nothing but light.

{image via}

i look at you and see all the ways a soul can bruise,

and i wish i could sink my hands into your flesh

and light lanterns along your spine

so you know

that there’s nothing but light when i see you.

--shinji moon.

atlas genius: trojans.

the first time i heard this song i shazamed the shit out of it and haven't stopped listening to it since.

it just makes me so happy. and dance. it makes me dance. a lot.

my bar cart is going to make me an alcoholic.

i had been on the lookout for a bar cart for the last good year, so when sheena, a friend at work mentioned she had one in her scary basement that she was going to sell, i jumped on that shit lickity split. i knew it was brass, vintage, and if sheena liked it, it was probably perfect. oh, and she wanted $20 bucks for it, so it could have been covered in turds and i still would have been interested. i picked it up from her house that day, and checked it out in my rearview mirror the entire way home, like i had ryan gosling naked in my back seat reciting lines from 'the notebook' to me. truth is, i love this thing so much, i would take the cart over ryan. but seriously.

i got it home, squeaky clean and set up by the time paul was home from work, and cannot even begin to explain the joy this thing brings to me -- i realize how mental that sounds, but honestly, it's like a beautiful little miracle, that sits in the corner of my dining room, and puts a stupid smile on my face each and every time i (make a point) to walk past it. it's the perfect size, suits the style of our home like a dream, and is actually a functional item, as opposed to the plethora of shit i hoard collect and display purely based on aesthetics.

i have arranged and rearranged it about 346 times in the last week, and was finally satisfied enough to have a photo shoot and share it. i found a few blogs with handy tips/bar cart etiquette on properly stocking & styling your cart (i know, who knew there was such a thing), and found it really useful when choosing what is and isn't a necessity on the cart at all times. basically, you want:

-- a few of each style glass you use most: rocks, martini, wine, highball and shot glasses are classic.

-- bar tools, napkins & straws.

-- a few decorative pieces: i like the look of classic red carnations & a beautiful bar book.

-- accoutrements: simple syrups, mixes, lemons, limes & other fruit you use often.

-- and the best for last, booze: i chose staples like vodka, scotch, rum, wine, and liqueurs.

i'm confident i'm borderline alcoholic considering the amount of time i spend around this thing, and it's inspired me to bring home unique bottles of booze and try new cocktails. bottoms up.

ps-if you grew up spending your days with italian grandparents, you know how amazing brio/mio is. if you don't know
what i'm talking about, or haven't had it in a million years, get the fuck on that. shit's so good.

new years: cigars, fringe, red lips & "the stache".

new years eve: a time to reflect, a time to appreciate, and the perfect excuse to get fucked up with your favourite people, this year was no exception to the rule. one of my closest friends and favourite red head laura, invited a group of us to her home for a 20's themed murder mystery party, and i'm telling you, this girl pulled out all the stops. featuring a delicious meal of homemade pierogies (which three of us made a few days before the party, laura's babcia would be so proud), lots of snacks a few sambuca shots for good measure, 

everyone was assigned a character and came in costume.

the room was chock-a-block with fringed dresses, strands of pearls, fedoras, cigars and the most incredible "stache" gracing the face of our honourable "mayor biggs", we schmoozed and boozed until the lights went out, a gun was fired and my sweet fiancé "nicky" was whacked by dinner. the rest of the meal was spent trying to figure out who was in cahoots with who, and which one of us was responsible for killing off the biggest mob boss in town (that's my man!). by the time the murderer was revealed we were feelin' good and the rest of the night was how i suspect most parties of the 20's panned out -- lots of fun and even more laughs, it was the perfect way to 

peace out 2012 and take 2013 by the cojones.

goals: making 2013 count.

as i have shared in the past, i am a giant nerd fan of list and goal writing -- needless to say, this time of year always makes me really happy. i think about what kind of resolutions i want to make in the days leading up to new years eve, so i have them prepared in my mind and can start working on them as quickly after midnight as possible, which normally isn't that quickly after, as i'm usually focused on not barfing my brains out. however the thing about resolutions, is how they sometimes have a way of getting away from you; either you make a goal that's just too ambitious to complete at that certain time in your life, or you make too many goals in the hopes that by the end of the year you maybe managed to stick to at least one, which is why this time around, i am holding myself accountable 
for only 3 simple, easy goals.

1. read more : honestly this goal is embarrassing for me to have on the list, let alone make it #1. i'm not saying i don't read, i have a list of about 12 blogs i visit on a daily basis, and read a lot online, however i read one. whole. book. from start to finish in 2012, and i hardly consider jenna jameson's biography "how to make love like a porn star" (which was given to me by paulie on our first anniversary as it's "technically a paper gift you know"), a life altering read. it was an entertaining guilty pleasure, nothing more, nothing less. this year i plan to knock off some of the classics, and get the books i already have stacked on my nightstand done and done.

2. take better care of my skin : pretty self explanatory, i am at the point in my life where i can't neglect or take for granted what i have gotten away with in the past. i have always done the bare minimum when it comes to using sunscreen and daily routines, but i know the significant difference a little bit of work can make. if all i do this year is apply sunscreen to my face each day, and drink more water, it will be more than i did for myself last year.

3. try something new each month : my good friend jules did this a few years ago, and i was so inspired by it, i adopted it as one of my biggest resolutions for 2013. something as simple as trying a new ethnic food, or learning a new craft, is an easy way for me to not only have fresh experiences, but also learn to be more open minded. i'm not going to write a list of each thing to try or do, but plan to be aware of opportunities when they present themselves and take a leap of faith (big or small) when they do.

*not listed but goes without saying, sort my career out and take the first steps into making it happen. oh, and stay away from paul's penis -- i'm confident it's his new year's resolution to get me knocked up.