May 19th, 2011
Burritos and Fondue Forks
One of the fun things about having a business partner is that (in our case at least) we’re always together. Because we have so much on the go we’re always running into funny situations and problem solving them together. As a result of one, we have a silly running joke: when something good happens we call it a burrito, and when something bad happens it’s a fondue fork.
“Burritos” are named for our favourite lunch meal (Winnipeg’s Burrito Del Rio!) and “fondue forks” are named for a really unfortunate lunch, where after a disappointing meal and a few very weird interactions with the waitress LA opened a door that was propped open by a fondue fork and tripped into the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, fondue fork in hand! She could have killed someone… with a fondue fork! It was an absurdly weird end to a very bad meal, and the strangest part is the restaurant didn’t even serve fondue!
I wanted to share a few of the things that are making me really happy right now, and maybe a couple of little fondue forks :)
My Current Burritos
I’m turning 26 on May 23rd, and on Saturday I wanted to make my birthday more special so I made sure I got some of the things I really wanted and needed by investing in my wardrobe. The exciting thing is that by 3:00 pm on Wednesday everything had arrived! Apparently shipping to Canada has vastly improved since I last shopped online, and everything I ordered is miraculously beautiful and fits perfectly. It’s going to lead to some awkward fashion blogging soon, just you wait!
I’m really loving the blog world right now! I’ve been making an effort to have blogging be a special, reflective part of my day and it’s made a big difference in how I approach it and the things I want to write about. Right now I’m feeling inspired by My Girl Thursday‘s positivity and fashion posts, Katie from Skunkboy Creatures‘ sunny posts and adorable baby photos, and The Veda House‘s amazing vintage finds for her upcoming shop launch.
I just discovered reality tv (this is a post in its self for later!) but I’ve just found Kelly Cutrone through The Hills, and have been totally fascinated by her! After a little googling I found her book, If You Have To Cry, Go Outside (and other things your mother never taught you) and I’m really excited to read it. I started it yesterday and so far I love her attitude, strength, and thoughts on listening to your inner voice.
I changed schools a lot growing up and until high school was always the weird, new kid. Then in high school, my school’s message was very clear: your grades = your worth. While I love all the things that make me quirky and different now, they were very hard to navigate when I was growing up and I love that Kelly has a platform to encourage young women to find their people and stay true to themselves and follow where that leads them.
This winter an ice dam the size of a shetland pony fell on my car, causing almost $4k of damage to the body and windshield. Don’t worry, thanks to insurance I only pay $200 (Yay Socialism!) but to repair it my car is finally going into the shop… for 3-4 weeks! Luckily we just had my bike repaired, and while I’m a commuter cyclist by necessity, I’m in love with my cruiser. Jesse and I went for a big ride last night and it was fun cardio perfection- which is hard to find in my books.
A Couple Fondue Forks
1. The Leigh-Ann shaped hole in my days! Leigh-Ann and I started working together on a daily basis in early December, and since then there are very few times when we haven’t spoken multiple times a day. I’m so glad to be the reason she can take time off for the first time in a long time, but it’s so strange to be working alone again. I’m excited for her to return :)
2. Tattoo Nerves – I’m in love with my three quarter sleeve, but there’s one problem: I haven’t told my grandparents yet. I really want to stop having to consider which cardigan is long enough to cover my arm, and while I know my grandma will be fine with it my grandpa is old school Ukrainian. He doesn’t mind my crazy glasses, my nose piercings or my stretched ears, and I know he’ll be alright with it in time. I just wish I could come to my birthday dinner looking exactly how I want to without offending him or seeming confrontational, but breaking the news between now and Monday seems rushed and awkward. Any advice?
I hope your week so far is all burritos and very few fondue forks :)
ps – One of my blog best friends turned real life best friend Nora has a weekly series called wine and love that you might like, this is an unofficial entry :)
I totally love your outlook – “Burritos & Fondue Forks” – So cute! I saw your Tweet earlier re: what your Grandpa said about your tattoos. A fondue fork turned good! Happy belated birthday. :o)
I think after posting that first picture, it’s only appropriate that you make some rainbow cake for you birthday celebration. :) How fun that everything arrived early – packages arriving earlier than expected is one of my favorite things in life.
Reality TV is the greatest and that birthday cake is so adorable!
What a clever take on wine & love! Too fun!
My burrito: Having a fabulous boss that makes me laugh. Potentially renting out my condo. . Finding a new place to call home.
My fondue fork: A rude counterpart who seems to think I am an admin (nothing against admins, but that is NOT my job role and he can’t seem to wrap his mind around that!).
I love this post! I will definitely have to read Kelly Cutrones book! It sounds really good.
Also, we totally have the same birthday!!! I’m turning 21 on Monday :)
-madi
Cool! Happy almost birthday, birthday twin! :)
yay for bicycle season! i’ve been bike commuting the past few weeks, and am happy to report i’m loving it! Thank goodness for warmer weather.
have a nice weekend.
just had to make a quick comment about the tattoo (don’t know if i’d call it advice, necessarily). i got my first really visible color tattoo (as in, no one sees my other one except at the beach) in december and had been hiding it from my family ever since. one weekend recently that it was too hot to wear a cardigan and we were all getting together, i just had to say to myself, ok i love my tattoo, i don’t want to hide it, i know they love me and they’ll just have to figure out how they feel about, because i already know how i feel. my grandparents were there, but i don’t think either of them noticed. ;) also my dad has tattoos (no one else) so if they give me a hard time i’ll point out that dad started it. :)
I just added the Kelly Cutrone book to my wishlist – I love her! :)
Happy early Birthday, Love! I really adore that you refer to the good and bad things as burritos and fondue forks. I think you just need to be your fabulous self and have confidence in your new tattoo. I think once you explain your sleeve and all that it represents your grandparents will embrace it as much as the rest of your family has. You are fabulous, always remember that.
I don’t know if anyone has suggested this for your tattoo dilemma, but my advice for you is to wear something that covers it up at the beginning of your birthday dinner & speak to your grandparents in person and explain to them the reasoning behind your tattoo and show it to them in person slowly but surely as you talk to them about it. Maybe if you explain the different pieces of it and let them see it little by little, they won’t be too shocked by it :)
Love that rainbow cake picture! I’m dying to learn how to make one.
sometimes (many times, recently) I get all angsty about how expensive it is to own a home in BC and then I read about ice dams falling on cars and realize that I don’t have it so bad :)
I love Kelly Cutrone! Her book is amazing and I think all young women should read it. She is an excellent role model on how to be a strong independent woman. Have you ever seen her show Kell on Earth? It was on Bravo last year.
Loving that little plug for socialism there ;)
Your birthday is so soon, I hope you’re excited and it’s a fabulous day!
Yes!! I really enjoy that you caught it :)
Thanks so much for the sweet words about my upcoming shop launch. Reading your blog is an important part of my day, so keep up all the great work and awesome inspiration.
I completely understand your tattoo nerves and do agree to tell the story about it. I think that’s the best way for people to come around to accepting it, even if they may not love it.
Happy almost birthday!
1. Oh, LOVE the tattoo -or what I can see of it, at least. I know how you feel, though. I’ve had to hide a few piercings an’stuff myself, before. Thing is, facts tend to finally come out – so might as well be sooner, rather than later…
2. Been thinking of buying a bike (for fun cardio) too, lately. Hate those “street- feeling” BMXs though. Yours looks just perfect :) Enjoy!
3. In a bit of an unrelated note, here’s a little link (http://tiny.cc/gep3g) from one of my fav blogs ~ just in case you actually fancy making that cake for your Bday :D
hey Kyla! first of all, thank you for the mention. that meant a lot to me. I haven’t been feeling like a ray of sunshine lately, but only because I’m sickly and that never feels awesome. I had my Jesse give me acupuncture earlier today and that seems to have cleared away the headache and body aches for a while. Anywho, enough babbling about my sickly self, alls I’m trying to say is that you made me smile, so thank you!
And also, I’m totally living in Cardigansville with you. Every time I visit my grandparents house I pack two or three just in case Georgia explodes bodily fluids on me. What am I going to do when they open the pool in the summer? I might have to invest in one of those modesty suits or something ;)
LOL Chantilly!!! You made me burst out laughing, this is the best idea. Probably ever.
I’m now considering the skirted option but if you’re feeling fiesty you could have one with culottes. How will we ever choose with so many options?? :)
When I pierced my nose at age 18, I sent my grandfather a letter to break the news. He was very, very kind & so much more open than I expected him to be. And when I went to dinner with my mom, my grandparents, & a friend from home, my grandmother asked him about his tattoo, which was to honor a friend of ours who’d passed away. When my grandma said to be, “Why didn’t you do something like that?” I was floored. I rolled up my sleeves & said, “But grandma, I DID!” I’d been afraid to show them. Ha!
Good luck breaking the news to your grandfather.
Happy birthday! I can relate to your tattoo nerves – I’m in a similar situation with my parents!
Ah! Birthdays. Love this month, so many awesome birthdays in it :) And that cake, well now I want some. Thanks for unofficially joining this week, you’re the best.
It’s funny how you can get used to working with someone and then super miss them when they are gone, isn’t it?
Thank you for being so wonderfully inspiring! I will be turning 26 in August and I am in the process of making my life what I want it to be. Your blogs on life and blogging and work just help me along my way!
Ha! I love your list. Especially love that pretty cake! :)
Awww love this! That is a tough thing with your tattoo and your grandpa…. I think wait until the time is right to tell him. If it’s just going to make your birthday dinner awkward, don’t do it before then. It will be better to show up in a cardigan than have an awkward dinner, right?
Hey, maybe tell him the STORY of it before actually showing him. The story of what your tattoo means is one of the nicest ones I’ve ever heard!
ps. SideReel “Kell on Earth” :)
love your list :)
My Burritos:
– I woke up on Winnipeg time thinking it was SF time and gained 2 hrs of the day PLUS i woke up before Violet. I’ve never woken up before someone else… ever i think ;)
– Talking to you yesterday :)
– I get to see Violet’s Baby at the ultrasound today!!
My Fondue Fork
– The money here sticks together when it’s new and I paid $20 extra at the bookstore yesterday– BUT the teller was awesome and gave it back to me :) So I essentially ate a burrito with a fondue fork ;)
Yes, Yes, and Yes!! I love your current Burritos! All of them! I need to make a cake like that! So cute!! Your blogging love definitely shines through in your posts! I love reading your blog!
I have the same Tattoo nerves! I want my first tattoo but my Husband strongly hates them. :( I don’t know what to do because I’ve been wanting this one tattoo for years! It’s family and cultural based! Mmm. We’ll see.
I’m so lucky that my husband is laid back, otherwise I think it would have become An Issue pretty quickly ;)
It could be helpful for him to see some different styles of art. When I was first learning about tattoos the old fashioned, Sailor Jerry style ones seemed strange to me, but now that I know more about them I ADORE them. If he knows a little more about the kind of tattoo you’re envisioning it could help him :)
I adore Kelly Cutrone. Her one liners on The Hills had me dying and even entertained my husband!
Haha, burritos and fondue forks… I love it! Those are the inside jokes that nobody will understand (unless you share it with the blogging world) ;)
Love your bike… I desperately need one myself for the summer!
I completely understand your tattoo nerves. I want to get a 2nd back piece as a 25th birthday present to myself this summer, but I haven’t figured out how to tell my family yet. My mom tries to be as understanding as possible, and while she wasn’t super excited about my first back piece, she came to accept it.
I just have to remind myself that while they might not always understand or agree with it, they usually come around and still love me, even with permanent ink in my skin. :)
Oh, and happy early birthday!
My Dad’s the same way- he’s much more conservative than my mom, but his stance is “I think it’s a fashion thing and that it will go out of style- but I know it’s important to you, I love you, and it makes you very happy!” And he’s said that he thinks it’s very beautiful, for a tattoo ;)
I think that eventually when they’re used to it they can see past it, but it’s awkward to sit in front of a family member and know that they’re struggling with learning to love a part of you. I feel for you <3
Hooray for early birthday fun! You will have a card from me but I’m sure it will not be there on your actual birthday (as we both know the post office hates it when I send things to Canada), but that just means it stretches your birth-day into a birth-week, right? :)
“an ice dam the size of a shetland pony” AWESOME. I mean, not that it happened, but that sentence in itself had me laughing for five straight minutes!
Doesn’t your tattoo represent family? I think if you approached it from that point of view, maybe its deep meaning would soften the blow of it for your grandfather? It’s beautiful and symbolic and I hope he comes around.
Happy early birthday, lady! Glad you are having more burritos than fondue forks.
Thanks for the encouragement, it means a lot! You’re right- the canary on my arm represents my mom’s side of the family, but it’s because of a story that’s specifically about him. I think I might tell him before, and then just see what happens on my birthday. Thanks again, you’re a gem <3
I’m looking forward to reading Kelly Cutrone—she’s on my summer reading list. Happy almost-birthday, my love!