This year itself has presented a lot of changes in my life. It was a year that I decided to quit my job in Calgary, pack up, ship my cat via Air Canada Cargo, and drive across country to move back in with my parents; leave a relationship that I knew was going nowhere and basically – start over – again. I did and ended up quitting that job too, starting my own business and diving head deep into freelance designing and programming. How much has changed in a year? Basically everything – right down to my hair colour and style (I’ve got the “ombre” hair look made famous and popular via Sarah Jessica Parker and Lily Aldrige). And I feel great.

I sit in front of my current vision board in my office and smile every time I see it. Mostly because focusing on the things, feelings and experiences I’ve put out there and on that vision board have been coming true. It’s not surprising because that’s what’s supposed to happen, after all! Just exciting, which keeps my mood up – which is always a good thing.

I’ve been attending a lot of events, missing out on some other ones and wishing I knew about even more. Lately, I went to Boobyball Flash 2010 – a fundraiser that helped to create awareness for breast cancer in younger women, with a whole lotta drag; the 2nd anniversary of Lush & Lavish Salon and Spa at 200 Ossington in the Queen West area – where I purchased a couple of new anti-aging face products (I have to deal with the fact that the age is creeping up there at some point) from http://www.eminenceorganics.com/ and a facial package from Carol at Lush. I can’t wait. Okay – so many I haven’t been to so many events, but I’ve been thinking about them.

Somehow, in the midst of all this work and networking, I do need to sleep.

On location at The Georgian Grill in Balm Beach, Ontario, Lindsey Drennan asked me to come on the fashion shoot set after the location was scouted three months prior. Three hours into make up and hair prep, a stylist; videographer; photographer; model; makeup artist and creative director (plus me: location scout!) have eaten more than their fair share of bacon cheeseburgers and Poutine and were finally ready to shoot the first of eight different looks to appear in Filler Magazine this fall.

There are a few families who look on wide-eyed at the elegantly dressed and misplaced woman standing in the middle of a Skeeball machine wearing heels that look like they’d crack the ankle of anyone else who’d dare try them on. ‘What’s going on?’ they probably wonder, and stare at us all as if we were aliens in this very calm, unoriginal place. They are probably shocked because, like me, are unaware of the behind the scenes efforts of a fashion shoot. Lighting, accessories, costume changes; and of course, hairspray efforts, are just a fraction of the effects that go into the perfect fashion photograph. I’ve been privy to Lindsey’s previous photo shoots in the past, even being her lighting subject and subsequent ‘model’ for one of them, but I’ve never been so intertwined with one of the shoots as I am with this one. It’s a surreal experience in all actuality. Probably the same surrealism that the very same model – now wearing couture with comfort and ease – did when she stepped on the set of her first shoot.

For me, it’s surreal because I’m not merely here as Emilia Farrace. I’m here as Simply Elaborate Things – this brand new personal web project I’m starting that features exciting and extraordinary experiences in and around the city of Toronto. Being able to realize that the fruits of my labour are slowly coming together is a crazy thing to have happen. It’s a dream coming true.

As I’ve been chatting away with my fellow companions, it’s easy to see that this shoot isn’t only a dream coming into reality for me, but for everyone involved. Everyone had a dream of doing what they’re doing this exact moment. As all the occupations of the people at this shoot aren’t careers that merely get ‘fallen into’ – they take hard work and are often given up on.

We all have dreams. Things we would do if we somehow won the lottery. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and be introduced to many people who are following their dreams, despite the lack of lottery winnings. These are the people who take risks. These are the people who focus on the bigger picture – that bigger dream- because of passion. A passion for something bigger than they could ever imagine – because of faith. Having faith in something bigger than anything physical because of hope. Hope that all the middle of the night brainstorming sessions, extra shifts at work and dedication eventually mean something to someone more than just your parents. And they do.

As the most important thing realized throughout this whole ordeal is that we are here to inspire each other, to help each other – not merely ourselves – because the fact of the matter is that we all need one another. Whether it’s advice, material or even a loan. We teach each other that things aren’t always what they seem; for every minute of success, comes a year of preparation and a photograph is never just a photograph.

Lindsey Drennan’s photographs will appear in the Fall issue of Filler Magazine. To see other work by Drennan, click on http://lindseydrennan.com and watch out for her editorial spread in the November issue of FLARE Magazine.

Since then, we’ve followed his band Down By Riverside on MySpace and followed him and his brothers playing around the city at Supermarket in Kensington on Sunday and at The 460 last night where Henry and a few of his brothers played music all night to celebrate his birthday (the youngster turned a whopping 20 years old).

While I can’t speak on Lindsey’s behalf, I can speak on mine and say that this guy has sparked back the inspiration that I’ve severely needed this last little bit. Henry walks through life not needing much more than his blue guitar and a pick. Choosing to perform most of his sets barefoot at open mic nights around the city, and subsequently on the curbs outside said establishments because his devote followers can’t get enough and want more, Henry is a bit of a local celebrity in downtown Toronto – a small celebrity, but one nonetheless. Humbled as he sang through his set last night, clearly shocked, amazed and appreciative of all his friends making it out to celebrate, his calm, idle smile he usually carries was a wide grin as his fingers strummed his guitar and his voice cooed his Jack Johnson-like rhythm lyrics.

Living in this cutthroat world can make finding inspiration rather difficult at times. The competition to always get ahead, be first, have the life society wants can be draining and often de-motivating. Where I stand in my life right now, smack dab in the middle between creative freelancer and corporate entity, it’s difficult to constantly make sure I’m inspired and motivated. Having the corporate world stare down at me while I go against the norms is a little daunting, scary and risky. But when you really think about it, aren’t those the same things that make the end result that much better?

I’m amazed the most at the way Henry seems to go through and against the societal norms with ease and without expectation. He carries himself with love and acceptance of those around him (“peace, a better world is possible” is his current status on Facebook). No judgment, anger or jealousy. He owns no cell phone, but everyone knows how to get a hold of him and where he’s going to be. He takes donations wherever he plays in Toronto, not for his livelihood but for organizations that are in need (last night’s donations were for flood victims of Pakistan). He canvasses during the day for wildlife organizations and charities and is just happy. It’s a type of personality and lifestyle that one can find envious.

Instead of being envious, however, we can use experiences we have in life to inspire us, help us realize and remember that each and every one of us are different and help this world in different ways. And it’s pretty amazing when you find that inkling of inspiration. Go find yours.

Henry Nozuka plays alongside his brother Christian every Sunday at Supermarket in Kensington Market and other establishments around the city, say hello and he’ll gladly tell you where you can find him playing throughout the week.

I went to bed earlier than I have on a Sunday in a really long time. Just because I was tired, and I was bored but I couldn’t help but wonder, as I stared at the slanted ceiling of my new room, why I wanted to do this. To take hold once again, a glimpse of the life I had back in Calgary. Complete independence, proximity to (almost) everyone I know and freedom. A few things that I haven’t even gone without since I’ve been back anyway. Yet, my stubborn head brought me here, with a “Toronto” address, Alberta plates, and Mississauga P.O. Box and a life of vacations and adventures.

Without a photo on the wall, but a photograph of the Manchester Ferris wheel, a birthday gift from my sister one year, and a couple of new cute black boxes from IKEA which now hold my make up – a bed frame made without the metal bars, so a mattress sitting in the middle of it with no support, I lay there, for now, wondering in an empty room.

Has summer officially started? Well, it’s 9 PM before it gets dark, so it seems like it. Only time will tell what kind of summer it’ll be.

The end result (one of):

I’m really excited to see the rest of them! Perfect for my new website that’s currently in the works. I need some updated professional shots! And now I have them. A quiet night turned a little longer than expected and I wasn’t home and in bed until about 3 am only to wake up the next afternoon ready and waiting for my impending lunch date with Keisha – always a lovely catch up.

My Saturday night began back at Lindsey’s where the girls all got ready and drank some lovely wine – always a plus! Lindsey detailed the evening perfectly in her recount of the evening at Mercatto.

We got called the Canadian version of Sex and the City, many, many times:

We unfortunately didn’t get the amount of polaroids that Lindsey had intended, but the night was a huge success anyway. Ended off at Brooklyn on Queen for a quick cocktail, I was on my way home by 1 AM feeling a bit older at my exhaustion and cramped feet.

Sunday was filled with friends, beer and a Blue Jays game, which proved to be a small preview of what this summer is probably going to be like living with the girls in the Annex this summer: Fabulous.

All in all, it was just one of those weekends. A weekend I hadn’t expected nor planned for (every single thing I did this weekend was planned on Friday night with the exception of Saturday night girls dinner). It was one of those weekends when you hang out with true friends and realize who they are. Getting over disagreements and growing up. A weekend of first “I love yous” for some and for others, first drunk texts that weren’t full of hatred and disappointment. It was a weekend that made me full of hope and excitement for the summer. Who can’t love that?

Unfortunately, my nerves kicked in and I felt largely unprepared for what felt like a big test. Simple words I’ve known my whole life escaped me and I was left sitting there, my mind blank, nervous. However, unlike other Italian outings my heritage finds myself in – where I am called out by old Italian men at my lack of knowledge on the language, despite my father being so heavily involved in the promotion of Italy in general – I was encouraged, assisted and complimented on the fact that I was even there. It definitely created a sense of relief at in my attendance. The feelings didn’t help my lack of knowledge on the language, though. You see, when you’re meeting people for the first time and tell them stories about things that have happened in your life – you use a lot of past tense. Oh the past tense, a lovely new set of verbs, conjugation (or as I like to call them – “word endings”) and irregular verbs that have to be memorized in addition to everything else. Past tense wasn’t a unit I excelled in in my Italian classes. Mostly because I didn’t take Italian classes long enough throughout university to even get to them. Every two words, it felt like, I had to stop and ask what a word meant in Italian and how to conjugate it and then figure out if it was a dialect or proper Italian. Prompting me to hardly remember what the story I was telling was about in the first place.

At around ten, my friend and I left and ended up taking in Hemingways in Yorkville for a drink and ended up sharing life stories – which can seem pretty amazing and crazy when you’re summing them up in five minute intervals. We patrolled the surroundings to judge whether there were cute boys or not (yes and no) and dared each other to create random conversations with the ones who proved to be the most endearing at first glance.

We failed. Mostly, though, because of laziness. Getting into our old age, we were both afraid of sparking conversations with cute boys because my Heineken was making me yawn and her boyfriend kept texting to ask what time she was coming over. It proved to be a different night than most of the ones I’ve had lately – and for that I was grateful.

Grateful to be included in such an evening that didn’t feel adolescent, drama filled or weird. It was random, but randomly planned.

And it was nice.

For instance, the night of Thursday, May 27th has sequestered itself among three events I want to attend:

1) Strut for a Cure

A night promised to make everybody speak out against Cancer while listening to Dragonette and meeting others in the industry. Plus, the swag bag you get once you leave isn’t bad either. Mostly, it’s just the type of thing I’m loving about living in Toronto. Being able to go to these fundraisers and parties and network my butt off. Problem: I may be dumb, but I scoured that website and could not for the life of me find out when the event starts that Thursday. Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem but for someone attempting to plan “a night of a million stops” it is.

2) Carassauga: Mississauga’s Festival of Culture

Of course it has to be the first night my father’s extracurricular activity, FCAM, actually does something that will interact with the community by promoting the integration of the Molise culture in Canada and I have this prior commitment and urge to attend Strut for a Cure instead. Which leaves me feeling guilty. I did, however, design this snazzy advertisement to be included in Carassauga’s 25th Anniversary special edition commemorative magazine they’ll be handing out at the show. The AD itself was inspired by the work my friend and sometimes partner, Emily Bachor of Whylime Design does at Where Calgary magazine.

She’s made me a big fan of the opacity button:

You may think this is no big deal, not being able to attend the opening ceremonies of the Carassauga weekend, as it’s just that – a weekend event. However, this brings me to the dear old commitment number three.

3) Bridal Shower in Windsor, Ontario

My dear, dear friend is getting married. Yay (it’s a sincere yay). But instead of taking up one of my weekends that consist of me waking up at noon and reading PostSecret all day, I will be sitting at a table with other twentysomething friends becoming misty eyed at the thought of my friend getting her happy beginning and me wondering if I’ll have a date by the time her wedding comes around in August – or if I’ll even want one. Problem: It’s basically an entire weekend of visiting and busyness that I’ll have absolutely no time for …

4) Sex and the City 2 Premiere

Now, I know this may sound crazy, with all the fantastic prior engagements I’ve just listed to end off with my disappointment that I will not be able to watch the continuation of the best show ever made followed by the best movie sequel to a TV series ever made but I am. I am disappointed. Mostly, however, because of spoilers. I won’t be able to take it. In addition to reading PostSecret every Sunday, I have this odd, unnatural habit of checking out TheMovieSpoiler.com to see what happens at the end of the latest blockbusters just released. It sort of reminds me of Billy Crystal’s monologue in When Harry Met Sally about being so dark that he reads the end of novels before he starts in case he dies so he’ll always know how it ends.

Problem: even if I successfully remove myself from being tempted to log on, I know it’ll be all around me. When will the next opportunity come that I can see the movie before I read about what happens in the tabloids? In 2008, when the first movie came out, I had to block my sister from my MSN list because she had gotten home from watching the big premiere (she lives in the United Kingdom and had the pleasure of seeing it a full eight hours before I did) and wanted to gush about how amazing it was. She’s like that.

All in all, I think I may just be whining about unnecessary things. But I can’t help it – I want to do it ALL!!!!

Which, in case you don’t know me personally, is exactly what I’ll end up doing.

Two words, many, different enormous meanings. I’ve always been a fan the latest social media trend and always interested in the amazing ways it’s utilized within our society. I sporadically become fascinated with learning about them and figuring out how it changes the way people communicate with each other. It’s like I’m writing an essay every time I do this, but I can’t help it.

I used to be told this made me “creepy”. What was the point? What does it matter – you’re not living your life. Okay, so it never really got to intervention status, but my knowledge of computers, technology and love for social networking has definitely put me in hot water with friends, family and boyfriends in the past.

Recently, I’ve been in touch with so many people from my past, in my line of work, or just – random, interesting people. I find it invigorating. This connection I’m able to sustain with them when I don’t have time to breathe throughout the day. I’m busy. I’m working. I’m building websites. I’m researching businesses. I’m calling businesses. I’m calling people. I’m making PowerPoints. I’m grabbing my fifth coffee of the day – whatever. All the while communicating with all these people, the city I live in, the city I used to live in, potential clients, new clients, old friends, new friends, you get the idea.

I feel as though I’ve been awakened recently, however. As I discovered a world in which other people don’t find it creepy. In fact, if you were to use the term to describe their actions – they’d be ten hundred times creepier than I could ever hope to achieve! It’s great!

Where have I been, honestly, with fighting twitter for so long? Why did I bother? I know the answer to this; it was because I was told it was wrong. Weird. Impersonal. Secretly, I knew the answer – it’s not. It’s evolution of communication. I learned all about it. Personally, I’m kind of pissed off that I’m not in school while all of these changes are going on because I feel as though I’d rock it on my essays on communication in the new media world. I would rock them. Then again, I get to experience it now – and not feel guilty that I’m wasting my time on “useless” sites instead of studying for my upcoming exam.

I’ve been trained to feel guilty about these sites – that’s really it. It begins with the notion that social media is a waste of time, this notion that stems from people who are afraid of change. Afraid of these 24 year old kids bored on a Friday night getting these ridiculous ideas that work out and five years later have books written about them calling them “The Accidental Billionaires”.

Maybe social media is a waste of time for some people, but not for me. It’s bringing me back from a bit of a down spell and opening my eyes to all the different opportunities there are out there. All the people there are to meet. All the things there are to learn.

And who doesn’t love a twitter mention every now and again? It makes my heart flutter, just a tiny bit. So maybe that’s a bit creepy. I’m okay with that.