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23 Things I Learned In My 23rd Year

December is always a reflective month. The days get colder and shorter. The sun starts to set by 4pm when I am barely finished with class. The dark opens up questions that are easier to ignore in the sun and daylight. Another year is passing by quickly. It is my birth month.

When everything starts to turn to ice, I am reflecting more and more.

1. Live music is something important; something of a last salvation. 
2. There are really good men in the world. 
3. But it still may not work out, and that's no one's fault. 
4. It is better to invest in key pieces than it is to spend a little on a lot. 
5. Travel is important, but coming home is necessary. 
6. You will always have a home. 
7. You are entitled to nothing. You will always have to work hard, and then harder. 
8. Hold your body like something precious. 
9. You have a bigger impact on people than you realize. 
10. People see you as kind and sweet even if you do not understand why. 
11. Podcasts help make long bus rides go by much quicker. 
12. You have to end up on the west coast. You love the west coast.
13. Dancing can be a lot of fun. You have to remember to have fun and laugh.
14. I'll never have a real relationship with my sister.
15. You've changed. That's a difficult thing to do, to let happen. Honour it. 
16. Spending time alone to really love myself, is so so important. 
17. You choose people and don't, just as often as they do and do not choose you. 
18. Yoga is an important aspect of your life. Practicing is a good thing in your life. 
19. You're still the awkward child, but you're OK. 
20. In this life, you will lose yourself and find yourself constantly. 
21. You are not hard to love. 
22. You have to take better care of yourself. Your body will never heal fully. 
23. You will gain people and lose people. This is not something you will ever be able to control. 

November Favourites

Mad Men - In October, we had a strike that lasted far too many weeks. A couple days into the strike, I was informed by a classmate that Mad Men had returned to Netflix. I've seen Mad Men in the past because of its styling and wardrobe, but now it has me hooked for entirely different reasons. The dynamic characters, the social issues, the ad culture. The fictional agency of Sterling & Cooper does a great job at showing what ad agencies are like (and namedrops a lot of the original greats). Super interesting, super informative. Still super beautiful to watch - both in wardrobe styling and in cinematography. It's easy to understand why it won so many awards.

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream - This is a very expensive product. The plus is that you don't use a lot of it at once, and it works. My skin is likely my biggest insecurity. Lupus paired with rosacea leaves my skin so, so damaged. Not only is my skin inflamed but it is also dry and puffy. I have used products from high and low to try to fix and regulate my skin. This works. The gimmick is that tigers used to roll around in this grass (tiger grass) to heal their wounds. It is a very thick cream that I have to be very careful balancing because just as likely as it is to help with the dryness on my cheeks, it can cause breakouts on my T-zone. I am happy with it for the most part. It's a favourite.

The Ordinary line by The Abnormal Beauty Company - I see this company showing up on more and more bloggers' recommendations. I've only been using them in the past few months off some recommendations from friends and Into The Gloss. Currently, I have about four The Ordinary dropper bottles sitting around my room. The thing about The Ordinary is that it does high-quality serums and oils for a very affordable price. If I remember correctly most of the products are under $20, and these same products are much, much more expensive elsewhere.

Amongst my collection, I have: 100% Cold-Pressed Virgin Marula Oil, Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2% and Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%.

Communication Arts Advertising Annuals - So back in September, I started an advertising copywriting program at Humber College's School of Media. We're told to really dive into the advertising culture and see what that's all about. To do this, we should go through annuals and see what award-winning work looks like, what the mindset is. I've been through some of my professor's annuals, but I love Communication Arts. I picked it up at an art-focused bookshop. I find their selection of ads to be great, the articles helpful and insightful. The price point is also not bad for an annual since some of them can be upwards of a hundred.

Swipe Art + Design - Speaking of Communication Arts, I picked up my copies at Swipe. The shop is the official bookstore of the Art & Design Club of Canada. It is beautiful. Every time I go in, I want to buy everything. I can't because most art and design books are expensive, but the dream is a coffee table and a shelf stacked with books found at Swipe. Really, it's all art and design books. A space in my head looks like Swipe.

AGO membership - At the beginning of the month, I saw my friend Tara who ended up convincing me to get a membership at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Membership is $45 for students, and this includes entry to the gallery and many of its special exhibits. We went to see the del Toro exhibit specifically. Although art is no longer my main focus these days, it is great having the chance to go and have my viewpoint and mindset readjusted.

Double Cup Love by Eddie Huang - Full review here.

Mom's shaggy maroon jacket.