Trade Slave

Yesterday, as I got dressed in no particular rush and chose whatever

I wanted to wear sans restrictions, a deep wave of content washed

over me. I love my job. These four little words are rarely put together

in a sentence and even more rare is the utterance of this sentence.

Despite its rarity, loving your job, or at least being somewhat content,

is paramount to our everyday happiness (and I don't necessarily mean

happiness in the form of jumping up and down in glee thinking about

work. I simply mean not dreading and regretting each day). I never

take the fact that I enjoy my job for granted, years of terrible part-time

jobs make sure that I don't. 

I'm happy to no longer be forced to sell a puppy to a woman who asks,

"And what do dogs eat and drink?" as she searches her purse for her

wallet. If you are unaware of that animal's requirements, it really should

not be bought on a whim. Everything you've heard about pet stores are

true (I've worked at several). We've received puppies and kittens taken

from their mothers way too soon and they're placed in the back until

they are old enough to be sold (two months). Ever wonder what's

happening behind the scenes at your favourite restaurant?  You'd

probably be better off not knowing....it's a place of social politics

and where sexual harassment runs rampant. I've had a woman flash

me her private parts and I know of people who have rubbed their

privates on kitchen utensils. Things dropped on the dirty floor?

 Fair game. Please remember: I am only the messenger! I've

worked at both low and high end restaurants. The only difference

between the two: the nicer the restaurant, the better clothes

the managers wear.Older men have offered my 15 year old self

 private driving lessons in the boonies and women have called my 

23 year old self "a dumb teenage bitch." You can see it's a world I

wanted desperately wanted out of!

Thankfully, I don't have to deal with those things anymore! That doesn't

mean it's always smooth sailing, but no more verbal assault and

cleaning up poop that somehow ended up on the washroom stall door.

If you are suffering from explosive diarrhea, please, stay home, don't

make some poor part-time sucker, probably a student, clean up after

you. For those of you who don't know what I do to pay the bills, I type

court transcripts and I absolutely love it. It's a job where there's always

room for growth, it never ceases to teach me something new, I get to

make my own hours, and most relevant to this blog: I get to wear what

ever I want. No work wardrobe pour moi! How about yourself? Have you

found enjoyment in the work that you do or are you still searching?

Outfit:

Thrifted // Beret

Thrifted // Cardigan

Thrifted // Scarf

DIY // Jewelry

Thrifted // Dress

Thrifted // Belt

Thrifted // Boots

Thrifted // Leg Warmers

Thrifted // Bag

DIY: Mini Bottle Necklace

One downside (among many) to thrifting is that sometimes you're just

out of luck and you can't find what you're looking for. This happens to

me a lot with jewelry. Often what I find is tacky, old (and not in a oh,

what a pretty vintage piece kind of way), or it's broken. Luckily for

me, I am drawn to jewelry that is simple, whimsical, and earthy,

all of which can be achieved with uncomplicated materials!

This DIY doesn't really need instructions, I didn't have any to go off of

myself. I went with this plant because the fluffs remind me of dandelion

seeds. I used the Krazy Glue to make sure the cork doesn't come

out. And now I have a little bottle of dandelion wishes! I've got three

more bottles to adorn and share, so stay tuned for those!

Supplies:

Michael's // Mini Glass Bottle

Screw Eye

Krazy Glue 

Some fluffy plant I had 

(surprisingly, it is still alive...)

Punta a las Dia

Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world; indeed, it is
the only thing that ever has.
    Margaret Mead

You know you're Canadian when it's -20, you look outside and you say, "What

a wonderful day for snowshoeing!"  That whole crazy Canuck nickname is

completely warranted.  Although I really do dislike winter, it is undeniably a

beautiful time of year.  It's the only time you can stand still and be surrounded

by dead silence. No birds chirping. No leaves rustling. Nothing but the sound

of your own breathing. It's an unforgiving place. You are not the ruler, but

the subject here. And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else! 

I find I need outings such as this. I care for these darn trees and sometimes

living downtown in a city I forget how wonderful nature is and how important

it is to preserve it all. I'm way beyond thinking recycling is a sufficient enough

action, but there's always room for improvement. Every so often I will add to

my list little pledges that help the environment. A few that I have already

committed to are: buying only used books and not buying magazines, about

80% of our things are second hand, never ever use plastic water bottles, use

energy efficient light bulbs, I have fast food about once a year (and it's icky),

I've looked for jobs that use the least amount of transportation (I work from

home at the moment), I cut my own hair, don't dye it, and I most often air

dry it, etc.....But like I said, there's always room for improvement. I've started

thinking about taking the extra step. Our landfills are out of control.  

 I truly mean it when I say it is darn near impossible to buy things

that have not been made in China. Why are we still using dirty coal? Why

are we and the animals we raise for food eating so much of some form

of corn? When did spend, don't mend become the unspoken mantra?

A nation needs to tap its resources (whether it be nickle, gold, etc.) in a

manner that does not destroy the land making it an unlivable wasteland.

I apologize for getting heavy here, but things need to change and

we all have the power to make it happen, never underestimate it!

Outfit:

GAP (Gift) // Down Vest

GAP (Gift) // Scarf

American Eagle // Wool Sweater

Thrifted // Long sleeve shirt

Sorrel // Joan of Arctic Boots

Thrifted // Leg Warmers