The quaintest of mornings

Yesterday, Isabelle and I very spontaneously went to Yorkville.  We started talking about how cool it would be if we could make our own face products and skin care things.  We realized how much we can get out of just using basic things, food even.  Maybe that's a post for another day and an experiment to come, but this topic of conversation lead me to wanting to go to Anthropologie and get fancy soap and handcream.  I also needed to find a birthday present for my 3 year old nephew.  And for a while, Isabelle and I have been wanting to go to a yarn store.  What better way to get into the spirit of Christmas than taking out the knitting needles (you must think I'm a grandmother but I swear I'm nineteen).  But alas, there was no signs of a knitting shop in Yorkville.

As we arrived, we passed by Free People and noticed gigantic plastic bags sitting outside the shop against the lamp post, filled with....yarn...(?)  This was very obviously their trash but the likelihood of that happening could not be more in our favour.  It was a gift from the heavens!  Or good karma or whatever.  But we couldn't just go through their trash... I'm not sure if you've ever been to Yorkville but it's not the sort of place for trash pickers.  So, the two of us wandered inside and asked the cashier if the bags of yarn were up for grabs and she explained that it was part of their decoration from last season and that we could take it.  We each took a bag and spent the rest of the day walking around with these massive plastic bags of yarn.  We got the most puzzling looks and inquisitive questions but, hey, free yarn!

Neat colours too!

We made our way to this fantastic cold-press juice bar called The Good Press.  I got a juice called Hawaii 5-0 and it had pineapple, spinach, romaine, arugula and jalapeño.  I really only got it because it said "healthy bones, brain and heart" on the front.  If you've ever had two stress fractures in your life, anything that says "healthy bones" on it is as good as a Willy Wonka chocolate bar with a golden ticket.  But I actually really liked it.  It had this nice spicy kick to it after the sweetness of the pineapple.  Isabelle got the chocolate milk which had cashews, maple syrup, dates, vanilla extract and cacao nibs.

Notice the plastic bags of yarn in the background

I finally got to Anthropologie and found some soap.  It smells like Christmas which equals pure joy in a bar of soap. Woohoo.

I want to live in this store.

I bought my nephew a white dress shirt because I think it's the cutest thing when babies dress like adults.  Especially Owen.

Then we went to Indigo and I got him a little 'story of Christmas' book.  It's a board book because if I got him a paperback, the pages would be ripped out in a matter of seconds.

I also found a little something for myself.  It's called 642 Things to Write About and that's exactly what it is.  Multiple writers from the San Francisco Writers' Grotto contributed ideas.  It's essentially a thought or question, like "what did you have for breakfast?" or "Write about the perfect crime and how you would get away with it".  It's the sort of book that really makes you use your imagination, which is something I find has been dormant inside me for the past year and a half that I've been out of school.  I love writing and this blog has helped me continue that passion while relating it to my daily life.  But with this book, I'm hoping to exercise my creativity the way I used to in 12th grade Writers' Craft class.

As we ended our shopping adventure, we noticed a homeless man bundled on the floor by the traffic light at an intersection.  This is a common sight for the city, as sad as that is, but this man was purple in the face and it was hard to just walk by him.  We watched as a girl left him her warm Starbucks drink, an act of kindness that inspired us to help in a similar way.  We went to the nearest Tim Hortons' where Isabelle suggested that we buy him actual food.  She got him a soup and I got him a bagel and a large hot tea.  If rationed correctly, those were two meals, so we gave them to the man, who was grateful, and went off.  

I'm not telling you this because I want to brag about being a good Samaritan.  I haven't told any of my friends or family about this because I'm not looking for appraisal.  I just think it's worthy of a mention because I'd like to highlight the importance of giving.  It is coming up to be the season of giving, with Christmas around the corner.  But really, it's the sort of thing that should be remembered all year round.  That being said, I'm guilty of noticing it the most around Christmastime because of all the shopping I do for other people.  Do you ever go shopping for your friends and family and you find the perfect gift for someone and it just puts you in the best mood?  You just can't wait to give it to them and to see their reaction.  Call me corny, but spreading happiness is what Christmas is all about.

Now this granny is off to knit a scarf!

Pleasantly yours,

Bart