I’m subscribed to a photo service that twice a month, emails me a selection of interesting pictures I took years ago.
It’s brilliant! My old photos are new again and the memories along with them are incredible.
Most of my pictures from two years ago are full of my bento lunches – Oh what mouth-watering nostalgia!

My mom had a mastectomy exactly a year ago today.
I probably wouldn’t have remembered it was today were it not for the pictures.
I doubt my mom remembers; the mastectomy seems like a lifetime ago to her.
A lifetime ago when our every action and thought was of the big C.
It’s still with us, you can’t really get away from cancer once it touches you; but it’s different now, like the worst part is over.

It’s inspiring seeing my mom go from breast cancer victim to breast cancer survivor.

The mastectomy changed her; it was like the green light to continue living her life.

She’s been busying herself these days with her seniors’ group.
It’s been an activity-filled past few days for her – which is why she probably doesn’t remember her surgery was a year ago today.
She’s become the de-facto treasurer of her small seniors’ group, and a week ago they contributed money to get a present for the yoga teacher, she was also supposed to get the present.

My mom discovered a counterfeit note in the monies she collected, and the West End’s Miss Marple was born!
My mom is determined to uncover the origin of the counterfeit note, and this has turned into a mini obsession.
I’m like her in that regard, I sometimes get so caught up in my little projects that they become obsessions (I’ll tell you one of these days why I haven’t blogged in over a week!).
Yesterday, she gave an informal talk to her friends on how to spot counterfeit notes.
She’s convinced seniors are easy targets (for being slipped counterfeits) and she wants to do something about it.

We’ve come quite a ways from last year, my mom is slowly coming out of the shadow of ‘breast cancer patient’
She celebrated her sixty-eighth birthday last month.
We had the fluffiest and the most delicious white chocolate mousse cake.
The lighting wasn’t great, but I took pictures anyway. I can’t wait to revisit them few years from now.

My allergies are killing me.
I’m not just being dramatic; I could very well be dying from my allergies, I just don’t have any obvious proof yet.
They said it was going to be bad this year; they weren’t lying – I’ve never been so miserable in my life!
It’s gotten to the point where I’ve given up and resigned myself to feeling this lousy for the rest of my time here on earth.
I have the sniffles, I’m sneezing, my throat is so scratchy I’ve developed a raspy smoker’s voice.
And the latest icing on this miserable cake… I keep breaking out in hives – it’s a very humbling experience.

The first thing to go when the allergies hit were my contacts.
Seriously, my eyes are itchy, swollen and bloodshot; I look like I have some serious substance abuse issues, the kind that makes your eyes look weird.
I got an air purifier over the weekend and it looks it’s helping some.
My final resort is probably going have to be an ELISA test (I know you’re thinking it too… how cute, the test and I have similar names!).
I’m going to find out all those things that make my insides turn on me and then, I’m going to find a tower far and high away from all those things and live blissfully there.

But it hasn’t been all dreadful.
One of my dad’s favourite saying was “There’s good in every negative experience”
It was probably his excuse for being a lousy parent.
I try to look for good things in my bad experiences and I must say my bout with seasonal allergies have had some positive effects.
First off, the glasses make me look smart and it’s a pleasant change from poking my eye mornings and evenings to change my contact lens.
Benadryl is my antihistamine of choice and I’ve been having the most bizarre vivid dreams when I’m on it. In a way it’s awesome!
One night I dreamt I was a yellow Power Ranger!
Last night I was a drummer in a girl band; ‘Miss Arabella of Summertime and Bloom’ – that was our name.
We only did covers of Space Oddity, Oasis’ Don’t Look Back In Anger (which is an inspiration of sorts for our name) and a song my grandma used to sing.

Outfit Details: Stripe shirt & boots – Espirit, Grey blouse – Forth & Towne, Gap Jeans

I try to stretch my Benadryl doses because I can barely function when I take it, I wake up feeling drowsy.
But I’m inspired to start a band, perhaps take drum lessons, then something good would have come from allergy woes.

I think I’m getting better, that’s what I keep mumbling to myself.

I’m trying the “fake it till you make it” technique.

My mom asked me this morning if I’d consider cancelling my trip, she’s such a kidder!

Seriously, it’s not like I’m dying, I have a cold!

The sneezing fits, the groans and moans, that’s more for effect – it’ll pass.

I feel better already.

Besides, I have a spa appointment, lunch at Chelsea Market and a date strolling the High Line –

I can’t do all that lying in bed at home, being sick.

Wearing:
Brown Jacket: Joe Fresh Style
Brown Blouse: The Gap
Black Shirt: The Gap
Pants: The Gap
Shoes: Clarks
Bead Necklace: Gift

I’m sick!

I have a cold; runny nose, sneezing and an inexplicable swollen face… I’m not a pretty site.

For a while now I thought I’d become immune to colds – save for seasonal allergy symptoms, I haven’t had a good proper cold in years.

I slept in the morning and rolled into work around noon, I could barely stay upright so I left after a few hours.

I went for a long leisurely walk afterwards, which was nice.

I stopped by the Gap to check out the Stella McCartney Gap Kids collection, the pieces are sweet, adorable and lovely.

I can’t wait to see cute kids running around in these clothes.

Anyway, I’m giving myself up to tomorrow to feel better; I’m leaving for New York on Friday and I need my time there to be free of the common cold.

Besides do they still let people with fever on planes?

Now on to clothes…

This is one of my favourite dresses, I like the tweed look.

Wearing it with the shirt pinafore-like reminds me of a dress I wore when I was little.

Wearing:
Tweed Dress: Kimchi Blue
Blue Shirt: Jacob
Tights: The Bay
Shoes: Nine West
Coat: Identify

I’m laid up tonight with allergies feeling sorry for myself.

How can something so beautiful cause me so much misery in its creation?