To commute or not to commute

On the Waterfront, 1st weekend of autumn

I had an interview earlier in the week. I actually didn’t make it to the interview. An hour and a half into the commute I called and cancelled. An hour and half and I still wasn’t there and this was in excellent weather with no transit mishaps. It was for a part-time research coordinator job at a college. I’ve applied for a number of jobs at the college and universities that are in walking distance of where I live but never anything. On my way back I got a call for another interview. It’s for a campaign manager at a small company about a 10-minute walk away. The interview’s on Monday.

Today’s photos are once again about just being out and about. I went for a walk along the waterfront and took in the Word On the Street Festival. I took advantage of the free admission at the Bata Shoe Museum as part of the Culture Days Festival. I made a return visit to the green roof podium at City Hall. I enjoyed the end of summer/early fall light while running errands.

Joining the Visible’s over at Patti’s Not Dead Yet Style link up.

Poetry Slam

Men in Heels exhibition

Couple on the green podium

Alleyway with awesome light and a place to put my camera

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A necklace in September, past and present

It’s been a beautiful late summer week with morning temperatures in the low 20s and afternoons around 30C. Septembers are often about new beginnings and I love this time of year. On Monday I headed out to take a few photos for another outfit of the day post while capturing images from my street before the seasonal changes are too apparent. I made my way over to the Distillery for a coffee as well.

I picked up a striped Henley tunic/dress earlier in the summer. It turned out to be too warm for most of the summer but is perfect for the late summer and presumably spring period. A pair of leggings and casual jacket could take it into October. I don’t wear jewelry very often but it’s something I’d like to start incorporating into my wardrobe more consciously. The necklace I’m wearing is a one-of-a-kind piece that I purchased at a gallery in Tobermory twenty-one years ago.

Sarah, a young colleague at the time, had recently split up with her long time boyfriend and wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. We headed up to Manitoulin Island for a long weekend after the September labour day weekend. We didn’t make it to Manitoulin Island, and I recall likening Highway 6 to the Twilight Zone, but we had an amazing time exploring Tobermory. The Georgian Bay landscape is stark and beautiful and quite a contrast to my current high density, yet well-designed, downtown neighbourhood. We spent time caving, horseback riding, checking out Flower Pot Island, viewing sunken ships from the glass bottom boat, scaling cliffs and visiting the local shops and restaurants. In the weeks following our getaway, I encountered others who had also set out for and failed to reach Manitoulin Island.  Soon after, Sarah  joined her sister in Japan to teach English.

Do you have something that brings back a fond memory? Linking up to Not Dead Yet Style’s Visible Monday.

Flowerpot Island, photo from Bluewater Tourism

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Flirting with autumn & wardrobe planning

Beautiful waterfall in the Sculpture Garden

I know it’s coming but I’m not ready to commit. There will be another week or two in which to enjoy the embrace of summer’s warmth. That chilly air was just a weekend fling.

I have been thinking about autumn in terms of wardrobe though. I have a relatively small wardrobe, particularly when it comes to cooler weather options and I could use a number of items. So, for the very first time, I’ve engaged in wardrobe planning. I don’t anticipate being able to acquire all the items on my list – I’m in an all too frequent and lengthy state of unemployment – but keeping the needs in mind should help me reject spontaneous buys that don’t provide enough versatility.

I purchased a coral pendant from a street vendor at the St. Lawrence Market. She’s been making and selling jewelry there for the past 20 years. It’s an inexpensive piece but, I think, it brings some colour to my face. I can look very washed out in black or very pale colours so it was one of those things on my list. It’s also a nod to a pair of red Cole Haan ballet flats that I bought at the end of the season almost two years ago but which haven’t gotten much wear.

I did find a few thrift shop items that fall within that wardrobe planning list – a white cotton J. Crew button shirt with tags still attached, a black and grey striped Eileen Fisher v-neck merino wool sweater, a pair of black NYDJ highrise skinnies, and an unworn navy Gerry Weber short-sleeved v-neck dress that has spring, summer and early fall wearability. An item that needed replacement was a handbag and I picked up a vegan crossbody bag at Winner’s in a denim-blue colour, which seems to work with everything I own.

Berczy Park

My camera lacks sharpness and definition. Perhaps someday I’ll have a real camera and tripod again. In the meantime, I’ve donned my old MEC (Mountain Equipment Coop) rain jacket and Sperry rain boots to venture out into my lovely neighbourhood on this autumnal-like Sunday afternoon.

The fact that I’m writing a style post is a tribute to the fantastic blogs I’ve been reading over the last year and a half. I’m linking up with Patti of Not Dead Yet Style’s Visible Monday.

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