Weekend Review: Snow & Consumerism

This week was short (Thanksgiving Monday) but busy! I spent the evenings studying for a physics test, putting together a Powerpoint presentation, and making measurements on a bajillion PET scans for a research project. Yesterday was a wonderful break: I ran errands, wandered the shops in South Edmonton Common, went to a one year old's birthday dinner, and made it to my night shift by 8 pm -- which was fortunately quiet, so I read some of Patient HM, which distressed me more than the being on call. Here are some things that I've appreciated in the past seven days:

1. first snow -- I spent 24 hours in the hospital basement last weekend and surfaced to find the world (and my car) blanketed in white. We got 10 cm more of big-pretty-flake-type snow two days ago. It's rapidly turning to slush, but for the time being is making it feel extra cosy to be sitting on my couch with coffee and a blanket.
   
   
2. Northern Alberta Breast Cancer Meeting -- On Friday morning I took the train across the river (extra pretty in the snow) to the Union Bank Inn downtown, to attend our annual breast cancer meeting. The Union Bank Inn is this fantastic restored building which, you guessed it, was formerly a bank. The meeting took place in their beautiful ballroom, and -- after I delivered my presentation and was able to calm down -- I enjoyed the rest of the presentations (though am still sore from the Bust A Move fundraising team making us do squats, ack).

   

   in 1912 (source)

   

   today (source)
3. plantain -- Out of curiosity, I bought and fried a plantain. Pretty good.
   
4. Ikea night light -- I had no idea what to get my friends' one-year-old daughter for her birthday yesterday, until I stumbled across this night light at Ikea. You charge it up, then disconnect the power source and put it in your kid's bed. It'll last several hours and changes colour. I secretly want one.
   
5. buying all the things -- I came home yesterday with all kinds of things that I love, but could definitely do without. I'd worked 60 extra hours this past week, so sort of convinced myself it was okay...but can't be making this a habit! Here are my favourites:

   

   Old Navy burnt ochre cardigan -- their tall size fit perfectly; the colour is so gorgeous in person, and goes with everything

   

   Ikea throw -- for $15 the fabric feels nice and heavy and (you can't tell from the picture) has a few different cream/light brown shades in it; they have a grey colour that I also really liked

   

   cinnamon sugar donut candle -- regretted not buying this yesterday, but stopped by Superstore on the way home from the hospital today to grab something else and ended up getting it (on major clearance, from $14 to $3)

   

   Clarks dark grey/black leather riding boots -- a splurge, but will get a lot of use out of these in the months to come

   

   chalkboard -- for $5, I figured what the heck; will have to Pinterest it up -- put a little plant or something on the ledge and try my hand at pretty chalkboard lettering