For the third year in a row, we’re back with our Proust Questionnaire!  It’s been fun looking back and seeing where we were and where we are now.  If you’re reflecting this week, setting your intentions, making resolutions, I highly recommend answering these questions yourself.  It’s a fun and insightful way to learn about yourself and especially fun to look back on!

1. What’s your idea of perfect happiness?

Peace of mind and freedom

2. What is your greatest fear?

Not living up to my perceived potential.

3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Getting in my own way.

4.  What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Selfishness

5. Which living person do you most admire?

Camila Batmanghelidjh and Geoffrey Canada

6. What is your greatest extravagance?

Travel.  There is nothing more exciting than exploring a new place.

7. What is your current state of mind?

Reflective

8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

I googled virtues because, to be honest, I only really knew a few of them off hand.  I’ve discovered that the list of virtues is long and that ‘meekness’ gets my vote.  Being patient is cool, long-suffering, not so much.

9. On what occasion do you lie?

When it doesn’t matter to tell the truth.  Which is rare.  Or when someone asks me a rude question that is none of their business, for example: how much do you weigh or something incredibly personal.

10. What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Cellulite.  No matter how many lunges I do, it’s still there!

11. Which living person do you most despise?

A person who just spews misery.  More of a type of person than an individual, but you know what I mean…

12. What are qualities you most like in a man?

The ability to listen.  Strength of character.  Confidence.

13. What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Drive, strength and a good sense of self and self worth.

14. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Seriously?  Stop. It.  Amazing!  And I type ‘lol’ far too often.

15. What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Family

16. When and where were you happiest?

In New York, back at school.

17. Which talent would you most like to have?

To sing and dance.  At the same time.  Yup.  But if I could, I would sing and dance everywhere and subsequently loose all of my friends.

18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I find I occasionally do things out of guilt.  I would change that.

19. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

In the last year, going back to school and getting and A.  Whoop!

20. If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what would it be?

A boy.  Somehow knowing what it’s like to be a girl.

21. Where would you most like to live?

L.A. If my family lived their too,

22. What is your most treasured possession?

My engagement ring.

23. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

To be so unhappy with yourself that you work at bringing others down with you.

24. What is your favourite occupation?

Writer

25. What is your most marked characteristic?

My huge open mouth laugh.  It’s big and lion like.  Scary…

26. What do you most value in your friends?

That their always there.  Always.

27. Who are your favourite writers?

That’s like asking what my favourite movie is.  But I will stick with Zadie Smith & Zoe Heller because their works stay with me.

28. Who is your hero of fiction?

Lisbeth Salander.

29. Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Sticking to my story of not being able to identify with strangers…

30. Who are your heroes in real life?

Good teachers.  There is nothing more important or instrumental in a child’s development.  It’s a pretty thankless job, but at the same time, a powerful one.

31. What are your favourite names?

Hudson, Harper, Woodsworth, Olivier, Luca, Stella, Jackson, Valerie

32. What is it that you most dislike?

People who don’t listen and bad manners in general.

33. What is your greatest regret?

Not living in the moment.

34. How would you like to die?

Loved

35. What is your motto?

Life is a collection of moments.  Make them memorable by being present.

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Love and laughter and living in the moment – the feeling of not wanting to be anywhere but where you are at that point in time.

2. What is your greatest fear?

Public speaking and abandoned or broken down buildings.  Coco always hears me say “I’m scared” when we pass a boarded or demolished building.  Not sure where that fear came from.  Past life maybe?

3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Procrastination

4. What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Closed-mindedness

5. Which living person do you most admire?

Still the Dalai Lama

6. What is your greatest extravagance?

Travel.  It’s a great escape full of fun and adventure!

7. What is your current state of mind?

Excitement for 2012 – not sure where it will bring me but I have a great feeling.

8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Celibacy

9. On what occasion do you lie?

When it won’t directly affect but may hurt others.

10. What do you most dislike about your appearance?

My waist

11. Which living person do you most despise?

No one in general, but I despise bullies.

12. What are the qualities you most like in a man?

Presence and style, honest and initiative.

13. What quality do you most like in a woman?

Class, elegance, grace and presence.

14. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

I swear a lot.  That’s got to stop this year!

15. What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Still a good question….

16. When and where were you happiest?

I’m always very clear minded on planes.  Maybe it’s the detachment from communication (although wifi is taking over now) or being up in the clouds

17. Which talent would you most like to have?

To be able to sing.

18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

My stress level at times.

19. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

The money I saved this year.

20. IF you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Trying my life all over again knowing what I know would be really fun.

21. Where would you most like to live?

My desire for houses in TO, LA, London and NY hasn’t changed.

22. What is your most treasured possession?

A pair of earrings my mom gave me.

23. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Drug addiction.

24. What is your favourite occupation?

I still think branding is the best occupation.

25. What is your most marked characteristic?

My name.

26. What do you most value in your friends?

Encouragement, generosity, the tight bond and connection we have.

27. Who are your favourite writers?

This year has been full of reading textbooks – not my favourite type of reading, but that’s what I’ve been reading.

28. Who is your hero in fiction?

Hmmm… Not sure.

29. Which historical figure do you most identify with?

I still think it’s hard to identify with someone you don’t know.

30. Who are your heroes in real life?

Single moms

31. What are your favourite names?

Brinkley, Celeste, Colette

32. What is it you most dislike?

Wet socks! I can’t stand stepping in water with socks on?

33. What is your greatest regret?

Opportunities missed.

34. How would you like to die?

Old and accomplished.

35. What is your motto?

YOLO..  Juuuuust kidding.  It’s to ‘GET IT DONE”.  This year is about putting in work and focusing my energies on the bigger picture.

 Stay tuned for the rest of the Coco & Lowe Fam’s answers coming up!

Former NFL player Chris Draft married his girlfriend Keasha Ruteleage on November 27.  Sadly she died just four weeks later on December 27th from lung cancer.  Below is a collection of beautiful clips from their wedding.

Keasha & Chris Draft Wedding Trailer from KRJ PRODUCTIONS on Vimeo.

“Strong is too pale, too shallow and too small of a word to describe Keasha’s vibrancy… Quite simply, she was ferocious. She fiercely held onto life, and love with a forcefulness that was absolutely awe-inspiring and completely breathtaking. Rest in peace, Mrs. Draft.” 

Chris Draft

This video is just a reminder of how precious life is. Really living every moment is definitely on my list of resolutions…

xo,
coco

We’re getting to the final leg before the main event.  Christmas is less than a week away,  it’s time to start wrapping!

For the sake of the environment, I always like the idea of wrapping gifts in newspaper or magazines.  If you add ribbon, or fancy tape, your gifts can come out looking even better than real wrapping paper.

Whole Living suggests using inexpensive kraft paper and adding your own homemade ribbons made from old magazines.  Check out the tutorial HERE

I love The Glitter Guide’s idea to simply add glittery ribbon.  Simple and stunning!

A Creative Mint suggests using grocery bags, graph paper and some fun add ons.

I always forget about gift tags and scramble at the last minute.  Luckily, Sass & Peril and Jones Design Company have these super cute gift tags that you can download and print from your own computer!

No last minute runs to Shoppers Drug Mart for me!  Download the PDF  for Sass & Peril HERE and for Jones Design Company HERE

Hope you’re all enjoying your week so far!

xo,

coco

My first job in retail was at The United Colors of Benetton.  I was totally psyched when I got the job because I was actually obsessed with their ad campaigns (like the one pictured above) and as soon as I got enough seniority I would ask if I could keep their promo posters when the season was over.  My room was littered with them, most shocking and some cute (the images from their children’s line were always ridiculously adorable).

Benetton made a name for themselves by pushing the boundaries of the ‘politically correct’ and I’m super pumped that they’re back at it again with this brilliantly engaging campaign – unhate.

Obama kissing Chavev?  Sarcozy and Merkel?  Crazy yes, but crazier is the idea that politicians and well, humans in general, perpetually behave like babies constantly neglecting the bigger picture.  This may be controversial, but we all need a good shake up sometimes…

see more HERE
xx,
coco

I’m creating a new home office and am looking for inspiration… So far here are some looks that I love:

Wallpaper has come a long way since my pre-adolescent insistence to paper my entire room in Laura Ashley floral.  I think it was around the age of 15 that I swore to my mother (who was obviously to blame for whatever I could possibly pin on her) that I would  “Like never, EVER choose wallpaper again!!!”  But now that I’ve calmed down (and grown up) I think I might have come back around to the idea of it.  Maybe not the entire room (baby steps) but an accent wall like the ones pictured above and below might be a cool feature- there are so many fun options!

A place for an inspiration board is a must and the idea of it  broken up onto clip boards looks so pretty and organized!  Maybe a little too organized for me…

That table (above) is TDF!  Not sure how I feel about a desk facing my closet, but that may have something to do with the fact that my closet looks nothing like that….  Gorge!

I love the idea of incorporating a mirror somehow.

And then there’s the ever timeless and always chic black and white.

What are your must have’s for an at home office?

xx,

coco

images via pinterest