A Merry Update

Long Time No Chat, and yet, so much to tell!


First:  My bloody laptop has been acting up, which is something you don't want to have happen when you are writing a book.  I think (!) all is well now.  We will see!
Last Friday night, a bunch of us hit a BeeGees/Abba Tribute concert.  I could tell you how much I adore the BeeGees, how they have a special place in my heart, how Maurice and Robin are forever missed, as are white suits, but my words would be pale imitations of the feelings I express on the dance floor.

Yes, I was Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah Stayin' Alive!  This the grade 9 in me coming out and I have no shame whatsoever about it!

 

 

Moving on...

 

Don't you hate it when you spend money on things you get no visual benefit from?  We recently had a leak in our roof.  The leak caused problems with the insulation over the kitchen.  The repairs cost about $1500.  I believe they put insulation up there, I mean, they brought in a long hose and men wore suits that looked remarkably like the sperm in Woody Allen's movie Sleeper, but one can never be sure, especially me, as I refuse to look in that attic.

 

 

 

 

It's kind of like when we spent $10,000 to redo our septic field.  The only people who found it rewarding was ourselves; everyone else just sort of assumes people can flush the toilet...

 

We have begun our Christmas decorating!  The tree went up last night, and for the first time in many years, I added tinsel.  A tinsel-less tree is considered more tasteful I know, more au natural, as are fairy lights and matching balls.  But my Christmas is not really tasteful in any way except that I am a loving person, so what the hell, I tinselled up!

 

A smaller tree than usual due to its new home; I actually left maybe a hundred ornaments off.
Really, I should be living larger!
By the way - the tree has a dowager's hump.  Is that good luck?
 

 

The homemade ones make me smile!
 

Paddington, bought by yours truly when she was16.
Am I going to the movie when it opens?  Does a bear...
 

Tweedledee and Tweedledum.  Bought in Oxford, England in '08.
Don't you love buying ornaments when you travel?
 

Dobby from Harry Potter
Just because. 
There is quite an assortment of different ones like this
as the kids get a new ornament every season
 

 

I also decorated my newly painted chandelier and I tell you, these decorations are never coming down!

 

 

 

I am late planting my paper whites.  Thank goodness a friend brought me an Amaryllis a couple of weeks ago and it is gorgeous!

It is always 5:18 here.  That makes it cocktail hour, right?
 

I am draping myself appropriately in sparkle.  The silver sweater below is a $35 treat from H&M.  I Love it!

 

Oh... Sparkle....

 

Are you doing any baking yet?  My daughter made these chocolate crinkles, the recipe for which can be found in the December issue of Cooks Illustrated, a magazine my good friend Martine has introduced me to.  I recommend changing the espresso powder to decaf coffee.  Just sayin'... Last time she made them I was up two nights in a room.  What?  I was supposed to eat 3 at a go?  Huh!

 

Crackling goodness....

 

 

Did I mention I made pork belly a couple of months ago?  Likely not, because it was wretched.  So different than what I ate at Chateau Lake Louise... sigh....

 

To end this post on a happy note, I leave you with one of our new favourite ornaments, made by my daughter last Christmas (she is 22 mind you):

 

 

 

Merry Christmas Gary Busey!
If you don't know who Gary is, by all means do a YouTube search.
We love Gary and all his gloriousness here chez Wendy's!

 

More to come lovelies....

 

xoxo wendy



Matchbook Magazine and BOOKS!

I am sharing this, though I know I am always the last one to learn of things, so you may already know about it!

Thanks to my love of Jessica Goranson's style (and the fact that I follow her on Instagram), I read this morning that her store, Holiday, was being featured in this month's issue of Matchbook Magazine.

"What the hey?" I asked myself, as I am want to do at 6:00 am before the first cafe au lait...

Well whaddayaknow?

This little online magazine has been around since 2012.

Since I've been around since 1963, I was surprised I had yet to trip over it on the web.  It never ceases to amaze me how big the web is, especially since I mainly read the news, visit some bloggy friends, and some writer sites and that's it.  I am obviously not the adventurous type!


Sub-titled A Field Guide to a Charmed Life, the magazine reminds me of Lonny and other online incarnations, but is quite delightful!

There are daily updates between issues.  One that has intrigued me called On is about what's on someone's On My Bookshelf.  Hmmm - I may steal this for my own blog!

I am always squinting when I see someone's bookshelf, wondering what they like to read and what they like to keep!

As a lover and keeper of books, this borders on voyeuristic, if truth be told.

And speaking of books, I am sorry I have been quiet of late.  I was working on edits, and trying to complete NaNoWriMo, which I can happily say I achieved, having written 58,000 words in 28 days, the equivalent of a first draft.  I dread reading it later, but that's for another day!

In the meantime, I am reading three books right now:

Wolf Hall, which I have owned for 2 years and am just now getting to.  Sigh.  GSL, put the wind in my sails and good for him, as this is amazing!

The Magician's Elephant, a wonderful children's book

And The Organized Mind.  This is a tougher slog, but interesting.

As someone who doesn't have an organized mind, this is a challenge!

I also read the book Dani recommended:

This one (well they all do really) deserves its own post, but I believe Dani is doing one, so will leave it to her!  I have not begun the process yet - I think December, unless you are moving and unpacking like our Dani is - is not a good time to undertake yet another thing.  

I will say one thing - Marie Kondo thinks I won't have many books when that's done.  I say: NO.WAY.IN.HELL.MARIE.

But I may be wrong.  But since nothing delights me more than books, I remain skeptical.  However, perhaps I won't have 1000+ books at the end...  That might not be a bad thing... ;-)

Another snowstorm today and I am off to do more revisions!  Have the most loveliest of wednesdays and take care of yourselves!  More to come!

xoxo wendy

Wendy's Christmas Gift Guide for those for whom money is an object!

Taking a cue from my friend Tabs' recent Christmas list, I decided to take pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and share a list of things that I think would be fabulous to find under the tree* this holiday!

* editorial aside - this list is no hint to Barry.  I have already given him a list.  Be prepared, I say!

And since there are so many high end lists (Gwynnie will likely have hers up soon), I felt it might be fun to share what I consider to be um, more moderately priced gifts.

Unlike other gift lists, which categorize "things for her" "things for the pet", this list is best described as "things for yourself because dammit, you're worth it!"


1) The Book I want most for Christmas:

I have a serious girl crush on Lisa Borgnes Giramonti.  I discovered her blog, A Bloomsbury Life, several years ago and I have "be invited to Lisa's for supper" on my bucket list.  (she probably has "get a restraining order against Wendy" on hers).  She is fountain of amazing book, art and travel advice and her annual list of books to give or get is a must-read for me.

So you can imagine my excitement when she announced that she'd have a book coming out this fall.

And given that she is such a talented, interesting woman, I have no doubt this book is going to be divine!

Read the description:

For those who have ever lost themselves in the stylish worlds of novels like Sense and Sensibility, The Age of Innocence, Wuthering Heights, The Picture of Dorian Gray and countless others, this design book embraces the fantasy of time and place, showing you how to bring some of those elements into your own home.

Lisa Giramonti inspires a new approach to decorating: by teaching us through the lens of worlds we may already know and love. With gorgeous photographs by World of Interiors photographer Ivan Terestchenko, aspirational quotes, and tailored reading lists, Novel Interiors reveals the essence and details of interiors mentioned in great literary works. This is a stunning, photo-driven book that shares enchanting and timeless ways to live more elegantly.

I mean seriously, doesn't that sound amazing???  I see me, champagne, and chocolates all curled up together on Christmas afternoon with this book!

2) A cookbook

I was going to ask for the amazing A Kitchen in France for Christmas, but I know I can't wait that long!

I follow Mimi's blog, Manger, and always getting good ideas.  When I skimmed through this book at Chapters I was drooling.  

So because I can't wait, this is the cookbook I want to see under the tree this Christmas:

I adore Stanley Tucci.  Those of you who love movies about cooking will recall the eponymous Big Night, about the making of an italian feast.  Tucci wrote a cookbook after that movie that was full of family stories.

Now he is back, along with his new wife, Felicity Blunt (Emily's sister) serving a wonderful cookbook of family favourites.  Some of you may recall that Stanley's wife died tragically of cancer several years ago and he happily remarried this past year.  I like a happy ending, I like Stanley and I KNOW Stanley can cook, so I am all over this cookbook.  I always need new recipes for when y'all drop over.

3) Things you didn't know you needed until I told you about them...

Last year I left it too long to talk about the Unemployed Philosopher's Guild.  I won't make that mistake twice.

Because they have come out with the niftiest things that we MUST have!!!!

There is nothing so lovely as lighting a candle and having a meditative moment.  Ah, you say, but some of us do not believe in God, Buddha, Mohammed (insert your own God here), some of us believe in other powers.  Well folks, the Guild has you covered with their secular saint collection!!!






Virginia Woolf, Einstein!  Frida!  Noam Chomsky!  Freud! Vonnegut!  Think of the inspiration you will find as you channel your own secular saint!

How about Betty Frieden? Darwin?




They're all just waiting to impart their wisdom!

You know I adore their finger puppets!  My new favorites include Sylvia Plath, Rosa Parks and Andy Warhol:







And how about the original Calvin and Hobbes, available on a T-shirt?

4) Things to play with on Christmas Day

Sure, you are serious 364 days of the year, but a game or something of the same ilk is always a fun thing for Christmas afternoon.

How about table top tennis before you set the table for the big feast?

Get yours here

 or Rock em Sock em Robots?

My personal favourite is always a racing set.  A crowd pleaser!

5) Pretty things for Pretty girls

Because I am obsessed with cosmetics (the part of me who loves to play with pretty things, including myself!), how about something inexpensive but a good time?

Too Faced's Beauty Wishes and Kisses

or Under the mistletoe:

Or Urban Decay's Naked on the Run?

Or Pixie's Fairy Dust?

I have the silver and I adore it!

6) Happiness

And finally, because this is my blog after all, I would like us all to be able to buy a little peace:

An eclectic list for sure, but nothing fancy nor expensive.  Just a whole lot of fun!!!!

Hope this has given you a few ideas for your list!  HoHoHo!

xoxo wendy

Jenna Lyons at Solange Knowles wedding...

First I thought nothing could be cooler than Solange...

Barry and I will ride bikes when we renew our vows someday.  Show that cleavage now, Solange!
Thirty years in it will be much lower, trust me...

This one made me scared, like they were fembots or something....Or like those bad vampires in Twilight...

see?

see?

Then I saw Jenna's outfit (you can read all about it here)

I mean seriously, Jenna, seriously.  Damn!  You are amazing.  I don't think I could love you any more than I do right now...

Note to self:  be braver when you dress, Wendy, be braver....

xoxo