i *love* this product. picked it up last week as part of my first ever Sephora shopping spree (what took me so long?) and haven't looked back. it feels invigorating going on and daily use leaves my skin soft, fresh, and clean (without drying!). And it's sulfate-free. i love it so much, in fact, that i ordered Philosophy's Microdelivery Peel online. UPS guy, where are you?

1. TOMS linen classics in bridgeport lemon. for every pair sold, TOMS will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need.

2. j.crew denim shorts in desire wash.

3. brothers: the black keys. amazing.

4. mordecai richler: barney's version. seeing the movie trailer for this last night re-piqued my interest in this canadian treasure.

5. opi nailcolor in jade is the new black.

um, good morning, jesse hughes and dave catching of eagles of death metal in my living room. boy, having a couple of rock stars eyeing up your apartment sure gives you some perspective on whether your stuff is cool enough (it's not). super nice dudes. 

so i'm getting older (i mean, who isn't?) and i'm beginning to see those hours and days and years of unprotected sun taking their dreaded toll on my skin. oh, to be so carefree, so young and fearless, as to truly believe the perfect tan could conquer all. but the damage was done, i'm afraid, and i have no choice but to fight it tooth and nail. step 1: the glycolic peel. i donned my most oversized sunnies last week and skulked to the dermatologist's office for my very first chemical peel. it definitely hurt, like sharp pins and needles, and i left looking blotchy and red and fearing the absolute worst. a day or two passed and my skin had barely recovered. in fact, it felt dry and tight, as though i'd spent a week sucking back mojitos under the dry caribbean sun. crusty patches had formed on my cheeks. what had i done?? and then, gradually, things started to improve. my breakouts cleared up; the little lines around my eyes looked shallower; and i began to look downright fresh. and pink. and YOUNG. i think i'm hooked.

fenton/fallon for j.crew carrington chain and needle necklace; lingerie lace cami from topshop; muscle t by alexander wang; missoni adria 2-piece; sleeveless waterfall waistcoat (also topshop); maybelline great lash mascara; tory burch risley platform sandals; timex military watch; j brand mid-rise pure skinny jeans.

Camisoles by Topshop
Platforms by Tory Burch

i've had a love/hate, addictive relationship with running for nearly 20 years. 3 half-marathons and numerous 10k races later, i've yet to complete my perpetual goal of a full marathon. when the official hard-core training begins, about 4 months before my goal race each year, i'm in the "love" phase. i'm hooked on the high, filled with confidence and anticipation, and ready to take it all on. as time and training drag on (and i do mean drag) into the final stretch, though, the "hate" seriously sets in. my knees ache; i could swear my hip joints are made of wood; and worst of all, i'm BORED. out of my mind bored. it's generally at this point that i begin to formulate excuses, seemingly without voluntary will, and regress from 32k down to 10 and pitifully back to my average daily distance of 7.

but there's always next year.

would like to own every piece in JCrew's Summer 2010 collection. and be styled by jenna lyons. daily. it's so easy to be underwhelemed when you walk into a JCrew store, but that catalog is like crack. everything is put together beautifully and looks infinitely cooler than it does on the hanger. i am nonetheless excited for the prospect of a retail location popping up here in toronto, as is the rumor, so i can trade late-night online shopping for actually trying things on. my credit card is itching to own two pieces that need no fitting, however: the panama hat and the A.R. Trapp troubador sunglasses.

normally non-lipstick wearer, though not by choice (every lipstick i've tried has served only to make me look like a tranny), this product THRILLS me. it draws a bit of attention without seeming garish and smells a bit like fresh berries. plus it's cheap! what's not to love?

way too many books on the go. i'm enjoying them all but the pile altogether all at once is making me feel disheveled and unorganized. motley crue's aptly titled the dirt is currently in the lead.