Giverny up above!<br />
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The little table between the two dressers is going to be painted, as are the chair legs (i think even I can manage that!)<br />
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The chalkware Scottie came home with me, too. Just because...<br />
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And I'm leaving my housecoat on the door because it just seems to go with the floral, soothing vibe.<br />
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All in all, a very inexpensive, but wonderful change-up. It is amazing what a can of paint can do!<br />
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In other news, I was visiting my old stomping grounds this week, filming locales for the book trailer that I'll do and release this fall. It was so much fun! If you want to read about it, head over to wendymcleodmacknight.com and click on blog!<br />
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And I now have a fabulous bookmark to share:<br />
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So much fun! What have you been up to the past two weeks?<br />
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xox Wendy</div>
WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-52135870472146444672016-05-02T17:01:00.001-03:002016-05-02T17:01:26.732-03:00Whitewashing May<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Gosh I love May! The days are longer, the trees are beginning to bud around here, the birds are singing...<br />
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And Barry is painting our bedroom.<br />
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Our room was painted last about 6 or 7 years ago when we went a lovely peacock blue.</div>
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But something has been happening inside of me these past few years. I have been choosing paler and paler colours (at least for me!).</div>
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It began in the dining room:<br />
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Moved along to the living room and hallway...<br />
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And has spilled into the bedroom, which, shockingly, I have chosen to paint white.<br />
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And not just any white: Simply White, Benjamin Moore's colour of the year:<br />
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I never thought I would go with white, but I just keep lightening up in life and this seemed to be the next step...<br />
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Plus, this picture kind of won me over:<br />
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A freshly painted bedroom is the only thing I requested for Mother's Day. It is a work in progress and about halfway done.<br />
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Other than that, I am starting spring cleaning, writing about 40 hours a week, and hoping for the sun.<br />
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How about you?<br />
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Oh and ps: the J Crew Dress looked awful! Sigh, still on the hunt...<br />
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xo wendy<br />
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WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-59478369114895558172016-04-17T18:56:00.000-03:002016-04-17T18:56:44.312-03:00Spring Natterings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It seems to me that Spring arrives very suddenly. It's like a baby you've been waiting to give birth to for months and then all of a sudden you go from being an expectant parent to being an actual parent in the space of a few hours.</div>
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Last year, I worked myself to the bone doing Spring clean up. This year I am pacing myself. I do 90 minutes a day. I stop on the clock regardless of whether I am enjoying myself or not. The reason for this is two-fold:</div>
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<li>I want to ease myself into the heavy Spring work so as not to hurt myself; and</li>
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Am dreaming of this, but we are a ways off...</div>
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I am now in the process of doing revisions to the work I turned in, the fine tuning required before my agent attempts to sell it. She is enthusiastic, so I am enthusiastic. Still, this writing is a business, make no mistake, and it is all about finding a sympathetic editor who sees David in the pile of marble you send. We shall see.</div>
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I did see something exciting today. It's a Mystery, Pig Face is actually available for pre-order on Amazon! I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw it!</div>
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Go take a look <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Face-Wendy-McLeod-MacKnight/dp/1510706216?ie=UTF8&keywords=It%27s%20a%20mystery%20pig%20face&qid=1460930008&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1">here</a>. It's like it's going to happen!</div>
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I have swapped out my winter clothing for my Spring-Summer clothing, which has resulted in me feeling quite cold by times. I did another ruthless purge, Truly, at times I think I will end up living in a monk's robe and sparkly shoes, though that doesn't seem so bad when you think of it. </div>
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I have been searching for a couple of spring/summer dresses for some upcoming events. This is not so easy. My menopausal body seems disinterested in looking, um, tight, despite long walks and an attempt at eating less. Worse, there are few stores in my city that cater to people over twenty years of age. I have found an inexpensive white dress and have the following on order from J Crew Factory to try. We shall see.</div>
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<img alt="Factory flutter-sleeve scalloped eyelet dress" border="0" class="swatch-active" data-colorcode="BL7493" height="400" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/F0982_BL7493?$ary_tn250$" width="400" /></div>
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In other news, my son comes home from university. It seems you can indeed learn to live without one of your appendages, though it has been very helpful that he is an excellent communicator; he calls almost daily just to say hi; his decision, not mine. It has made the separation easier. Now he is the hunt for summer work. He is also reuniting with a new girlfriend, who seems quite nice. We miss the old one, but this is his life, not mine, and my job is to make whoever shows up her welcome.</div>
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Other than that I am happy now that Grantchester and Call the Midwife are back and I await Game of Thrones with trepidation and excitement.</div>
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How is your Spring going?</div>
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xoxo Wendy</div>
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WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-39189056629171638612016-03-23T12:39:00.000-03:002016-03-23T12:39:15.148-03:00Easter, when the Wendy Bird crawls out of her hole<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Oh My - it has been one month since I last wrote!<br />
<br />
<br />
My only excuse is that I had to get my manuscript into my agent by the end of this week and have been working 7 days a week. <br />
<br />
Okay, that's a pretty good excuse...<br />
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But I wanted to pop in and tell you how things are going and share my life right now. <br />
<br />
But first:<br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: large;"><b>Hoppy Easter!</b></span><br />
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We will all be here for Easter. Son has decided to take an all-night bus home from Montreal tonight. I haven't seen him since the first week of January, so this is a good thing!<br />
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I haven't worked on the menu for the weekend, but there will be 8 of us for dinner, and at least 2 are vegans, so creativity is the name of the game!<br />
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The early publicity for my book (and I mean EARLY, since the book isn't released until next February!) has begun. I was interviewed on a blog this week (if you want the link pop over to wendymcleodmacknight.com and check in the news section) and have been interviewed by my local newspaper (this hasn't been printed yet). <br />
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It is very strange to answer questions about work that you spend most of your time holed up in a small office doing! But I am sure I will get used to it (and I hope there will be more publicity in the future, since that's how you sell books!)<br />
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As for wardrobe-ing, I continue on the straight and narrow path. I have decided to be very thoughtful this year, as I've said before, and shop with a list of "needs" not wants. I have actually decided to use the <a href="http://www.afterdrk.com/getting-5-piece-french-wardrobe-started/">5 piece French wardrobe</a> approach of only purchasing 5 things for spring/summer and 5 for fall/winter. This is forcing me to be very picky.<br />
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To be honest, I don't even have my list sorted out, although I did need a sleeveless creamy silk blouse and purchased this Kate Spade blouse from a local shop:<br />
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<img alt="This top is awesome. Clean lines, and the trim adds interest.: " class="pinImage rounded" data-load-state="pending" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/52/af/f4/52aff44d2825b57fadd897f39d97e9cd.jpg" width="300" /></div>
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I think this may be the first Kate Spade piece I've ever owned (clothing-wise) but I loved the quality and the construction. <br />
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I think my other additions may be new sneakers, a black silk top and perhaps a dress and a pair of shorts. But right now, I have no plans for anything!<br />
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Having a (very) short list makes all the difference. I have shopped my closet exclusively all winter and loved it. <br />
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I will keep you posted! <br />
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How about you? Any exciting purchases or big Easter plans? I'd love to hear about them!<br />
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xoxo Wendy<br />
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WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-92100384588224044552016-02-21T15:22:00.004-04:002016-02-21T15:22:53.741-04:00The Craftmanship of Haute Couture<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi all,<br />
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I had a flying visit to NYC last weekend to attend the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (if you want to read more about THAT experience, visit my author blog at wendymcleodmacknight.com). <br />
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While I spent the entire weekend in a ballroom at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, I had enough time on Monday morning to pop over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art before catching a cab out to the airport for my flight home. <br />
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The last time I was at The Met, the Costume Institute section was closed, so I was delighted to find it open this time and more than delighted when I realized that the <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2015/jacqueline-de-ribes">Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style exhibit</a> was still on.<br />
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I'm not going to lie - I was only peripherally aware of her existence before this exhibit (though that is more than she is aware of mine!) and mostly in the context of her being one of Capote's Swans.<br />
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But as I read about her life, saw the videos and pictures, and most of all, looked at the outfits she had chosen for the exhibits, I fell madly in love with her. <br />
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The woman was glamour personified.<br />
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It was one of my first opportunities to see real haute couture up close. <br />
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It did not disappoint. The material and craftsmanship was breathtaking. Even as I write this, wearing a J Crew t-shirt that is only one year old and has a large hole in the underarm, I am struck but what a really fine artist can do with beautiful fabrics.<br />
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<img height="296" src="http://images.fashiontimes.com/data/images/full/69306/jacqueline-de-ribes.jpg?w=600" width="400" /></div>
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<img height="400" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/564ba8145afbd3e30b8b4567/new-met-exhibit-celebrates-style-of-jacqueline-de-ribes.jpg" width="311" /></div>
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<img height="269" src="http://images.fashiontimes.com/data/images/full/69302/jacqueline-de-ribes.jpg?w=600" width="400" /></div>
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She was born glamorous and with a body made to wear these kinds of clothes...<br />
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<img height="266" src="http://cdni.condenast.co.uk/646x430/g_j/jacueline_de_ribes_vogue_8jul15-getty_646x430.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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And in an era where people still dressed elegantly....<br />
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<img height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZk7l4qiTxsHf230ddiTYk0sp7CahOVQhIKKtMieyRMsj4oE0lcg5P0Y3y4oGzOUr-9ADakLw-ENeAMgeukiD_U39NhZTE1QdUYK1cWwQ1f4oblHZ9GZjyL1haXD4NJjcKJoEY6NgcNoz/s400/1953_Fotor_Collage.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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If you get a chance to get in to see this exhibit before it closes in February, you will not be sorry!<br />
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As an update, <em>It's a Mystery, Pig-Face!</em> has a real publication date - the first week of February, 2017! It is a long time away, I know, but I guess that's the publishing business. Meanwhile, I have been on a very tight deadline to complete and pass in my next book, which is a completely different middle grade novel. Busy times indeed.<br />
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How's my minimalist 2016 going? Very well. Thus far I have bought one thing - a black blazer that I needed to replace an old one. I am missing all the sales, but really, that's a good thing!<br />
Hope you are all well, and if you can recommend any books about Jacqueline de Ribes, please do - I am dying to learn more about her! I did find this wonderful article <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/09/jacqueline-deribes-201009">here</a>.<br />
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xoxo wendy</div>
WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-68312482400902445652016-01-28T16:41:00.001-04:002016-01-28T16:41:15.624-04:00As January Ends...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I wish I could say January plodded along, but in fact, it has felt like it's flown by!<br />
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We are very busy these days and I've been loving watching movies and cooking on my downtime! <br />
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The Feng Shui and shopping my own closet are going very well and Mercury is finally out of retrograde so things can quiet down.<br />
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While I have not visited any online shopping sites, I do get the odd email, some with pictures and I assume others are in the January blahs because in a two day period I got two emails about how I need to embrace the bright pink lip!<br />
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<img height="320" src="http://hautpr.com/beauty/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Emma-Stone-MAC-pink-lipstick.jpg" width="213" /></div>
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Apparently, the year of the nude year (there was a year? how did I miss that?) has passed and now we must all love pink.<br />
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Fortunately, I do.<br />
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Bright pink is fun.<br />
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It makes one think of robust health and is one of my favourite Valentine colours.<br />
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My favourite hot pink lipsticks/pencils belong to Nars:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="NARS Funny Face Semi Matte Lipstick - Funny Face ($27) ❤ liked on Polyvore featuring beauty products, makeup, lip makeup, lipstick, beauty, lips, nars, funny face, long wear lipstick and long wearing lipstick: " class="pinImage rounded" data-load-state="pending" height="320" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/d8/70/be/d870bee855e446d17ecad31d82bd1609.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
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And Yu:<br />
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<img alt="NARS satin lip pencil in yu: " class="pinImage rounded" data-load-state="pending" height="320" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/66/3b/a8/663ba813eb89a49a7e0463fe6b9d79fd.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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I wholeheartedly endorse a little pink this time of year. It, and pink champagne, cure all that ails one.<br />
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<img alt="Handwriting on the Wine #design #packaging PD: " class="pinImage rounded" data-load-state="pending" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/98/66/ff/9866ff1e3bdad3469f04a5fed0070da5.jpg" width="130" /></div>
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Of course, the lipstick would be in the frugal category, the pink champagne, not so much.<br />
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Since I have all of the above in the house, I think I will follow the lead of the pinterest picture below and put all my pink books together. I think it would be swell to see them all together and might tide me over until my peonies are in bloom again!<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="213" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524360627242785314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfandUM1t1YIB3nxexl5FbhC6lLDkcSEy1tokYAXt3ewtZoq9gYuWdao6LmSQUX1ve8iUrcRUrCNwMCsUMqv1jAnVEci8CJqg2dyfo6Wtc-zRQ2blv3FZRE_eM3_ipBqRp-upDO07hSp0/s320/books.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="320" /><br />
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Just the idea makes me happy! <br />
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Hmmm - it seems like those blogger emails were onto something with their pink lipsticks!<br />
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Hope you are enjoying the winter weather and thinking warm thoughts!<br />
xoxo Wendy</div>
WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-13104091158222680332016-01-24T18:27:00.001-04:002016-01-24T18:27:53.126-04:00Why Retire? Or Why Not?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
I was thinking about retirement today for two reasons: <br />
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1 - Grace Coddington has decided at age 74 that she doesn't want to be tied solely to Vogue anymore, but wishes to do other, varied, things;<br />
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<img height="320" src="http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Grace+Coddington+19th+Annual+ACRIA+Holiday+qDfM9Isb6Ytl.jpg" width="270" /></div>
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and<br />
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2) Stan Lee. I was thinking of 90 year old Stan because he is still SO active in the Marvel Universe of comics, movies, TV shows and products.<br />
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<img height="164" src="http://nerdbastards.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Stan-Lee.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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In so many traditional occupations, there is an expectation that an individual "retires" from their work around age 60 or 65.<br />
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This is not necessarily the case in the entertainment business, where in-demand talent can work on for decades past their peers in more traditional work places - think Betty White, George Burns, and so on.<br />
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Lots of people are thrilled to retire. Now is the time for them to pursue long-buried hobbies (that can now potentially turn into careers), travel, spend more time with their families. <br />
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And yet I am intrigued by those who work until the day they die. My great-grandfather worked at his boot factory well into his eighties. Granted, those were the days before pensions, but still, from what I have been told, he loved what he did and going to work made him feel valued and valuable.<br />
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I once read a study that said the earlier you retire the longer you live. that no longer seems to be borne out by the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18952037">facts</a>. <br />
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There is <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/aging-work-longer-live-longer/story?id=13348934">research </a> now that indicates people who love what they do may in fact live longer.<br />
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The best decision I ever made was to leave my job. Personally, I was so young I do not consider it a retirement but a career transition.<br />
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My new job, writing between 30 and 40 hours a week, thrills me. The worst days writing are better than my best days working at my old job (even though I sometimes loved that job very much!)<br />
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I guess the key to all things in life is to find something you love and DO IT. Do it hard and with purpose and embrace it. <br />
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I hope to live to be a very old lady and I hope to be working the whole way there. Perhaps it won't be 30 or 40 hours a week, but it will be something, and it will make me happy.<br />
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Something to think about!<br />
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And for those of you on the east coast - hope you are all dug out! <br />
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xoxo wendy<br />
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WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-41200298559074188142016-01-18T13:44:00.000-04:002016-01-18T13:44:20.515-04:00What are the Odds?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Apparently, 62:4,000,000,000.<br />
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This week <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/18/richest-62-billionaires-wealthy-half-world-population-combined">Oxfam</a> released a report that contained the startling statistic that the 62 wealthiest people on this planet have a combined wealth equivalent to the poorest 4 billion. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="The world&#039;s 62 richest people own the same wealth as the 3.6 billion poorest people." height="175" src="http://www.oxfam.ca/sites/default/files/styles/node-full/public/davos16_-_main_image.png?itok=w8gGtKxU" title="" width="400" /></div>
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Scarier still, that wealth is getting more and more concentrated: in 2010 388 people had the combined wealth of the poorest 4 billion. What happened to the poor 322 who fell off that list? they are likely licking their hurt feelings on a yacht somewhere...<br />
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If you don't find those numbers scary, well this isn't the post for you... :-)<br />
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What exactly does this mean? Well it tells me that we have a lot of individuals whose personal net worth is the equivalent to many countries' GDP.<br />
<br />
It also tells me that many of us are making these rich people even richer. The richest on the list is CEO of the luxury brand that makes your favourite Louis Vuittons and other over-priced items coveted by many (though many say the quality isn't what it used to be - I wouldn't know).<br />
<br />
It's hard to imagine needing that many billions. I mean, surely 1 billion is plenty enough for the average person. Perhaps the other billions might be shared to raise the quality of life for the other 4,000,000? <br />
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And really, once you have that much money, you are, in effect, a person-state yourself. No need for you to vote; you are probably able to buy whatever political favours might be required for your particular business.<br />
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What is most disturbing, apart from this obscenity of wealth, is that the wealth of the poorest 4,000,000 actually dropped by 41% from 2010 to today. Thus the rich truly are getting richer and the poor? Well things were horrific before and they're getting hellish now.<br />
<br />
Unlike we taxpayers, many of these wealthy individuals have their money in off-shore accounts, perfect tax dodges. Imagine what some of that money REALLY circulating could do.<br />
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Research has shown that every increase in the minimum wage or welfare rates has a direct and positive impact on our economy. Every time we lift someone out of poverty we reduce child abuse, spousal abuse, we improve mental and physical health, and we make our communities safer. <br />
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Some of these billionaires are giving it all away - hello Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg - but not enough. And it is clear that those who are doing so are making a tremendous difference.<br />
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This can't go on forever. The history of this planet is people getting fed up and doing something when things get too out of balance. We all have a responsibility towards our fellow man.<br />
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And yes, if you're wondering, this has helped me keep my "no shopping" for awhile vow very easily. :0(<br />
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It's worth reading about. And it's important. It effects us all, even if we don't realize it!<br />
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And yes, I promise next topic will be much lighter, but this was too important not to talk about.<br />
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WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-1353271389390489432016-01-08T15:38:00.000-04:002016-01-08T15:38:10.520-04:00New Year, New Order<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Hey everyone! Happy New Year! <br />
<br />
Sorry I was incommunicado the past couple of weeks - my son was home from University and I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. <br />
<br />
And now it is the end of the first week of January and I am desperately trying to catch up with everything!<br />
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I don't know about you, but every time I take down the Christmas tree and decorations - and you know how many I have - I feel an overwhelming desire to purge and bring order to my universe after the chaos and gluttony of the holiday season.<br />
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And as is my wont, that typically includes everything in my life - clothing, body, space.<br />
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I am about to turn 53, I am about to have my first book published, I am doing things in my life that make me happy and am surrounding myself with people in my life that are of a like mind and all is good, except...<br />
<br />
I need to get back into shape. That isn't just weight loss, it's getting stronger. To help me on that journey, Barry bought me a fitbit for Christmas - I love it!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://www.tekshanghai.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/fitbit-flex-5.jpg" height="320" width="312" /></div>
<br />
I am back doing my yoga regularly, lifting weight again, meditating daily and walking, walking, walking. I am not snacking. I have already lost 3 pounds and I feel great!<br />
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I have also, on top of everything else I've been reading, feng shuing the whole house. Do any of you use feng shui techniques to help the energy in your space?<br />
<br />
Last fall I took an online course from <a href="https://fengshuiforfinancialfreedom.com/">Kate Northrup</a> about Feng Shui and loved it. Her course focuses mostly on the wealth and prosperity sections of the bagua map, but I wanted the whole meal deal, so followed up and read a great book by Terah Kathryn Collins that Kate recommends and since then have been going room by room to make the changes.<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="productPreview-wrap js-productImageWrap"><img alt="The Western Guide to Feng Shui: Room by Room" class="productPreview-image productPreview-image_hooker js-productImage" src="https://dynamic.indigoimages.ca/books/1561705683.jpg?altimages=true&width=310&quality=85&maxheight=310&lang=en&z=0.0.21.2.25.0.10047-8" /></span></div>
<br />
<br />
I need to keep that good energy flowing in our house! I am nowhere near done, but each room I do gives me a real sense of peace. While I liked the konmari method, it was a bit too Spartan for my tastes. Feng Shui help you focus energy to feel content and prosperous in all areas of your life. Everyone's approach will be slightly different and there's nothing wrong with that.<br />
<br />
In particular, I wanted to focus on the health and family and career areas and have been making my own little shrines and removing things that have bad energy.<br />
<br />
More than ever, I feel that the transition I have been undergoing these last few years is finally slowing down and I am where and with whom I ought to be. It is a lovely feeling and one I want to cultivate! I will let you know if the Feng Shui helps!<br />
<br />
And am vowing to buy nothing superfluous clothing-wise this year. I really have too many clothes as it is, and I am getting off the hamster wheel of shopping in 2016, less about my pocket book and more about being more frugal and leaving a smaller footprint on the planet. I will keep you posted on that!<br />
<br />
Finally, today is David Bowie's birthday AND the release date of his newest album! We love David in this house. In fact, we danced to his wonderful song, Wild is the Wind at our wedding many years ago.<br />
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So maybe that's where I'll end. Who knows where the winds of life will take us this year? I can't wait to see!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VbpMpRq6DV4" width="420"></iframe>
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Have a great week!<br />
<br />
xoxo wendy<br />
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</div>
WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-78090354598612610532015-12-23T08:57:00.000-04:002015-12-23T08:57:14.677-04:00Christmas "Time"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1gRnX0cQBuH3sLOzb389GTE1xsBs0IHKr40qWUaHeosOU7mwHlgIzTw-BkbS0wpe87yQSUPqA3ijCXRmjdlfiTL05DDr3iyUboeg5pQguR5irv72M9HZ_G4KfoA9Oem4WH316NWqzUPs/s1600/P1030428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1gRnX0cQBuH3sLOzb389GTE1xsBs0IHKr40qWUaHeosOU7mwHlgIzTw-BkbS0wpe87yQSUPqA3ijCXRmjdlfiTL05DDr3iyUboeg5pQguR5irv72M9HZ_G4KfoA9Oem4WH316NWqzUPs/s400/P1030428.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three or four years ago - I think...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Albert Einstein famously said "The only reason for time is so everything doesn't happen at once."<br />
<br />
And yet at Christmas time, more than any other time of the year, it feels as if everything <em>is</em> happening at once.<br />
<br />
That garland on the tree? I bought it in Maine, across the river from where I grew up and suddenly I am in grade three again, and we are colouring a Christmas scene across an entire chalkboard in dusty shades of red and blue and green and yellow and I cannot believe how beautiful it is and how wonderful my grade three teacher, Miss Read, is to let us have a picture we've done stay on the chalkboard for three whole weeks instead of wretched math problems. <br />
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Then I'm six and fighting with my grandmother, who is staying for us for Christmas for the first time because my grandfather is dead, and she thinks the tinsel garland ought to be hung vertically, when everyone (at least my father and I) know that it must be hung horizontally. We are both in tears by the end, for different reasons, and she is the bigger person and acquiesces, though it feels a hollow victory to me and I try to be extra nice.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJVUNJr4uOMlhdylTLI_I293vqWxgL8iy1Sub8SbwfhlXRbzbZmR2N6qx6Coi5FC3eU-CVK_h3PDI3kozgukPfJ9NX0ehkk6vNFmf4G5umiE7N_V_DeraOsZ1GSAQPx58VZ-w_oDxKLaS/s1600/P1060646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJVUNJr4uOMlhdylTLI_I293vqWxgL8iy1Sub8SbwfhlXRbzbZmR2N6qx6Coi5FC3eU-CVK_h3PDI3kozgukPfJ9NX0ehkk6vNFmf4G5umiE7N_V_DeraOsZ1GSAQPx58VZ-w_oDxKLaS/s400/P1060646.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A glass of sherry and her dog Happy...<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
That stocking hanging on the mantle in the basement this morning?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRysnbZUfWdm-BQmUDiC1_9AMfVuIF56MXfrhbaIXBl2p4DCYPNrJPgKu5dMfQ6WgzxjAiK-pQC_s-u9RUniN0cYQk8gmfUT7we1eL0JfCWlKOhOF745hw5Di4TLSIjMvkj0Y89mK-Be7/s1600/P1060649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRysnbZUfWdm-BQmUDiC1_9AMfVuIF56MXfrhbaIXBl2p4DCYPNrJPgKu5dMfQ6WgzxjAiK-pQC_s-u9RUniN0cYQk8gmfUT7we1eL0JfCWlKOhOF745hw5Di4TLSIjMvkj0Y89mK-Be7/s320/P1060649.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">same crazy hair!<br />
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</tbody></table>
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It's in my hands when I am one year's old and there is still the old stain of an orange I left in the toe for too long, concentrated as I was on my chocolate orange.</div>
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The Christmas of the Barbie Camper mixes with the Christmas of the air hockey game. There are all the boxing days in Hampton, and some in St. Stephen, and the year my older cousins got a pool table which I thought made them the luckiest people in the world. I discover The Chieftains and Elvis Costello singing "The St. Stephen's Day Murders" and always think of my cousins.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QYr-SGAAMKXyANGcpiYw5sUKP42Lj_LG8oo4IPAyL0lX_3_6SPQ4h24g4GhyphenhyphenQktW5IEqW2hYWCgwbZOSjsRRGKr9UD7ByFIwxx8jwNrBsdouhzrXlQ1pXgo3R3jBSgelW-0qYUPSHhZU/s1600/P1060647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QYr-SGAAMKXyANGcpiYw5sUKP42Lj_LG8oo4IPAyL0lX_3_6SPQ4h24g4GhyphenhyphenQktW5IEqW2hYWCgwbZOSjsRRGKr9UD7ByFIwxx8jwNrBsdouhzrXlQ1pXgo3R3jBSgelW-0qYUPSHhZU/s320/P1060647.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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There are the years my mother cooked, then me, and soon enough I suppose, someone else. I am forever thirteen in my mind, hugging a giant stuffed Pluto with delight, then I am a mother and watching my children vibrate as they waited to go down and open presents, just like Margaret and Patrick and I did.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-WeyFK2yFV33QAEbAcAJ-xgRYeqR3dcE4QTEx6OU0-dIJW7x5ZEdZTrViLfZ7d_rqs5V1Ki_OtwWVFX7WrVooBr7jq0U92B3epVIapLbI8JxJINK7DlFPND_Vvght0QTaqF61Vj2f2Ey/s1600/P1060644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-WeyFK2yFV33QAEbAcAJ-xgRYeqR3dcE4QTEx6OU0-dIJW7x5ZEdZTrViLfZ7d_rqs5V1Ki_OtwWVFX7WrVooBr7jq0U92B3epVIapLbI8JxJINK7DlFPND_Vvght0QTaqF61Vj2f2Ey/s320/P1060644.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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There's my dad's best friend Johnny Walker getting a race track for Christmas when he was in his fifties (I was so impressed!) and us playing it again and again all Christmas Day night while the grownups drank rum.<br />
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There are Christmas Eve services and the love I feel for those people in the small church, who only weeks before had watched me be an angel in a pageant or mangle my verse from "A Visit from St. Nicholas" - why'd I have to get the "As dry leaves that before a wild hurricane fly" verse anyway?<br />
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There is the Queen, Christmas Candy, dirty dishes, the goose. My mother is thirty, then fifty, then gone. We are sledding, it's a green Christmas, it's a blizzard. <br />
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I'm lying under the tree, bereft that it's over. I'm opening paper advent calendar doors, lighting advent candles, almost sick with anticipation. Barbie and I are singing Holly Jolly Christmas on the radio, Joanne and I are sliding on New Year's Day. I am caroling after a gift exchange at Anne's.<br />
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I am a mother and there are videos and handmade ornaments and "Baby's First Christmas Ornaments".<br />
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There is the great Battling Tops tournament in St. Martin's at my Great Aunt's. My grandfather in Port Elgin has a table top tree and I am secretly horrified. There are books and sweaters and fudge and Smarties towers that become banks after Christmas. Someone has made us mittens. Someone gave me scratchy pajamas. Mostly, I want toys and later, a boyfriend.<br />
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My mother is dead and my dad spends Christmases with us and one morning he sleeps so soundly that my five year old son thinks he's passed away in the night. Later, there is a Christmas morning in the O.R. while the kids wait at home to open presents. Then I am in Saint John at a hospital with my grandmother on Christmas Day and she holds my hand and can't speak much and I am scared because she is supposed to speak A LOT.<br />
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It's all there and more. We exist together, these memories and I, and they can overwhelm me and make me sad and they can make me smile with delight.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
That time is a construct is a thing of wonder to me, and yet I feel it in my bones. Every cell in the body of that small girl cuddling the stuffed animal above has changed since that Christmas morning many years ago and yet I have all of her feelings and I can slip back into that morning as easily as I slip into my evening's bath. She has never left me. I am not visiting the past I feel, but opening another door in my mind. We are all there together, in the present.<br />
<br />
As a great philosopher named Dr. Seuss once said: Christmas Day is in our grasp, so long as we have hands to clasp. <br />
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Some of those hands are here in 2015, some exist within us. Both are real.<br />
<br />
I wish you the loveliest of Christmas and holiday "times" this year and wish nothing less for you than a blessed and healthy 2016 for you and your loved ones.<br />
<br />
xoxo wendy<br />
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</div>
WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-37515631352626017422015-12-20T12:26:00.000-04:002015-12-20T12:26:09.451-04:00Mix and Mingle and Sparkle and Ruminations on Style (or my lack of interest thereof)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Some wonderful posts by Kim at <a href="http://www.northerncalstyle.com/2015/12/thoughts-on-festive-attire.html">Northern California Style</a> and Jennifer at <a href="http://www.awellstyledlife.com/">A Well Styled Life</a> made me think about this post.<br />
<br />
I haven't bought much this year, clothing-wise, but I always do like my shoes. And while an expensive shoe is no doubt a thing of beauty and longevity, sometimes you need something else. Sometimes you can only afford something else.<br />
<br />
My dress this holiday season was black. <br />
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Boring huh?<br />
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But I added some accessories, and most of the sparkle came from my shoes.<br />
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It seems that over the last few years, I have allowed my inner disco ball to have its day. This morning I lined them all up and kind of went "huh, that's a lot of sparkly shoes." <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAQvHF8iJSmJLnVVdkJec3TLr9FlRs4nQRtLLWDZoiqTqy9FvEEMmVDtZt44RgFp4K7tSdrQ7zKwkKTpdnnmEXnOlMvcAlNeee_9SnCypPjlk4i3jw2G-f8owhOaE7bNUZjld2HQL5Kxm/s1600/P1060643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAQvHF8iJSmJLnVVdkJec3TLr9FlRs4nQRtLLWDZoiqTqy9FvEEMmVDtZt44RgFp4K7tSdrQ7zKwkKTpdnnmEXnOlMvcAlNeee_9SnCypPjlk4i3jw2G-f8owhOaE7bNUZjld2HQL5Kxm/s400/P1060643.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The red ones were $30 at Payless and make me feel like Dorothy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Perhaps I do not need any more sparkly shoes.<br />
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On the other hand, a pair of sparkly shoes in the dead of winter is a fine thing: a conversation starter, something to look at under the dinner party table, something that makes you stand out, for good or bad. When my toes twinkle, I twinkle.<br />
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At one point, I considered ridding myself of some of these things, and yet I loved them, in spite of it all. In my book, loving something is a sign that one should keep the thing even if they aren't perfect or tasteful. I can think of dozens of things I would part with before I could completely eliminate sparkle in my life. And while darling Jennifer helped me realize how best to present myself to the world now that I am in my fifties, a sparkly party shoe will always be in my closet. It seems my shoes are the Iris Apfels of my closet.<br />
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I have learned many lessons this past year: that like is best with like, that creativity and bravery are valued by me more than anything and that I don't have enough to say about clothes, especially when compared with those who genuinely have a flair or budget for it. I like clothes, I just don't care enough it seems to work at, and it is work for me, as I am not a natural. A few nice pieces of clothing are swell, sure, but it doesn't go much further than that for me. I much prefer to see what others do there and admire from afar.<br />
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Shoes on the other hand, are a different matter. I love my shoes. And I love variety in my shoes and boots. None of the shoes in the picture above were expensive (save my old Donald Pliners) but they are comfortable and I love them.<br />
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Over the past year I have struggled to keep this blog interesting and I suspect at times I have failed. When I started blogging several years ago, it was a way to get back into writing and truthfully, the fashion blogs were what I stumbled upon first. But really, I wasn't particularly good at it and I spent more money than I cared to in order to keep up. I am not a fashionista and the effort to try and be one was not satisfying for me.<br />
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I will always admire the style of others, but to be my authentic self, I must admit that while I like to look nice, I am not all that comfortable sharing my blah outfits of the day! :-) And this is no critique of others for their love of clothing and their beautiful style. We are all unique, and our interests should be celebrated.<br />
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I am even contemplating a moratorium on clothes shopping for awhile, and simplifying things further. <br />
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So I hope you will stick around as I muse on other things (and the odd pair of shoes), including creativity, bravery, family, and all the goodness in this old world.<br />
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xoxo Wendy</div>
WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-67128970488755378772015-12-09T18:31:00.001-04:002015-12-09T18:31:05.584-04:00An ode to the Christmas Card and other types of card<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There was a time when everyone sent Christmas cards, wasn't there?<br />
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I can recall being a wee lass and waiting for the mailman to arrive (ah the heady days before Community mailboxes) and the delightful thwack! as a small stack of white and red envelopes, many festooned with seasonal stickers, came through the mail slot and landed on the floor.<br />
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It seemed as if most of the cards were from people I didn't know (my parent's old university pals), but I didn't care. Many were from neighbours from across our small town, for in those more formal days, people sent cards to their friends, or it least my mother and her friends did. <br />
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<img height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraYv_IxTDOw3m9giR6m5AOoZbkcuVXhkWOdk2OpOhxx-FDnY39wnEAHnEmp0Zabvp1hbOnq9jSnMdYvPsjOmKVhPS4L7VgfGz9623HQt66osRojFke8qqx1zTb68-M5_zHW58X3Srxj0J/s400/Vintage+Christmas+Card014.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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Some of those cards contained thick handwritten letters that shared the highlights of their year. Others had mimeographed notes inside (remember them!) - the iconic "Christmas Letter", with a small signature at the bottom written in the perfect penmanship of adults who had grown up in a time when fine penmanship was graded.<br />
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I miss those days. Each year I find myself sending fewer and fewer cards. Sure I hand-deliver cards to my friends, but somewhere along the way I've lost addresses or I talk to them weekly or monthly on Facebook and it feels as if the Christmas Card is superfluous.<br />
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And yet...<br />
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There is something inherently delightful in taking a moment to choose a fine card, or box of cards, and writing a small personal note that wishes the recipient the happiest of Chanukahs, the merriest of Christmases, good cheer for the coming year. Those fine sentiments warm our hearts to send and receive, and they are like sprinkling fairy dust on our friends and neighbours.<br />
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This post is mine to you. And if I had all of your addresses, I would send you a real one!<br />
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<br />
And speaking of cards, I got my new author business cards this week. It was very exciting! I have seen a rough draft of my book cover, and I am about to get into the editing with my editor. No final date yet for the release, but things chug along at their own pace and I am grateful.<br />
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The fellow who did the design was aces and is currently working on my website!<br />
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Have a happy rest of week! Will write more on the weekend after my annual Christmas dinner with lip-synch battle attached (because it wouldn't be Christmas at my house if we weren't singing and dancing!)<br />
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xoxo Wendy<br />
</div>
WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-18230421088949800642015-11-30T18:50:00.000-04:002015-11-30T18:50:22.198-04:00November kicked my butt, literally...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Happy end of November! It flew by and left me in its wake...<br />
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I know I have been busier in my life, but it has been awhile! <br />
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November in the writing life is NaNoWriMo, where thousands of writers worldwide endeavour to get 50,000 words on paper (the approximate length of a short novel). <br />
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Happily, I achieved my goal, and was rewriting a book that is giving me no end in grief, and as of the end of November, I have probably written 80,000+ words. Phew. I'm not saying they're 80,000 amazing words, but they are on paper and that's the first step!<br />
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I also had my very first colonoscopy in the midst of all of this. And a terrible cold. At the same time. <br />
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Why'd I get a colonoscopy? Well my dad had colon cancer in his late sixties, so my doctor and I felt a baseline was in order. <br />
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They are not fun, but here's the thing:<br />
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1) you get to spend a lot of quality time in your bathroom, which reminds you of odd jobs someone ought to be doing and gives you a lot of reading time. During the day in which I drank the dreaded goop I managed to finish a novel, so hard to complain.<br />
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2) your bowels are your friend. So I got to talk to two lovely doctors about them (the doctor and the intern) and sort of felt like I was in an episode of Grey's Anatomy. And thankfully, all is well down below and I don't need another one for ten years. Surely within ten yours I won't remember the goop. It's like childbirth, right?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="276" src="http://livingsickdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/colonoscopy.jpg?w=800" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These guys were kind of like my two doctors and I was definitely over-acting....<br />
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Really, my horrible cold was much worse than the colonoscopy, all things considered, and the inconvenience is worth it in order to have piece of mind. And there are many good videos you can watch in advance so there are no surprises. I highly recommend the one with the undulating psychedelic colon. Someone put a lot of thought into making that video and they made the prettiest and most mesmerizing colon ever!<br />
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What else is new in my life? Well, I am in the throes of Christmas shopping, still writing madly and counting the days until my son comes home for Christmas (for the record, it is 19 days).<br />
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I have also begun "The Watching of Holiday Movies". So far we have done Die Hard and Love Actually, which makes me realize that Alan Rickman is really Mr. Christmas...<br />
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How about you - what have you been up to? Do tell! Anyone else ever had a colonoscopy?<br />
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xoxo wendy<br />
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WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-20137009812340550792015-11-14T13:25:00.003-04:002015-11-14T13:25:32.287-04:00Paris<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We can never understands the minds of those who can so mercilessly and so easily take the lives of others.<br />
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We can only respond with love and empathy and hope for better days ahead.<br />
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Paris is the city of my heart. I love it unabashedly and I love the people who live there. Parisians are often accused of being rude or cold or unsentimental. They are none of those things.<br />
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The images of last night - the terror, the anguish, the unstinting heroics, the sports fans leaving the stadium spontaneously singing Le Marseillaise - are etched in my soul today.<br />
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Many of the locations were mere blocks from where Barry and I stayed in September. We walked those neighbourhoods and adored them. We will do so again. And like my friends and other favourite city, New York City, Parisians will not be bested.<br />
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But today they can use our prayers. As can those who commit these acts of atrocities. Peace on Earth.<br />
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Je suis Parisienne. </div>
WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-69171552366929403652015-11-10T15:56:00.002-04:002015-11-10T15:56:49.094-04:00Those Marketing Families who get me every time...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Tis that time of year again.<br />
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You know: the one where the big corporations develop compelling marketing campaigns that make us want to buy their products.<br />
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Doesn't everyone want to be more beautiful, look more ravishing, dress the best, and have meaningful family moments all at the same time? I know I do! :-)<br />
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The kind of marketing I am most vulnerable to this time of year is marketing that portrays happy families. I grew up in a relatively happy family, and my parents gave good Christmas, but we didn't live in that big old farmhouse surrounded by horses and dozens of cousins (although I did get to visit such a world when I visited my friend Nancy!).<br />
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The first time I remember being "gotten" by the marketers was those Folgers coffee ads. You know the one - Peter the son sneaking into the house and surprising his family at Christmas, making the coffee...<br />
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I am particularly susceptible to it this year thanks to my son being away at University.<br />
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Damn, that makes me teary just looking at the still!
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But this year, Lands End has been able to push all of my buttons. Have you seen their catalogues? <br />
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That beautiful extended family, home to see Grandma and Grandpa, who are the new kind of Grandma and Grandpa: hot!<br />
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Ah the beauty! The joy! Thumb through the catalogue and you will find yourself yearning to be invited to the fake grandparent's house (Look - it's Barry and Wendy, in from Canada!) If Canadians succeed at sentimental hockey and Tim Hortons advertising, then Americans own Thanksgiving and Christmas - or at least their marketers do.<br />
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You all know I love Christmas. Always will. I do find myself in that weird in-between season of life - grown-up children, no grandchildren, which makes Christmas fun, but perhaps not as magical as it was when my kids were younger. And this week is the anniversary of both of my parents' deaths (convenient of them in some ways, cruel in others) that makes me think of happy families and cozy Christmases.<br />
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So hats off to you Lands End. I have discovered I need a fire engine red cashmere pullover and tartan scarf. I need to make twice as many desserts as we can possibly eat. I need to make my son make me coffee as soon as he arrives home in December.<br />
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And we say we are immune to marketing...<br />
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How about you? Any advertising attracting you these days?</div>
WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-77541998158493612012015-10-31T12:26:00.000-03:002015-10-31T12:26:18.746-03:00The Gloriousness of a Decorating Book that speaks to you...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Happy Halloween!<br />
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Here is the truth: I suck at Halloween. I pretty much gloss over the whole event, and in our neck of the woods, we only get 6 or 7 trick or treaters, so that's easy enough to do! I will shower them with the little chocolate bars I've bought so I don't eat them all. My willpower is very poor these days, although I am a faithful visitor to my treadmill...<br />
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Anyway, come late fall I start looking around for a few books to ask for from the big man (Barry, no Santa, although they are interchangeable really). This year, three books top my list:<br />
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1) <span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle">Modern Mix: Curating Personal Style with Chic & Accessible Finds by Eddie Ross</span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large"></span><br />
<span class="a-size-large">I follow <a href="https://instagram.com/eddieross/">Eddie on Instagram</a> and I love him! And I have thumbed through this book at Chapters and I love, love, love what I've seen!</span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large">He has such an eye and he just bubbles with joie de vivre! This is an expensive book (in Canada) but worth every penny I think. I see this as a bit of a bible for the likes of me!</span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large">2) <span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle">French Chic Living: Simple Ways to Make Your Home Beautiful by <a class="a-link-normal" href="http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=Florence+de+Dampierre&search-alias=books-ca">Florence de Dampierre</a> <span class="contribution" spacing="none"><span class="a-color-secondary"></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large"></span><br />
<span class="a-size-large">I just got back from France as you know and I still miss it. I adore France. And when I saw this book at my local book shop, I knew it would be on the top of my list this fall! This book is beautiful, from the pictures to the little "secrets" and tips. I swoon just looking at the cover....</span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large">3) House Beautiful's Pink</span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large">I am definitely in a pink mood these days. I adore the colour and used sparingly (or daringly!) it can be such a wonderful thing in a home!</span><br />
<span class="a-size-large"></span><br />
<span class="a-size-large">To be honest, I did scan through Ellen DeGeneres' new style book, but it wasn't for me - too modern - although there are beautiful pictures and she definitely has great talent in renovating and decorating houses!</span><br />
<span class="a-size-large"></span><br />
<span class="a-size-large">Finally, if you didn't buy it last year after I slagged it to death, Novel Interiors by Lisa Borgnes Giramonti still tops my list for a book that I turn to again and again and again!</span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large">How about you? Any home décor books on your wishlists this year? Do tell!</span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large">xoxo Wendy</span><br />
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WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-53038328038167439342015-10-27T12:08:00.000-03:002015-10-27T12:08:08.588-03:00Some thoughts about our new Prime Minister<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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By now many of you know that Canada has a new Prime Minister. For those of you who do not, he is young (not yet 45), has three small children and an accomplished, beautiful wife, and is the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="200" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3259064/images/o-JUSTIN-TRUDEAU-PIERRE-TRUDEAU-facebook.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="306" src="http://wpmedia.o.canada.com/2013/04/trudeau-long-e1365651238291.jpg?w=680" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prime Minister Elect Justin Trudeau</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Three years ago, he was an object of derision, a man few Canadians felt to be "ready" for such an important post.<br />
<br />
But people are not black and white. They are not caricatures. They make mistakes, but they are not their mistakes.<br />
<br />
And the ruling government forgot two crucial things:<br />
<br />
1) people get tired of you after ten years; and<br />
2) people like to hope for something.<br />
<br />
Time will tell if Trudeau will suffer the same fate as President Obama, swept into office on a sea of hope and optimism, only to be dashed against the rocks later when he could not achieve all he'd hoped to achieve.<br />
<br />
People have chinks. People can be stupid. And I hope that Canada will allow Prime Minister Trudeau to make mistakes and not simply toss him aside when he does so. <br />
<br />
It is not easy being Prime Minister. It's not easy being human. We voted him into office (well enough Canadians did), now we have to try and help him.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="273" src="http://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/canada/2014/02/20/justin_trudeau_tells_liberal_convention_to_fight_fear_with_hope/justin_trudeau.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<br />
The future, whether in Canada or the rest of the world, belongs to those who recognize that we are all in this together, and that while running for high office has its perks, it is also one of the loneliest, difficult jobs one can have. <br />
<br />
History is the ultimate judge of our politicians, but it is also a judge of us. He cannot make the changes we asked for without us standing with him. <br />
<br />
Good luck Mr. Prime Minister!<br />
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<img alt="#CAbi Girl Inspiration: " class="pinImage rounded" data-load-state="pending" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/aa/a6/ed/aaa6edef5c58ade2bb187ad4f4bd6e19.jpg" width="248" /></div>
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WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-34539048470191614222015-10-19T18:21:00.000-03:002015-10-19T18:21:18.548-03:00Sweater Weather<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am a sweater girl in the winter. <br />
<br />
I own few blouses, for a variety of reasons, and always prefer knits - so comfy, so forgiving, so perfect for the winters here.<br />
<br />
And this is the fall and winter of knits.<br />
<br />
I got started on thinking about sweaters over at <a href="http://wardrobeicons.com/">Wardrobe Icons</a>, where Laura has been obsessed by what she calls 'jumper dressing' and there was nothing I wanted more this fall than something by Joseph, which of course the budget would not allow!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="400" src="http://www.maven46.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/MAVEN46-pre-fall-2015-joseph.jpg" width="267" /></div>
<br />
<br />
But never mind, there are jumper dressing options available at many price points, plus don't we all have many pullovers and cardigans in our wardrobes just waiting to be paired already?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsa1Lb_YR3vqBcMhYQ1yJs_28qbdcl76cPtneQ59XOdzr-6dsbEjBQcx4VODC0ifhloxkm_V9w3SzZJ1rtcfIm9stRqYhFSzedcv7S79sZg9Tx9NbnmgqEVJnjSCQlMDDiOXsZtBAp3_L-/s1600/P1060549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsa1Lb_YR3vqBcMhYQ1yJs_28qbdcl76cPtneQ59XOdzr-6dsbEjBQcx4VODC0ifhloxkm_V9w3SzZJ1rtcfIm9stRqYhFSzedcv7S79sZg9Tx9NbnmgqEVJnjSCQlMDDiOXsZtBAp3_L-/s400/P1060549.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
This Joe Fresh knit dress is cozy when worn with a cardigan or jacket and at $35 on sale, a deal.<br />
<br />
I also picked up this navy skirt from Joe Fresh for $17 and it looks wonderful with my navy cashmere T-shirt from J Crew.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="description" height="400" src="https://joefresh-resource-dev.joefresh.com/JF/b2/WF5T380002/Blue/T@2x.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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I also found this long knit skirt from a local shop and I truly adore it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lCaO3La07PYISj-tLquC7AGrLIRdtECwFa7dtZYnselako5K6wUjU6EiesW2MFWl8yUcNTSDzbUv20scamcISEQoqgVbQeufab2MUB6pLD2XuJM0EqqXh6mrqF9pKn6KkDcIZuqiNUQ8/s1600/P1060545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lCaO3La07PYISj-tLquC7AGrLIRdtECwFa7dtZYnselako5K6wUjU6EiesW2MFWl8yUcNTSDzbUv20scamcISEQoqgVbQeufab2MUB6pLD2XuJM0EqqXh6mrqF9pKn6KkDcIZuqiNUQ8/s400/P1060545.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<br />
It is a wool-mohair blend and looks great with my riding boots.<br />
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Of course we can always dig through our closets:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwyWae3aNm9LxdZm6sTPFEliPsoCp7wBcH4JxWGzlDswMLoe_6-j_tzpnzfhpZTqzhULiSjpQ1dizqIlI-7vhoz_-sWQNj8lIZfOEMHiKOPGa_nvS1a_BdM3KQur357Dg278NITTORasn/s1600/P1060538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwyWae3aNm9LxdZm6sTPFEliPsoCp7wBcH4JxWGzlDswMLoe_6-j_tzpnzfhpZTqzhULiSjpQ1dizqIlI-7vhoz_-sWQNj8lIZfOEMHiKOPGa_nvS1a_BdM3KQur357Dg278NITTORasn/s400/P1060538.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gosh, you can see my t-shirt bunched up under there...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And I am dying to wear a black cashmere skirt from White and Warren that I found new with tags on ebay for $30 in May!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LAi3GdaVDC2OtgYgmV-oecNo6a40FQGP3dxzTOyBE-iL3C_r7TfzS1y-ESbwhKIHxcLHh7OFfXSoE1-UNSKMBtIwkRXVEKHTeTK9gk9_s2wRT3ZjYiAfQ0Ir1LKbUIReIJAmJ0PJRLwo/s1600/P1060543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LAi3GdaVDC2OtgYgmV-oecNo6a40FQGP3dxzTOyBE-iL3C_r7TfzS1y-ESbwhKIHxcLHh7OFfXSoE1-UNSKMBtIwkRXVEKHTeTK9gk9_s2wRT3ZjYiAfQ0Ir1LKbUIReIJAmJ0PJRLwo/s400/P1060543.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just add tights!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
I love this cozy sweater dressing and hope it lasts a few more seasons, although I am pleased I managed to purchase some great finds for a song. <br />
<br />
So yes, perhaps the Joseph dress (or something else by this wonderful line) is in my future, but in the meantime, it has happily inspired me to search for cheaper options today.<br />
<br />
How about you? Are you sweater dressing?<br />
<br />
do tell!<br />
<br />
xoxo wendy<br />
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WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-7174652766543072802015-10-12T11:27:00.001-03:002015-10-12T11:27:16.873-03:00Happy Thanksgiving!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
Hi all!<br />
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We are having a delightful weekend here. Dear son is home, and while he is busy beavering away at an assignment today, it is wonderful to have him home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMJpg6Hfy1szhtZc8snHNCcdDpsJ9oQZq_dmmXl2NuNzZty485fPWH87ngPlUpEdnIn8OI2InF1vYQOjvPi99nVCVto6RVBwfeoQsKk5I0InlD_deG6m8XMsiJqeyxL7FXrXZd5qnMJYI/s1600/P1050704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMJpg6Hfy1szhtZc8snHNCcdDpsJ9oQZq_dmmXl2NuNzZty485fPWH87ngPlUpEdnIn8OI2InF1vYQOjvPi99nVCVto6RVBwfeoQsKk5I0InlD_deG6m8XMsiJqeyxL7FXrXZd5qnMJYI/s400/P1050704.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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We had a delicious dinner yesterday and were pleased with one of the cousins was here to share it with us. Lots of fun!<br />
The biggest hit was a dish I actually made for my son who is vegan. It was Nigella Lawson's <a href="http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/roast-stuffed-pumpkin-with-gingery-tomato-sauce">roast stuffed pumpkin with a tomato-ginger sauce</a>. Divine!<br />
<br />
I have much to be thankful for this year. My family, good friends, my breakthrough in publishing. Most of all, I am thankful for my health and the realization that we can always learn and change. Some of those learnings are precipitated by mistakes, some by happy experiences; both are equally valuable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6_P6Gjs1fAzD0UklXU73MTeTGa78tuKCHkUl65PNg-8sm1fo8LyLKlVcIhrCw0ldxA3JxR3bWCb6-0lB5-utsMMhnx5fVWlkMX4970PZrUODv1o0fsKSV31L6kz_pGAb1GR-RaiYy5kv/s1600/P1030037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6_P6Gjs1fAzD0UklXU73MTeTGa78tuKCHkUl65PNg-8sm1fo8LyLKlVcIhrCw0ldxA3JxR3bWCb6-0lB5-utsMMhnx5fVWlkMX4970PZrUODv1o0fsKSV31L6kz_pGAb1GR-RaiYy5kv/s320/P1030037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wish all my Canadian friends a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, and for the rest of you, a peaceful Monday!<br />
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Oh and one more thing: Go Jays!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://www.sports-logos-screensavers.com/user/Toronto_Blue_Jays2012_Primary.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">down, but not out....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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xoxo Wendy</div>
WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-85529809590157229472015-10-07T18:49:00.004-03:002015-10-08T08:16:22.239-03:00The joys of travel, the perils of over-packing, and the happiness of returning home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Is there anything quite as nice as going on a trip?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_XgYR0n6k9-h_t36ozyaDBonaoiKXYWZaffDbdLvWLYhXsH5167-WvPOB1qBXpnkircZND34vlSfr1UybKGQ7QKaC3bhV5-BgoKKN6IBcWt7mw1rcyxqdNyTPDRKXtXRoAyKvvDeBS4q/s1600/notre+dame.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_XgYR0n6k9-h_t36ozyaDBonaoiKXYWZaffDbdLvWLYhXsH5167-WvPOB1qBXpnkircZND34vlSfr1UybKGQ7QKaC3bhV5-BgoKKN6IBcWt7mw1rcyxqdNyTPDRKXtXRoAyKvvDeBS4q/s400/notre+dame.png" width="300" /></a></div>
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<br />
The answer is yes: returning home! <br />
<br />
I have been back for a week and apologize profusely for not checking in earlier. <br />
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I've been busy catching up on housework, writing, exercising and generally enjoying being home again. <br />
<br />
I also had to immediately swap my summer clothing for its fall cousins; when I left on the 20th it was 24C, when I returned it was freezing! Now it seems to have settled into something in between.<br />
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I think it is hard to encapsulate a trip, and those of you who follow me on Instagram know I was a frequent picture taker (and an unabashed fan of the quality of the photos my Samsung smart phone took!). <br />
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you don't need an Instagram account to see these, just go to : <a href="https://instagram.com/wendymacknight/">https://instagram.com/wendymacknight/</a><br />
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Highlights for me?<br />
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<br />
Stopping for that first glass of rose at the St. Regis, our tradition.<br />
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<br />
Living in a Parisian neighbourhood for almost a week. <br />
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It is a completely different experience when you live in an apartment, go to the same Boulangerie each morning, the same marche, the same cafes. We stayed in the Marais arrondisement and found it absolutely delightful.<br />
<br />
Our apartment was also topknotch. We originally found it through Air B&B, but what I liked was that the property was owned by a management company that had several lovely properties. It was clean, comfortable and quiet. And oh-so-charming!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23aMt2MQ5N4NmyDU8pdF56uIKwmKr7lGDhl5p4W6oO7fcXo2SWJ1xeC5MfSHMqrtyl8A4cuZ3bipdUzu2ZkNqW1QJPDzTrfQkwkcCoM7dWG1anYZZdd4IxZBqmBVeWbxag6mfno39GxZC/s1600/alley.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23aMt2MQ5N4NmyDU8pdF56uIKwmKr7lGDhl5p4W6oO7fcXo2SWJ1xeC5MfSHMqrtyl8A4cuZ3bipdUzu2ZkNqW1QJPDzTrfQkwkcCoM7dWG1anYZZdd4IxZBqmBVeWbxag6mfno39GxZC/s200/alley.png" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view out our window into our charming Passage...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtsqnd4Yj4HyLq3xS1PJ-aoB61zVUGYq8uKNQFAWb9t6-gF7AfLSobIis7Qg5IkQCtbNU5FxzN1HvQ31vvkMciNtKceUHqinrPlR_z2mZkg8IMYY3pcpjef48bxJNo0Fw3ylULzg_0bsP/s1600/flower+shop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtsqnd4Yj4HyLq3xS1PJ-aoB61zVUGYq8uKNQFAWb9t6-gF7AfLSobIis7Qg5IkQCtbNU5FxzN1HvQ31vvkMciNtKceUHqinrPlR_z2mZkg8IMYY3pcpjef48bxJNo0Fw3ylULzg_0bsP/s200/flower+shop.png" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On more than one occasion on this trip I thought of chucking everything<br />
to move to Paris to run a flower shop!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSOWxzM0IpURgESFALJguJyJTQ_0bCpfmOF0U7UN3rgt468l9kqoOkhUUbmSMi_B8XDn6PxEmVRIG_3b8cezDmZ9mTl9VLzkyDnMKojINqGgilBBGvk-WSB1GzX97TmtsH5etHoRsuVvi/s1600/garden.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSOWxzM0IpURgESFALJguJyJTQ_0bCpfmOF0U7UN3rgt468l9kqoOkhUUbmSMi_B8XDn6PxEmVRIG_3b8cezDmZ9mTl9VLzkyDnMKojINqGgilBBGvk-WSB1GzX97TmtsH5etHoRsuVvi/s200/garden.png" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A garden in our neighbourhood</td></tr>
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<br />
A stumble-upon for us was a new restaurant right around the corner: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Le-Mazenay-1458625601110331/timeline/">Le Mazenay</a>. Only open for four weeks, the food was amazing and the server, delightful. We had planned to go another night, but tourist things detained us. Very inexpensive and very good!<br />
<br />
I also loved having lunch at Ralph Lauren's flagship store off St. Germain. It was as exquisite as it could be - food, service, atmosphere conspired to make you feel like Ralph's guest. I am sure he looked in the guest book for my name after I left...<br />
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Before we went to Ralph's we visited Ines de le Fressange's store. Charming, but way over-priced in my opinion...<br />
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We did little in the way of museums this time, but we did manage to hit the Pompidou finally. What a great space! So much to marvel at!!!<br />
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Mostly though, we walked. And walked. And walked. And then walked some more. I can happily report that those Naturalizer boots were the bomb. They saved me.<br />
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Funkiest place we visited? Deyrolles, home of all things taxidermy:<br />
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As for the rest of my packing. Sadly, I overpacked. Two of the three dresses and one skirt were never worn. It was simply freezing most evening and I had no desire to freeze my knickers! Live and learn I say....<br />
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Our shopping was somewhat limited by time, interest and money, but I did manage to find some fun shoes and boots for a cheap price that I loved, as well as a Stella Foret white silk-mohair pullover. <br />
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Next we headed to Bruges. I had driven through Belgium en route to Holland several years ago, but staying in Belgium was a treat. People were so friendly and the countryside was gorgeous! Bruges was like stepping out of the 21st century into the 15th. In fact, the hotel we stayed in, <a href="http://www.martinshotels.com/en/hotel/martins-relais-oud-huis-amsterdam/rooms">Martin's Relais</a>, was originally five merchants' houses combined and it was exquisite. <br />
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<img alt="" src="http://www.martinshotels.com/uploads/gallery/201107/hotel-gallery-big/5063-DSC_4313.jpg" /></div>
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They upgraded us to a suite at no extra charge (we did not ask for that) and our room overlooking the canal (and the swans, how I love swans) was movie-set worthy. <br />
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We walked the cobblestone streets, rode them in a horse and carriage and took a boat ride along the canals. <br />
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The food was good (though no France) and I would go there again in a heartbeat. My favourite tourist spot there was The Historium, which recreates the day in the life of a young man in 1435. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyUgqlpm3prdyKqHYlsYYn_xXMJg0LvOv-SNfcwd0AZ-3PmokjDjEI0nXuZ7eN4C3RPn_T7X5JTwaV-MbZeJxy7oraMJTeaYp27G4Fexe03Nu-UbveUl-6t7LWK5V-BHosU2SQc6xEDOr/s1600/bruges+out+the+window.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyUgqlpm3prdyKqHYlsYYn_xXMJg0LvOv-SNfcwd0AZ-3PmokjDjEI0nXuZ7eN4C3RPn_T7X5JTwaV-MbZeJxy7oraMJTeaYp27G4Fexe03Nu-UbveUl-6t7LWK5V-BHosU2SQc6xEDOr/s200/bruges+out+the+window.png" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKRoVIV4M5Vt47MJOlT39f0ZIDR60QoKUcjjIhU6hEYYt23nBCcJyyeRosNW0ac1JpziXEgSYd12MIODOjynyQoOqAi-0pfmXBTqTWGQNs25GGoSN1TWFh2LbkcOBRbAo_DjnNMfCRP6Q/s1600/bruges+sky.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKRoVIV4M5Vt47MJOlT39f0ZIDR60QoKUcjjIhU6hEYYt23nBCcJyyeRosNW0ac1JpziXEgSYd12MIODOjynyQoOqAi-0pfmXBTqTWGQNs25GGoSN1TWFh2LbkcOBRbAo_DjnNMfCRP6Q/s1600/bruges+sky.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four hundred year old homes around every corner<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyP5mNA3ue1yT1RarVQjBB1_2nu6S0HzqpiYePyavTM43OvB34k1rMFwizn27K-W5qT87Wbv-dqbZgqvXZ6FG7qol55H6mKKNlukY1LBWEY8mBm2UaLY0IVf2OHhDmRu0JhixIuQwECux/s1600/canal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyP5mNA3ue1yT1RarVQjBB1_2nu6S0HzqpiYePyavTM43OvB34k1rMFwizn27K-W5qT87Wbv-dqbZgqvXZ6FG7qol55H6mKKNlukY1LBWEY8mBm2UaLY0IVf2OHhDmRu0JhixIuQwECux/s200/canal.png" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the canals...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Carriage. <br />
We couldn't stop saying "horses, horses, horses" as we clip-clopped our way through Bruges</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvU5Tjr-Rzde8MNtJRX1BBjPGlAa9Ar6Tu7jZxnSgXMHfUPWEWwmQ9vsWLHhePjA8tOqXtoC_4wN8HkZKNXshRmQr4ajTvfLHJK2APbUjVH3lpGzYPrHX_3X_F9hSoZ-Wahg_iPTrgeJdH/s1600/merlin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvU5Tjr-Rzde8MNtJRX1BBjPGlAa9Ar6Tu7jZxnSgXMHfUPWEWwmQ9vsWLHhePjA8tOqXtoC_4wN8HkZKNXshRmQr4ajTvfLHJK2APbUjVH3lpGzYPrHX_3X_F9hSoZ-Wahg_iPTrgeJdH/s200/merlin.png" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merlin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpaYQJ0-bNxd_AjS5J1xjNcehMhDs83SBJB6iLuzezpg_y9qLaDlpfXiQgOuQ8fkzfZXud_KkwRinPpU_W-gD7Hd4HRKbSq_tajKd8WsFI_FVHgcpZCCLv_d59vWDpOz8M01CnykpdO04/s1600/swan+heaven.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpaYQJ0-bNxd_AjS5J1xjNcehMhDs83SBJB6iLuzezpg_y9qLaDlpfXiQgOuQ8fkzfZXud_KkwRinPpU_W-gD7Hd4HRKbSq_tajKd8WsFI_FVHgcpZCCLv_d59vWDpOz8M01CnykpdO04/s200/swan+heaven.png" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I expect heaven will look like Bruges, and be decorated by Ralph Lauren</td></tr>
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Back to Paris for one more night and one more hotel. Hotel Notre Dame is central, overlooking Notre Dame Cathedral, and whimsically decorated, but noisy, and the night we were there, the Brasserie below had a band, which made it difficult to sleep. So while I thought it lovely, I'd recommend this hotel only to deep and easy sleepers!<br />
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I never get tired of Paris...<br />
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Truly, it was a magical experience and a wonderful place to share our 30th wedding anniversary! We are already planning #35, which I think may be a Rhine River Cruise if we can ever get dear son through uni. Will keep you posted!!!!<br />
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How about you? Up to anything exciting?<br />
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xoxo wendy</div>
WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-85813784989861173342015-09-17T14:03:00.000-03:002015-09-17T14:03:37.865-03:00Packing for Paris (and Bruges!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As promised, thought you might be interested in what I'll be taking with me when I leave for Paris in a few days.<br />
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This was a bit challenging. There are some warm days, and cool days, at least one day of rain, and even when the days are warm my experience here is that it cools down quickly in the evening in September. <br />
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But I am always up for a challenge and am very happy with my choices!<br />
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Colour stories are sensible for trips and mine is mostly navy, creams and green. <br />
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First up: jackets.<br />
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I am taking two jackets: a lightweight navy anorak with hood and my old H&M fatigue jacket.<br />
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Can you bring too many t-shirts on a trip? T-shirts take up no space and they are wonderfully comfortable, able to be dressed up and down. I'm bringing whites and navies, one navy sequin tank, a pale grey and a striped t-shirt.<br />
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I like pant options. I have a pair of fancy green lace pants for dressing up, a pair each of navy and black cigarette pants, comfy jeans that end at the ankle and one full-length pair in case it gets cool in Bruges as threatened.<br />
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Dresses/Skirts<br />
<br />
All very lightweight. A knit maxi dress, a short dress, an Eileen Fisher black jersey dress and my gold knit skirt.<br />
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<br />
On silk broderie tunic blouse:<br />
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<br />
Sweater: navy cashmere cardigan for the plane (layer, layer, layer on the plane I say - I am always freezing in the middle of the night!), a creamy pullover, a green cardigan and a lightweight flax sweater set from J Crew that I bought on sale months ago.<br />
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As for accessories, I am bringing three pair of fun earrings and some inexpensive bracelets<br />
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Three scarves: a chambray one, an iridescent green one (hard to tell from the picture) and a heavy black one that will double as my blanket on the plane:<br />
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Given the latest weather forecast, I am iffy on taking walking sandals. I do need some bling, so I will pack these oldies, but goodies:<br />
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I will have knit gloves, a little knit beanie and an umbrella with me as well. For the plane I am bringing cozy socks and slippers to change into (and the cutest blackout mask):<br />
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<br />
Basically, nothing over the top, and all things that can roll to become very small. I will need room in my suitcase for gifts! <br />
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I reserve the right for last minute substitutions, but I hope they are few!<br />
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I will be posting pictures and stories on Instagram and Facebook, so by all means, follow along!<br />
Talk to you as soon as we are back! Am I missing anything?<br />
<br />
xoxo wendy<br />
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</div>
WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-59752738116093271772015-09-08T08:56:00.000-03:002015-09-08T08:56:56.808-03:00Feng Shui and Feet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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And not necessarily in that order!<br />
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There is something about the end of summer that makes us want to get our house in order, literally and figuratively.<br />
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I recently redid my office layout, because I was facing a corner. If I turned left, I could also see the trees, but it was always disconcerting when someone walked into my office!<br />
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In Feng Shui, our office desks are supposed to be situated so that we are facing the door. Our spaces should be clear of clutter as well, since that is supposed to help the energy flow. My desk was cluttered and even had my black beast of a printer on it, so I was always struggling for a spot to set out my papers.<br />
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I love how I've rearranged everything and I can tell you it is pure bliss to work in here now!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocCXfvXijq76aB7XUNiHvwiwAySohYf6KrgdWmh4L21VQWolhAA0Nlcamb_ABZn28fKEyIk0yrdFca92f3rMmbTIwvS3BIkQQCOjuF6PXT6LhVxFlbxrsR4aX7OSUlzMsLTsWKQW4GZSY/s1600/P1060506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocCXfvXijq76aB7XUNiHvwiwAySohYf6KrgdWmh4L21VQWolhAA0Nlcamb_ABZn28fKEyIk0yrdFca92f3rMmbTIwvS3BIkQQCOjuF6PXT6LhVxFlbxrsR4aX7OSUlzMsLTsWKQW4GZSY/s400/P1060506.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love that early morning sun!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SVRkb7JoO_7JnoOVDrY2v99lqfR9l0Ttyl-0BQQObvVOC9eMShZpmsQBXSW59-0MEsDC8RrL-rCwSe7WCdreOetl67o_PcRnahPOQg7pV0cRhBj0veWMWgYOGYpYD9dlIrvc2VKgh1fL/s1600/P1060507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SVRkb7JoO_7JnoOVDrY2v99lqfR9l0Ttyl-0BQQObvVOC9eMShZpmsQBXSW59-0MEsDC8RrL-rCwSe7WCdreOetl67o_PcRnahPOQg7pV0cRhBj0veWMWgYOGYpYD9dlIrvc2VKgh1fL/s320/P1060507.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And a bouquet of fresh flowers, along with other plants, makes the space<br />
more enjoyable<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I added a small bookcase in here for my everyday writing books<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyklI5pM1eUdB7olRLLbph0V7s_74ALl6czx3Ja58LzAA1IzYA4PCUZ-TWDMqhui0MD7cBfljnd2D8o3ZoowZIucUEasp-U8HeVRu8HQjeNEdPCnH3ErB1LiTqPWTgEqte28Hwyp2NjgL/s1600/P1060511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyklI5pM1eUdB7olRLLbph0V7s_74ALl6czx3Ja58LzAA1IzYA4PCUZ-TWDMqhui0MD7cBfljnd2D8o3ZoowZIucUEasp-U8HeVRu8HQjeNEdPCnH3ErB1LiTqPWTgEqte28Hwyp2NjgL/s400/P1060511.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now when I sit here, this is what I see...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXMx24OyqSdXkRJy_bA2DJCY64gEqwBdmC4DhNjzfG6jW3uvQHsTl5fJVsGlfY4Jiu0xPcVg-N84Glkp-lcTOT84as5XNilxiCvOqtjVhrcAJDV1Qcqhdy5-ab6CqZzgAn-C7XxVIqjl9/s1600/P1060513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXMx24OyqSdXkRJy_bA2DJCY64gEqwBdmC4DhNjzfG6jW3uvQHsTl5fJVsGlfY4Jiu0xPcVg-N84Glkp-lcTOT84as5XNilxiCvOqtjVhrcAJDV1Qcqhdy5-ab6CqZzgAn-C7XxVIqjl9/s400/P1060513.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A clear space is a thing of beauty...</td></tr>
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I am also in the throes of preparing for my trip to Paris. Wait, that's not entirely true. I haven't thought a whit about the trip yet (except for reservations made months ago), but I have been obsessed with my feet.<br />
<br />
I love to walk. But my poor flat feet are wretched walkers, and many the trip has been marred by not wearing the correct footwear.<br />
<br />
I am taking 3 pairs of shoes on the trip: a pair of walking sandals, a pair of ballet flats, and a pair of flat boots for late evenings and in case the weather is colder up in Belgium.<br />
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The challenge with walking shoes is that they tend to be butt ugly. My search took me all over the city for the flat boots, since I already owned the first two items. No way was I ordering online - the Canadian dollar is wretched and returns are a pain!<br />
<br />
My footwear on the trip?<br />
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Taos walking sandals. So comfortable!<br />
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Naturalizer N5 ballet flats. Again - you feel like you are wearing slippers.<br />
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<br />
Naturalizer cycle N5 low black boots. These are really comfy and I would wear these with a couple of knit midi dresses in addition to pants.<br />
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<br />
Now that I have my feet sorted out, everything else is gravy. <br />
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How about you? How are your feet holding up these days? Anyone else use Feng Shui in their home?<br />
<br />
xoxo wendy<br />
</div>
WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-35491946483045765942015-09-01T13:39:00.001-03:002015-09-01T13:39:41.044-03:00Thank God for Fine French Restaurants, Empire TV Series, but most of all, Thank God for Cookie!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
Son is gone now till Thanksgiving and it sucked much more than even I thought it would. Such is life I guess...<br />
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However, Montreal was a delight and Saturday night we stumbled upon the most amazing French restaurant very close to son's residence: Chez la mere Michel on Rue Guy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="357" src="http://img.src.ca/2014/10/16/635x357/141016_rp9s3_restaurant-chez-la-mere-michel_sn635.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="635" /></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="© Chez la Mère Michel - Chez la Mère Michel" name="SlideShow2" src="http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/TMImages/04800-04899/04814/chez-la-mere-michel.jpg" title="© Chez la Mère Michel - Chez la Mère Michel" /></div>
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Really, it was like stepping into a piece of Provence. Authentic cuisine, attentive and experienced wait staff with tons of stories. (our server, Marc, has worked there for 30 years and is originally from France).<br />
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<br />
I ordered duck (as I am wont to do) and the boys ordered guinea fowl. All was wonderful and happily washed down with a lovely bottle of wine!<br />
<br /><br />
An enjoyable meal and I highly recommend this restaurant! It made me excited to go to Paris!<br />
<br />
*******************<br />
<br />
When I arrived home, I was seriously homesick for my boy. As luck would have it, my daughter had signed us up for Shomi and I have been catching up on season 1 of Empire.<br />
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<img height="224" src="http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/empiretvshow/images/b/b8/Empire_intertitle.png/revision/latest?cb=20150127170538" width="400" /></div>
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<br />
I'm obsessed I tell you, OBSESSED!<br />
<br />
and mostly I am obsessed with Cookie:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No one glares like Cookie - no one....</td></tr>
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<br />
I will have binge-watched it all by the time the new season begins in a few weeks. <br />
<br />
From one mother to another: thank you Cookie. You did me a solid!<br />
<br />
How have you all been?<br />
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WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8140814948262466589.post-80929442230968614372015-08-21T13:12:00.000-03:002015-08-21T13:12:16.027-03:00My work is almost done....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This post is for you parents out there, or for people who once left home themselves....<br />
<br />
My littlest bird is leaving the nest next week.<br />
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<br />
This seems impossible to me, despite the fact that he has been over a foot taller than me for almost a decade.<br />
<br />
There are boxes everywhere; lists of things to be packed, decisions to be made.<br />
<br />
He is packing his movies. If there is one gift we have given him (besides love, security and almost every <em>Lord of the Rings</em> action figure) it is his love of movies. <br />
<br />
We started early and by four he was obsessed with movies and not just in the regular way - he was watching ALL of the special features over and over again, studying choices made by the filmmaker, the actor, the writer. His tastes have gone past my own, his knowledge, except for 1930s and 1940s films, far exceeds my own. Fitting that he leaves to study film at university. Fitting he tried to steal some of my Humphrey Bogart movies.<br />
<br />
Really, we have had it good. Except for costing us an arm and leg, he has never caused us any trouble. This is largely, I suspect, because he robbed us of sleep for the first three years of his life and he was, to put it kindly, willful.<br />
<br />
There has always been four of us (and often five with the lovely girlfriend). Three will seem odd. And with the third person planning their own imminent departure in the coming months, Two seems well, downright odd.<br />
<br />
I worked all through his childhood. I thought that somehow that would make me immune, that somehow I could dodge the empty nest syndrome with my busy life, or my newest baby, the book that will be published next year.<br />
<br />
I was wrong.<br />
<br />
So next week we will jam the car full of 8 months of belongings. We will drive 9 hours and leave him with a bunch of strangers. He will be happy and fine. <br />
<br />
I will be happy and fine.<br />
<br />
But a chapter is closing. <br />
<br />
He is who he is. Some of that I had a part in, most of that belongs to him and to his peers and to the universe.<br />
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<br />
I think I have shared this before, but it always makes me laugh at the tragedy of life:<br />
<br />
<em>Men love women</em><br />
<em>women love children</em><br />
<em>children love dogs</em><br />
<br />
Once upon a time, I walked out of my parent's home with nary a look behind, hell-bent to see the world and live my life on my own terms. I look back now and think "couldn't you at least have said thank-you?" (I did, but not properly until their deathbeds I don't think).<br />
<br />
There are no things left unsaid with this fellow who is leaving me. I do not begrudge him his freedom. And really, we are all ready for him to go. <br />
<br />
But there is a boy who is forever a baby who is still as alive to me as this 20-year old who will move away next week. It happens in a blink of an eye. I thought I was prepared, I thought I had done enough and now I discover that I forgot to make sure he could play the piano, balance spreadsheets, cook a chicken (oh wait, he's vegetarian), build a house, identify animal tracks, whatever. <br />
<br />
There was never enough time for it all, was there? There never could be.<br />
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But he is loved. And in the end, that is enough.<br />
<br />
xoxo wendy<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwevLyD3YiHnGS_QbbS2tHDJNFfzubRC_obr4mGqYko_qSFcigPrjhEZ5s9JcM-OChRyKDRAVV_xVugcvMJPLzyk8i3lsF6chHgP7egmNZY3xIALq7tQuEy3_SxM-RA9XjGWXcXvvAExNT/s1600/P1000343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwevLyD3YiHnGS_QbbS2tHDJNFfzubRC_obr4mGqYko_qSFcigPrjhEZ5s9JcM-OChRyKDRAVV_xVugcvMJPLzyk8i3lsF6chHgP7egmNZY3xIALq7tQuEy3_SxM-RA9XjGWXcXvvAExNT/s400/P1000343.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we'll always have Paris....<br />
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WendyMcLeodMacKnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04830981147524921562noreply@blogger.com11