Inspiration | May 23

May 23, 2014
by Stephanie Pellett
3 min read
Add Comment

?? ??

Instant perspective when you’re having a bad day.

My new favourite Instagram account, if only because it’s trying to expose all the fake, perfectly curated lives that we see on social media. I’ve personally been thinking about this a lot lately and it’s been bothering me more and more. “People buy a box of macarons, or doughnuts, or an ice cream. They photograph it in front of some big landmark, like the Eiffel Tower and it’s like, Boom, I’ve got a successful Instagram post!”

A few years ago, one of our favourite restaurants in Montreal, Nantha’s, closed down. Happily, the chef Nantha Kumar is back! My friend Jake wrote a great profile of him and what he’s been up to, and it made me want to be back in Montreal again, pronto. Summers in Montreal are magic on another level and the article gave me big pangs of nostalgia. This will be the first summer in 3 years that I won’t spend in that beautiful place.

Dylan wrote about our beautiful sunset cruise last Sunday and simultaneously coined the term “sunset gratitude” which I couldn’t love more if I tried.

I don’t think I’ll ever need to stop reminding myself of this sentiment. “Let’s all say, “way to go” more often. Let’s be proud of each other, proud of ourselves and most importantly, content with the gift of our lives, right now and in this moment. It’s all too short and too fleeting to spend one more moment thinking you’re anything less than amazing.”

I’m sorry, but Joy the Baker made fancy jello shots. (I’m not sorry.)

Automating your life + batch processing = more time for the things you really care about. Awesome advice for mastering your mornings and your life.

“Don’t be cool. Ask stupid questions. Stay up late.” Yes and yes.

Two Instagram accounts I’ve been loving lately: @lerause is a friend of mine from when I lived in Montreal, and he takes such stunning photos of the city. @bakersroyale_naomi posts photos of food that make me feel like the cookie monster.

Some oldies-but-goodies: heart-shaped nail art (for your wall, not your fingers), today be gentle.

***

This weekend is shaping up to be a quiet one. I’ll be starting it off with some beach yoga (I’m so glad it’s becoming a routine for Saturday mornings), and maybe trying to learn how to surf! You can see what I get up to as always by following me on Instagram @lifeinlimboblog. Have an awesome weekend!

PS. I’m re-starting my monthly newsletter! It’ll go out by email on the last Friday of every month with the highlights from that month on the blog. If you’re not usually a frequent blog reader, this might be a good option for you if you want to see what I’m up to. You can join the newsletter here and when you do I’ll send you a copy of my Happy Life Manifesto! Thanks for reading.

Pullman Wine Bar

November 21, 2011
by Stephanie Pellett
5 min read
2 Comments

I don’t usually post restaurant reviews on my blog, because I like to keep the content I post non region-specific. However, I love Montreal, so from now on I’ll be posting the occasional review of local hotspots. You can find the collection of these posts under the category name “Montreal”.

Nestled in between a massive hotel reconstruction and a hot new New York City style cafe, Pullman bar a vin is a bit of a hidden gem. A recent informal poll of the local student population revealed that about 50% don’t even know it’s there, despite its location directly across the street from one of the major grocery stores in the area. Granted, from the outside it doesn’t really look like much, the interior is usually fairly dark and all that distinguishes the restaurant is a simple white sign. Step inside, though, and you’re greeted with a massive, sparkling chandelier made of stemware. The lights are low, the music is pumping, and the atmosphere is bubbling with conversation and clinking glasses.

Continue reading

TEDxMcGill: Redefining Reality

November 14, 2011
by Stephanie Pellett
9 min read
8 Comments

Yesterday I was thrilled to attend TEDxMcGill 2011. I’ve always been a huge fan of the TED community, and being able to go to the conference in my city two years in a row has been an an amazing experience. If you have an “X” conference where you live, I couldn’t encourage you more to take the opportunity to go and discover all the great ideas that your community is spreading and soaking up.

I would try and convince you to go, but I’ll hold back from telling you why it’s worth it. Hopefully by not desperately trying to convince you, it’ll ensure that those who do go are 100% enthusiastic and committed to the TED experience and are more than happy to donate their money and their whole day to the cause.

If you’re not familiar with the world of TED, get familiar! (This intro video for TEDxAmsterdam is pretty amazing too.)

The tagline of the organization is “ideas worth spreading”, and I’ve never failed to be either inspired, intrigued, informed or opened up after watching any of the talks. The “x” means “independently organized event”, and they’re held all over the world. The most creative and innovative people come together – people from art, science, philanthropy, engineering, healthcare – and share their ideas, and I find that process one of the most inspiring there is. What could be more beautiful than the sharing of ideas? It’s what makes us human.

Yesterday’s event was no different from my past experiences with TED. This year’s theme was redefining reality, and the speakers team really did an amazing job of organizing the talks into 3 sessions that mirror the process of how we can go about redefining our reality. While I enjoyed every single one of the talks, I want to focus on the ones that left the greatest impression so that I can keep this short and sweet! You can check out the rest of the speakers & their ideas here.

Continue reading

Summer Scenes

July 14, 2011
by Stephanie Pellett
2 min read
2 Comments

  1. The most incredible lunch, at Jean Talon market
  2. Favourite delivery food, eaten curbside with M
  3. Soul Rebels Brass Band at the Montreal International Jazz Festival
  4. A flypass in honour of the Royals visiting Ottawa
  5. My little housewarming party, complete with fruit-filled sparkling sangria and wonderful friends
  6. Battling live lobster
  7. Pints of cider at the perfect window seat, on Canada Day
  8. The fireworks display from Major’s Hill
  9. Remnants of outstanding nachos
  10. An espresso at one of many Starbucks runs

Life has lately been a blur of picture-perfect scenes, not all of which I’ve been able to capture on film. Between work, moving into a new apartment, running errands and spending time with friends, my blog (as well as various other beloved hobbies) appears to have fallen by the wayside. I am experiencing severe blog guilt, but can’t seem to find an hour to just sit down and write. I hope you’ll accept my photo journal as a suitable replacement – at least until I get my act back together.

You might be happy to note that I’ve been ticking things off my summer bucket list, which, to me at least, indicates that I’m actually out there living, instead of just sitting around writing about it. Does that count for something?

This is the best summer of my life, by far. I hope that yours is equally wonderful.

What memories have you made these last few months?