Everyday Beauty - Leslie

Meet Leslie! 

I met her during my cooking class in Florence. She is from Guatemala, and was taking some time off to travel before starting college. She seemed to be best friends with Ane, and I had to ask if they knew each other before this trip because they seemed that close. They were always giggling, teasing each other and speaking Spanish during class like they've known each other their whole lives. 

It always seemed that Leslie's wide, Julia Roberts' smile and bouncy hair seemed to enter the room before she did. Yet, when she got in front of my camera she really came to life. I didn't have to coax her to be brave. She spun, and smiled and strutted like a real natural. It was then that I really saw that beauty may start off about something external, but it's always about confidence. 

It seems Leslie already knew that. 

Below is the series, one of my favourites yet. Enjoy! x

Final Days of Florence - Travel Diary

When first planning my Italian adventure, five weeks on my own felt like an eternity.

I agonized about every little detail and imagined the worst possible scenarios in each aspect of the trip. However, as per my usual neurosis, the moment I stepped off the plane I was completely enthralled and in love with my new city.

Fast-forward to today, and I can't believe how fast a month went by. It's a strange sensation because while I feel like the time raced by, I also feel like I've been away from Canada for five months, not five weeks. (Also, Happy belated Canada Day!!)

I left Florence on Saturday, and I was surprised at the feeling of melancholy that came over me. As I mentioned, I started to become attached to my routine here, and having the same apartment for a month forced me to get comfortable, more than I could have at a hotel.

Below are the things I will miss...

• Daily gelato - I've become an expert on gelato here in Florence. There is an art to choosing the right place. It is best to avoid the gelaterias that feature giant, brightly coloured mounds of globby ice cream. (These mounds are mostly full of artificial colourings and preservatives). For example: Mint gelato should be white, not green, as mint is naturally white. Always try to find places that are marked "artiginale" or "organico" as they are made with real ingredients and taste 1000% times better. Special mention goes to Grom. 
• Sunset walks by the Arno river. There is really no place more magical or romantic to walk by at night in Florence. (Yes, I just used the words "romantic" and "magical" in the same sentence). 
• Waking up to church bells, and having Chiesa Santa Croce as my backyard  
• The appertivo bars and wine drinking piazzas. Appertivo is a relatively new concept in Italy where you purchase one drink, and then get access to a free dinner/buffet/snack bar. The food is also quite diverse, (no chips or salsa; depending where you go), and it's quite economical. You can have dinner and a drink for $5-7 euro. Special mention to Piazza Santo Spirito (The Brooklyn of Florence as I call it) and Zoe for a vegetarian appertivo.
• All the friends, students and new acquaintances I met throughout the month that gave me a new perspective on life, and who helped me to become more social and outgoing. Special mention to those who showed me around like a true Florentine.
• My roommate Maria who departed for Greece on the same day, and with whom I've found a new best friend across the world. Already plotting my trip to Greece in 2014! 

Lastly, below is my final Firenze photo diary! Enjoy x

Italian Cooking Class - Homemade Tagliatelle

It's been a sweltering week here in Florence (35 degrees everyday) and while I've nearly melted, the highlight of my week was making homemade tagliatelle in cooking class.

We had a new chef in this week, since our original teacher was sick, and chef Dado meant business. While I've documented making homemade pasta on the blog before, this time felt more grueling than usual, as we were without air conditioning in a classroom with one fan.

And yet, while kneading the dough and cutting the ribbons of pasta, I couldn't help but wonder, why go through all this trouble if you can just buy it?

The moment I tasted the results: fresh, light, shiny egg noodles, my opinion changed. You go through all this "trouble" because it tastes a hundred times better than anything you can buy in a bag.

I also feel like I've been putting on some pounds, (more on this preoccupation with weight that I've concluded seems to be very North American) but there is no real way around it. When you're in a cooking class, you eat everything that is prepared. When you're in Italy, you taste everything in sight.

Below are photos from my class! Hope you enjoy them & have a safe and happy weekend! x 

                                 ^^ Apparently this is my pained expression while making pasta

The Roses

Yesterday I visited Giardino Delle Rose, translation: Garden of Roses.

Roses remind me of my best friend Stefania, who has a sleeve of roses on her arm, and who also launched a new website/photography company called, Yellow Rose Portraits.

While you sometimes see her photos on my blog, she also has an impressive portfolio of travel, lifestyle and portrait photography. I took her photo for the "About Me" section of her site, and below is my favourite shot. You can also check out her website here. Congrats Stef!

Now, back to the rose garden.

I huffed and puffed up many steep slopes, and for the first time since being here I was uncomfortably hot. Summer has officially arrived in Florence and my adventures now leave me gleaming in sweat. The rose garden was lovely and although some of the flowers were wilted from the heat, there were plenty more to stare at.

I don't listen to headphones here in Italy (too dangerous) and it seems that my daily walks and explorations are more vivid, and my mind is more alert. The saying, "Stop and smell the roses," is not just a cliche, as I've begun to find a great calm from being around nature lately.

This weekend, I hope you find the sun, a steep hill or something to marvel at. I have a full weekend planned in Tuscany so I will have much to share next week!

Below are my photos from the garden. Enjoy! x.

Everyday Beauty - Maria

If you read Not A Model lately, or browse Instagram you may wonder who takes the few photos that I appear in.

The answer is Maria.

Maria is my new roommate at my Italian apartment in Florence. She is from Thessaloniki, Greece. As I mentioned in a previous post, Maria is a civil engineer, who abandoned that career to follow her artistic passion for making jewelry. She launched her very own brand, called My Precious in Greece and has since been working full time to create her line. (I've already placed my order for a new necklace).

Despite my initial fear of living with strangers in a foreign country, (cue the possible nightmares), Maria is a gift of a roommate. She is thoughtful, funny and kind; the type of person who would always attract new friends. Maria likes to drench herself in bright clothes and accessories, with a girly flair for bows, ribbons and patterned pants. She is statuesque and beautiful, with wide expressive eyes that easily give away her feelings. Italian men love to discount all items for her as she walks by.

Though there is a slight language barrier between us, (she speaks mainly Greek, but also English and a bit of Italian), it seems that talking about relationships (she tells me all about her Greek boyfriend), dessert (she indulges in my gelato fixation) and window shopping (we can't seem to get enough) is universally translatable.

Below are the photos I took. Enjoy! x

Not A Model Weekly Mantra - What Now?

Books seem to be the best companions when travelling solo.

I've only been in Florence for a week, and I've already finished reading three books. Keep in mind this time frame includes my 8.5 hour plane ride and a two hour day trip this past weekend. I am not some freak speed reader.

The latest book I finished reading was, What Now by Ann Patchett. It is a published essay on the commencement speech that Patchett gave at Sarah Lawrence College. The essay includes Patchett's experiences attending her alma mater, working as a waitress and trying to become an author.

It is an essay that provides insight into the question that always seems to pop up when people find themselves at a crossroads. 

That question is, "What Now?"

Seeing as I will be returning to Canada in less than a month, the question "What Now" or "What Next" seems to linger in the air. While I should not be worrying about the future, it is inevitable when spending time solo to begin to analyze one's life path. This essay was a great reminder of the possibilities that lie ahead, not the stress.

Below is a quote from Patchett's essay, and this week's mantra. Enjoy! x

"If you are trying to find out what's coming next, turn off everything you own that has an OFF switch and listen. Make up some plans and change them. Identify your heart's truest desire and don't change that for anything. Be proud of yourself for the work you've done. Be grateful to all the people who helped you do it. [..] You are, every one of you, someone's favourite unfolding story."

The Daily Pleasures - Florence - Travel Diary Part 3

While travelling, expect the unexpected.

Barely a week into my trip, my phone has decided to self-destruct. While I am equipped with other modes of communication, it is a very unsettling feeling to not have your main lifeline of communication thousands of miles across the world. While I enjoy my independence, I do take comfort in the way that technology keeps me tethered to the people back home. Whether it's an email, text or photograph, I need that connection.

Beyond that annoyance, I am relishing in the little moments here in Florence.

Things like: finding the perfect stationery shop; feeling diminutive next to rivers, bridges, sculptures and churches; eating gelato for dinner; drinking red wine on the moonlit evening streets; the way my tongue curls to Italian words; and getting lost, and then found around my living area.

Below are some photos from my first week. This weekend I am off to Cinque Terre!

Happy Weekend! x