It’s now the end of February, and it’s taken me two whole months to finally get back on track with my running and weightlifting. That feels like an excruciatingly long time. I’m still slipping up every now and again (3k calorie days are cramping my style), but for the most part, I’m feeling positive and upbeat – frustrated at times, but still mostly positive.
YMCA indoor track – photo courtesy of blog.to
February has been spent mostly running around the track above at my gym (I snagged that shot from blog.to – that’s the track I run on, but I’ve never seen those people there in my life). I was originally gearing up for a 10K race I intended to do in Panama City, Florida while on vacation in April, but the whole race moved to the week before we’re going to be there, so I’m kind of training for nothing right now (so irritated… who moves a race that people have already signed up for?!?!). However, having a schedule is what’s helping me stay on track so I’m sticking with that. I’ve been running indoors this winter season because the sidewalks are a goddamn disaster in Toronto!
Best pants
I do have a St. Patrick’s Day 5K that’s rapidly approaching and I’m a bit nervous for that because I don’t feel like my 5K race pace is anywhere near what it was last year. And sinceI’m planning on breaking a sub-25 minute 5K this year, I’m fairly confident this won’t be the race I do it in. I do, however, enjoy St. Patrick’s Day immensely so I’ll wiggle my butt into my green running pants and freeze my tush off during a mid-March race. If anything, it’ll help me get back into the swing of things.
Most of my running plan has been adapting Hal Higdon’s Intermediate 10K race plan as it’s geared towards lowering my race times. And man, I was not prepared. The tempo runs are interesting, and I can definitely see how they’re speeding me up, but those interval days can go die in a bloody fire.
I’m also planning on running the Sporting Life 10K (early May), a half marathon during Ottawa’s Race Weekend and, of course, the Pride Run in June (when it’s always face-meltingly hot).
My gym… except this shot was probably taken during the summer… because right now it’s covered in snow.
I’m also really happy to report that my weightlifting is also back on track!
Currently squatting 125 pounds with plenty of room to grow.
Bench pressing 75 pounds, although this one is a bit dicey – I’m quite weak in the chest area.
FINALLY doing deadlifts again after more than a year of not doing them due to a piriformis issue (I started back at 95 pounds and like with squats, there’s plenty of room to grow there).
Amongst other many other smaller muscle groups that are all coming together nicely.
While running gives me that “hell yes I’m a super hero!” feeling, it’s really weightlifting that makes me feel the best about myself. It’s shaping my muscles the way I want to be shaped and it’s tightening areas that were wobbling around only last month. I’ve also happily dumped three pounds in the last thirty days which I can only attribute to the consistent exercise.
Now if only I could stop thinking about all the food I want to eat ALL. THE. TIME….
I’m posting about something a little bit different today – something that has absolutely zilch to do with makeup or fitness, but instead something I was given for my birthday that I’m so incredibly excited about that I just had to share it.
I have been a longstanding Veronica Mars fan. I’ve watched the series many, many times over the years, and while I may not be able to kill at VM trivia like I can massacre anyone at Buffy the Vampire Slayer trivia, I am still an enormous fan. I supported the Kickstarter campaign, saw the movie opening day and will forever be a Marshmallow at heart.
Feeling like a Marshmallow!
One of Veronica’s most iconic objects aside from her camera (obviously) is her enormous bag that she carries throughout season 3 and subsequently in the movie as well. It’s one badass accessory, but one I never really needed because I am adamant about not carrying a purse. I have, however, relatively recently picked up a nice DSLR camera that needed a camera bag. Out of nowhere, my husband decided to order this bag for me (I don’t even know why or how he did it, I’m sure I’d never mentioned it to him before) and surprised me with it for my birthday.
I was floored. This was something I had really wanted but couldn’t bring myself to spend the money on! Not only that, but he also had it customized so that there’s a pocket inside that fits my new camera and lens. Hell, it’s padded and shaped to fit the camera in the bag safe and sound!
Custom camera pocket!
Elated to receive this gift, I wanted to know more about the designer he had purchased it from. As it turns out, she’s entirely local to Toronto! I got in touch with Karen Kalashnik, and she was more than happy to answer my questions about her work and the Veronica Mars bag.
The Veronica Mars bag
Tell us a bit about yourself and your design work!
I always liked to make my things on my own instead of buying them, so I’ve always been a creative person. I started sewing from a young age but never really made anything more than a pair of shorts. I always had big ideas of great pieces of clothing to make but every time I tried they never turned out exactly as I had hoped. My grandmother and my aunt were the ones who first showed me how to use a sewing machine when I was in public school but after that I never touched a sewing machine until I was about 23. I took a two beginner sewing classes and read the Complete Idiots Guide to Sewing, then went out and bought my own machine. From there I made some pyjamas and did alterations for friends and family.
Then, for some reason, I had this grand idea that I wanted to make leather bags. It really came out of nowhere. My mother bought me the special sewing machine that I needed to sew leather with (it’s a heavy duty machine that has a walking sewing foot, which means it actually walks the leather through the machine as it stitches it. A regular sewing machine doesn’t do this so leather just gets stuck in it if you try to sew with it). Then I bought some leather and made a bag. I’m not really sure how I figured it out, but sewing bags just seemed to come naturally to me. I can see all the purse pieces in my head and am just able to put them together like a puzzle. I think that’s why sewing in general just comes to me easily – it’s like putting a puzzle together and I love puzzles. I found out I work really well with pictures. If someone can send me a picture of a bag they want me to recreate I can usually copy it just by looking at the pictures of the bag. That’s how I learned to sew all the bags I make.
Look, I even managed to match my outfit to the bag!
How did you come about re-creating the “Veronica Mars bag”? What spurred that on? Are you a fan as well?
A customer came to me and asked me to make a replica of the bag that Veronica Mars wore in season 3 of the TV show. Originally it was made by Nordstroms but they discontinued it. I had never heard of the show, so she sent me some pictures and I made her a bag with the snaps on the strap and a plain front and back of the bag (that’s what she wanted, not all the stitching detail or the snaps on the base). I then posted a picture of the bag on my Etsy site for sale and the VM fans just flocked to my Etsy site. This is definitely my most popular bag!! From there I’ve made a few variations of the bag. A version with the snaps and stitching detail, a version with silver snaps instead of the original antique brass, and I’ve also done other custom variations for customers. Since then I’ve seen the VM movie and season 1 of the TV show. I’m not a crazy fan, but I do love the show!
Karen Kalashnik Handbags
Was it difficult to produce? Did you run into any issues with source material?
The Veronica Mars bag is really easy to create. Over time I’ve adjusted my patterns and the way I make the bag to be able to make it as quick and efficiently as possible (since it’s the bag I make the most often). Now, instead of just making one of them at a time, I make about four. I’ll make the straps, the inside cloth pockets, the inside leather pocket, and the front and back of the detailed bag (but without the snaps). Then, when someone orders one, I already have several of the pieces ready to go. I’ll draw from my inventory of straps, pockets, and then make the other pieces and put the bag together. This way I have the generic pieces ready so that if someone wants any alterations or different colour snaps, I can still use the pieces I’ve already got in my inventory and just make a few other parts. This method really helps me to save time when making this bag. I do a lot of my work in front of the TV too so it never feels like work! I love my job and I get to watch TV while I work!
Want something customized? Karen’s got you covered!
You made a pretty phenomenal camera pocket for this bag in particular. Do you enjoy customizing bags? Is this something you do regularly? What are some options for people who want some custom work done?
Customizing bags is challenging at times, but also sometimes easy. I do like a challenge because it makes me think and teaches me new techniques. I’ve had a lot of requests from customers to copy designer bags. Although I don’t like to copy other people’s work (everyone does it, from Guess to Michael Kors, so I don’t feel too terrible doing it), it has taught me how to do a lot of incredible things with my bags. If you check out my Facebook album with all the purses I’ve made to date you’ll see that my talent has definitely improved over the years as I’ve continued to make my usual bags as well as new ones. I don’t advertise that I copy bags, but if someone asks and I think I can do it, I’ll usually say yes and replicate it. I’m lucky too that when I copy a bag it usually turns out to look just as good as the original and goes for about an 1/8th of the price!! The Tom Ford bag on my Etsy site is a copy of the Tom Ford Jennifer bag.
I typically get requests to add extra or custom pockets, just like your bag did with the camera-shaped pocket. I’ve even done a bag with an inside bottle holder for a baby bottle. I’ve made an inside pocket for a beach bag that was water resistant so that my sister-in-law could stash her wet bathing suit and not get the rest of the bag wet.
What are your most popular bags? Which are your favourites to create?
The VM bag is my favourite one to create because it’s easy and quick. I like to be able to touch and feel the finished product of a project, that’s why I hated working in the tech industry because the end result of a project was never tangible. I like to see the finished product and touch it and that’s how I know it’s complete. So the VM bag is finished quickly and I like that.
MTV did an article about Veronica Mars right before the movie came out that talks about her clothes and bag. They mentioned that the real bag can’t be found anymore but that they found a great replica on Etsy (which is my shop!). I think that definitely helped me to get more sales. Once the movie came out last March my sales doubled that month, it was awesome!!
Recently I’ve been creating fringe bags that are my new favourites because they are also quick to make and I really like creating the fringe (I have a special tool that you pull the leather through and it cuts the fringe for you). I used to manually cut it by hand but then stumbled upon that tool and it just made my life so much easier!! Since I never went to school for sewing, I’m unaware of all the awesome tools that are available to make my life easier! Because of this, I do everything by hand until I find a better tool.
Kolme is also a fan
All in all, I’m beyond pleased with this bag! There’s only so many ways to express my excitement over a camera bag, but rest assured that I am a seriously happy camper. If you’re interested in a Veronica Mars bag of your own, or one of Karen’s original designs, please be sure to check out her shop. All relevant links below!
February turned out to be a month full of MAC purchases. I hadn’t planned it really, but there was one item in particular that I wanted to pick up (hell yes RIPE PEACH re-release!), and it kind of snowballed from there!
MAC – Kinky (free)
To start it off though (and really, I think I can hold this fully accountable for some of these purchases), I have MAC‘s limited edition release of Kinky. I won this lipstick on Julie’s blog (Swatch and Review) in a giveaway. The shade is similar to Russian Red (which I’m getting down to the end of), but it’s in their (new?) Retro Matte formula. While slightly drying, the retro matte formula doesn’t feel quite as dry as other mattes I’ve owned. The formula has spurred me on to make more purchases of shades in the Retro Matte formula because I love the longevity that it seems to have on my lips.
Makeup Revolution – Emerald Goddess (free)
Along with the lipstick, Julie snuck in a foiled eyeshadow from Makeup Revolution inEmerald Goddess. I haven’t tried it yet, so I can’t offer much insight. At first glance, however, the shade is lovely and I’m curious to see how it works in conjunction with the mixing medium that’s also provided with the product. These seem near identical to Stila‘s foiled eyeshadow release, although I’ve not tried those.
MAC Ripe Peach ($39 CAD)
I knew I was going to buy this. There was no getting around it. I have been DYING to get my hands on MAC‘s Ripe Peach Ombre Blush for four years now. FOUR YEARS. I refused to pay the astronomical prices on Ebay (over $100 I think) and so I sat and waited. And waited. And I watched the years slip by before this damn thing got released again! But finally… it did with the MACToledo collection. So I did the nutbar thing and I ran to MAC on the morning of release and snatched it up. And I’m glad I did because it was sold out the very next day!
MAC Prep + Prime Lip ($19 CAD)
You’ve seen this before in my hauls, so it’s nothing new. I needed a new MACPrep + Prime Lips because the one I keep at the office was running low (I keep one at home and one at work). This keeps my lip product in place and prevents that awful lip line bleedout that I’m prone to.
MAC Viva Glam Rihanna 2 ($19 CAD)
I bought this because I freaked out when the Miley Cyrus Viva Glam lipstick got released. I kept meaning to pick up Viva Glam Rihanna 2, but kept putting it off. So when I eventually went to the counter to get it, the woman told me they weren’t allowed to sell it anymore! What the hell? Like, she was implying they physically had it on site, but she could not sell it to me at all and that I’d have to order it through their web site. Excuse me? How stupid is that? Anyway, I ordered it online and had it shipped for free with a code. So they sent me an enormous box… with a single lipstick in it. Ridiculous. ANYWAY. This is by far my most adventurous lipstick, but I did stick to my guns and wore it to work. Oddly, I got told two or three times that it looked BLUE on me, something I’m still rather confused by as it’s very decidedly a grey-brown. I’m not sure how often I’ll wear it, but I like owning it because it’s very different from anything else I own. (And no, it’s not flattering, but it sure is interesting.)
MAC – Relentlessly Red (free, Back 2 MAC)
Are we noticing a trend yet? I really did go hogwild at MAC this month. I picked up Relentlessly Red because it looked STUNNING on Sharon Farrell and she is far and above my most beloved YouTuber (here’s the video she used it in). This shade veers pink on my lips (as it does her) and I appreciate that because I didn’t need another “almost red” in my life. It’s another lipstick in the Retro Matte formula which means it stays in place like nobody’s business. It’s also not dissimilar to Too Faced‘s Melted Candy which makes me love it all the more. I’m really looking forward to wearing the bejesus out of this shade in the spring and summer (not that it’s stopping me from wearing it now).
MAC – Barbecue ($21 CAD)
And lastly… another Retro Matte lipstick from MAC. This time from the Toledo collection. I had fallen oddly in love with the packaging for the Toledo collection (after having spent months thinking it was tacky as all hell) and loved the name of the lipstick calledBarbecue. It’s a red that swerves orange on my lips and was one of the more unique shades out of the collection. It’s not a shade that’s especially flattering on me, but I find it a nice change from my usual colours.
That’s it for the month. I was surprised how much I picked up from MAC because I’ve been opting for other brands over the last year or so. They have, however, definitely sucked me back in with this retro matte lipstick formula!
Last week I swatched up Too Faced’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette, but this week we’re going back to the original. I have previously done a Challenge Week with this palette in case you’re looking for any inspiration.
Hello, I’m Sarah from Workaday Ramblings. This month’s CBB guest post theme is red, pink and white, and since Chelle has an amazing red eyeliner that appears in her posts semi-regularly, I decided to guest post about red eyeliner.
I love red eye products because they are so unexpected, but can look awesome. I don’t have a red eyeliner exactly, but I do have a few red loose eyeshadows, which can be used as eyeliner.
Red eyeliner products
For my look, I’m using quite a few products as I actually included base products too, which I don’t always wear. But the main products for my eye look are Moi Cosmetics eyeshadow in Juliet, Essence How to Make Bright Eyes palette, Beauty People eyeliner in Glitter Beige, and Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara.
Red eyeliner closeup
I started with a base of colour, and a bit of shading, using the Essence How to Make Bright Eyes palette. My actual red eyeliner is Moi Cosmetics eyeshadow in Juliet. I used a damp angled brush to apply it like an eyeliner. I finished with a swipe of Beauty People eyeliner in Glitter Beige under my eye as I love the champagne-pink-gold shimmer colour, and added a coat of Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara to my lashes.
Sarah’s red eyeliner look
Overall, I think this is a fun look that offers an unexpected eyeliner colour. Part of the trick of wearing red on your eyes is figuring out what shades of red look good, and not like you’re sick. All it takes is a bit of experimentation, and you’ll end up with a look that’s different from everyone else.
Chelle’s Aside: Sarah’s such a sweetheart and I really hope you visit her site. When I first started blogging, Sarah was my most avid commenter and really made me feel welcome in the blogging world. I’m tickled pink (red?) that she did a red eyeliner look since it’s one of my absolute favourite things to do on my own eyes. I think it looks gorgeous on her and I hope she wears it often! It’s such a striking look and really sets off her eyes. And good GOD, can we TALK about her lashes? Are those even LEGAL?
