Disqus - Latest Comments for Natasha_L

Re: How Will You Love Yourself Today?

Natasha_L — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:45:46 -0000

I'm going to do a pilates session by DVD at home tonight. A welcome change to the gym, and a return to a form of exercise that I truly enjoy.

Re: What Activity Sets You Free?

Natasha_L — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:21:16 -0000

I relate to many of the posts here but top of my list is being in the ocean. Diving into deep water - both exhilerating and relaxing. Floating in the sun, almost effortless in really salty seas. I find the whole experience humbling and gratitude-inducing.

Re: Real Men Want Name-Changers

Natasha_L — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:09:02 -0000

Why does it seem right to give your children their father's name and not yours? Seems absurd considering women carry, birth, and in most cases raise the children. I agree hyphenating can get a bit ridiculous and not sure what the solution is here...
I think it's also worth considering whose name has more tied to it legally especially if there are other cultures involved (i.e. land that's inherited by name, etc...)

Re: What Item of Clothing Makes You Feel Your Sexiest?

Natasha_L — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:59:12 -0000

a form fitting black cahmere dress i picked up last fall. the cut is simple, sleeveless and hits just below the knee. looks so innocent on the hanger. feels amazing.

Re: What word describes your desire for 2009?

Natasha_L — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:43:49 -0000

Thanks for the reminder! I think this year I'll go with:
SHINE - to give forth or glow with light. To appear bright, strong and clear. To excel and direct my light.
I'm thinking if I focus on shining in everything I do, the positive feeling that creates will be reflected back to me and attract everything else.

Re: What would you like to change about the holiday season?

Natasha_L — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:23:38 -0000

Defintely no carols before the 1st. Restoration Hardward had carols playing before Oct 31st this year! I'd like to see people get more creative with everything from meals to gifts to decorating. And it would be cool if we could focus more on creating a holiday for ourselves instead of reiterating how "commercial" the holidays can be - business is business, the holidays are what you make them.

Re: What are you trying to achieve?

Natasha_L — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:32:37 -0000

A new vision of "work". I've got the feeling, working on defining it and making it tangible.

Re: What are your best organizational tips?

Natasha_L — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:52:34 -0000

One in, one out.
Finding and keeping a place for everything.
Saying no or getting rid of things that aren't useful or meaningful.
Making a habit of sorting through and purging - a little each day or each week goes a long way. This applies to the desk and email Inbox at work (daily), the home office (weekly), etc.
It seems to all come down to making decisions and I find it's like a muscle the more you use it, the stronger and easier it becomes.

Re: How do you want your neighborhood to feel?

Natasha_L — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:15:54 -0000

My neighbourhood feels full of the contrasts that I love so much. I live in a tiny apartment in a big building with many neighbors. People are friendly but respectful. The bulldog in the elevator wears pearls. Cobblestone streets and old warehouses converted to chic restaurants and tech firm offices. It's a downtown neighbourhood with it's city issues but I feel incredibly safe, and love walking home to my place at night. It feels accessible with everything I could want steps away - ocean and seawall, other neighborhoods, library, community centre, gym, art gallery... It can feel noisy and alive with construction and traffic, or still and peaceful late on a weeknight or early on a Saturday. It's all these things and always feels like home. With constant construction since I moved there, I can't wait for it to feel more established. Legendary.

Re: What is the quirkiest thing in your home that you will never give away?

Natasha_L — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:10:24 -0000

It's a quirky habit more than an object...dishes. I have a thing for beautiful dishes. I'd give up a lot of other things, but not this collection. Most are stashed away and a few are used regularly. One day I'll have a fantastic banquet, a last supper, a first supper, something. A collection of oddities, vintage pieces, garage sale, flea market and thrift store finds, carefully chosen and well edited. Is there a job out there that involves hunting for dishes? A dream...

Re: Mary Jaksch asks: What’s your best way of coping with stress?

Natasha_L — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:03:59 -0000

Sometimes it's retreating and sometimes it's spending time with friends...and their pets (since I don't have any of my own)...they always help :)
I find that pushing myself to exercise, get enough sleep and eat well becomes imperative and kind of second nature when I'm stressed.
Fresh air and sun (or at least daylight) always helps...as does a walk in Stanley park...
or the seawall...getting to the beach even in winter...there's something about the ocean that's very medatative and calming.

Re: What kind of friend are you?

Natasha_L — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:31:44 -0000

I read somewhere once that friendhips are like houseplants - they require regular maitenance. That stuck in my head for some reason and I think about it often. Plants I'm not so good with, but I feel like my friendships flourish. I'm a reliable, honest , thoughtful friend. I'd like to be even more generous, an even better listener and a softer place to fall when needed.

Re: What’s the best “how to dress right” tip that you know?

Natasha_L — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:47:07 -0000

Ignore the size. Ignore the label. When you find something you love, buy multiples!

Re: Jonathan Mead asks: What’s right with your life?

Natasha_L — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:16:35 -0000

Where I live - feels like home. My practical new budget - knowledge is power. Income that allows me to enjoy life and invest in myself. A steady job that I've carved out for myself with hard work and a little sacrifice. A constant desire to incorporate exercise into my life and the discipline to do it. The support of family and friends. The ability to create new opportunities and the guts to name new desires.
A few things :)

Re: In this very moment, what are you grateful for? (In no particular order of thanks…)

Natasha_L — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:19:39 -0000

In this moment...butting heads at work...permission to move on...new possibilities...the lesson that you can seemingly have everything but if it's not what you want...it's nothing...time to get clear on what I want...the ability to create a new reality.

Re: What would you be doing if you weren’t watching TV?

Natasha_L — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:46:58 -0000

Reading. Sleeping. Playing a board game. Catching up with someone I've been meaning to see/call. Working out more or getting outside to do something physical - even if it was only a walk arount the neighborhood in the evening. I've lived without a tv before and I'm tempted to do it again - all those shows I thought I couldn't live without seemed so trite and irrelevant and I found other things to do when I needed to zone out - or rest. I love not having one on summer vacation, and never in the bedroom. I did check out Charlie Rose last night - but every time by cable bill comes I wonder if it's worth it.

Re: What’s your favourite thing to watch on TV?

Natasha_L — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:08:29 -0000

to quote someone famous "I stopped watching television when people started putting leeches down their pants"

Re: (Re)Discovering the Beauty of Bread

Natasha_L — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:03:03 -0000

I think this guy used to be in Steveston..? I remember my dad found a place there just like this and was so happy about it...my dad, a 70 year old european who made sure bread was ALWAYS on the table at lunch and dinner - and somehow never had to watch his carbs, hmmm. Makes me so happy to see this guy doing his thing - glad you found him!
N

Re: Patti Digh asks: What would you be doing today if you only had 37 days to live?

Natasha_L — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:37:45 -0000

I'd quit my job. I'd book some plane tickets and convince some people to come with me without telling them the reason why...the 37 days thing (small detail). I'm not sure how much I'd want to write down. When I read things I wrote years ago I think "wow, I've come a long way" so I wouldn't want to stop my space in time...I'd write letters to say thanks, or do it in person. There'd be some skinny dipping, time spent in/on many oceans (maybe I'd try to hit them all), lots of talking, a lot of great meals, time alone...

Re: Patti Digh asks: What would you be doing today if you only had 37 days to live?

Natasha_L — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:12:31 -0000

YES!

Re: What do you collect?

Natasha_L — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:39:17 -0000

Images - magazine tears, photos (mine and others), sketches, artwork, book pages...all organized by theme or inspiration, or hung on the wall in my kind of rotating gallery.
Quotes that speak to me.
Juicy looking/sounding cookbooks!
Jewelery from trips abroad.
Dishes, 2nd hand, new, foreign...most often plates.
Shoes!
Basically anything I LOVE at first sight that I know I'll go to over and over again.

Re: What expert help or advice would you like?

Natasha_L — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:27:20 -0000

I'd love expert, wise advice on my personal finance situation - where and how to invest and budget.
I'd love IT help that was a phone call away, or to find someone willing to come by my house for 30 minutes to an hour once in a while just to tune things up or give a mini tutorial. This would allow me to concentrate and speed through the work at hand instead of spending time trying to figure out something that just isn't second nature or interesting to me. More confidence, trust and efficiency on the computer would feel so much more peaceful and powerful.

Re: What is your favourite form of courtesy that you like to practice?

Natasha_L — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:26:46 -0000

Turning off the cell phone during meals. Or if I forget and leave it on and it rings, apologizing to whoever I'm with and turning it off. I wish this was a more "common" courtesy.