Ana Alic

Hey friends! We just finished filming Bicyclette Boutique’s first short film 90 days. The team cannot wait to release the film at the end of this month and in the mean time here are some behind the scenes photos of our shoot! 

a little taser of inspiration photos for this weekends film shoot, 90 days. 

I am inspired by a sports illustrated model, yes its weird but true! I have been a fan of Kate for a while now. I really got to know her work when I was doing my own character research for a film I did back in January (Anti Social) and she definitely had an influence on me. I found her to be very authentic, confident and unapologetic of her viral videos, she even started a dougie style video on set. The thing I loved most about her was her pride in her body which strayed from the typical high fashion look. In fact she made me feel better about my body! And that self assurance has landed her on the June cover of Vogue, a feat many models do not get to accomplish. She proves that no matter what people say or in her case write about you its always better to be yourself and own who you are, no matter how much it might not fit into society, something I am trying to keep in mind with my acting. 

I have always been interested in beauty products. Over the past couple years I have made a conscious effort to really think about what I put on my skin and how to preserve my skin. I am a big advocate in less in more! and the more I read the labels of some skin products the more I realize there is so much unnecessary things I am putting on my skin. Your skin absorbs everything you put on it and it definitely affects your heath and its preservation. For a while I have felt safe with the organic line Juice Beauty and have really noticed a difference in the look and feel of my skin, not to mention its anti-aging properties (Im still young but I want my skin to look young forever!!). But lately I have wanted to simplify it even more, which is why I decided to try out making my own! I am on a quest to make a simple, organic and amazing moisturizer and cleanser. For the moisturizer I am mixing only three ingredients:

-argan oil : great for hair and skin, natural moisturizer with amazing anti-aging properties

-rosehip seed oil: a rare find but totally worth the search, amazing for regeneration of damaged skin

-lavender: the scent is amazing and relieves stress, also a great skin healer and can be used on all skin types!

I am also working on making a body butter moisturizer which will also only use three ingredients, all organic as well. There is definitely a process to making this but totally worth the effort. 

I can’t wait to mix and try different essential oils and make specific formulations for me and my friends! 

I must have been a gypsy and/or australian. I have always had a wandering spirit and have longed for the day I get to explore aussie land. Who knew I could find one brand that combines both loves: Spell and the gypsy collective are everything I LOVE about fashion wrapped up into one fringe vest. LOVE everything. 

Lately the only thing that has kept me awake way past my bed time is writing. I am not at liberty to discuss what I have been writing but it has been my favourite work I have done to date. The character I am writing (for myself to play of course) is fearless and determined, she comes from a broken past yet she is not broken, not in the slightest. She inspires me to be stronger and to fight harder for what I believe in. She also keeps a book of quotes and song lyrics by her bed, for a rainy night or to inspire her. I found this quote and decided to make it part of her scene:

“be not the slave of your own past, plunge into the sublime seas, dive deep and swim far, so you shall come back with self-respect, with new power, with an advanced experience that shall explain and overlook the old.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

These words lead me into the new year with a new sense of purpose and self-worth. Who you can become has no dependency to who you were. We can all start fresh and we can all let go of the things that held us back. We will never forget but we can forgive ourselves for the mistakes we have made. I have learned to take things day by day, my problems don’t need to be solved overnight but they can be in time.

may we all posses the courage to “dive deep and swim far”

sassyfras is an amazing photography company that i have been following for a while and they just released their gypsy inspired wedding shoot. I am in love with every photo and wanted to share some. To see the full post check out their stellar blog .

I am so excited for 2013. I don’t think I have ever been this excited for a new year. As I am growing older and hopefully wiser I have realized it takes time to establish yourself and really set down some roots. This past year has been a year of growth and change. I moved back to the city of Toronto, I signed with an incredible agent and I worked my buns off taking classes and finding jobs that will suit my lifestyle. 2012 was a year of learning and I allowed myself to take the time I needed to work at my craft. I feel more confident than ever to take on 2013 and I feel like its my year to break out and really start making an impact in my career. I am launching new projects, collaborating with new people and even getting a new roommate! Things are changing and for once I’m embracing them and celebrating each day. 

And when the eve of December 31st comes I am ready to celebrate this year in style. What are you excited about for the new year? And I don’t mean resolutions (because I don’t believe in them) I believe in progressive change and positive growth, whenever that may come and in whatever form. Cheers to a new year!

Sometimes we forget how important it is to give back as we get caught up in our own lives. This can be a very stressful time for some families which makes it even more imperative to volunteer. I remember the last time I volunteered was in high school (definitely been too long) and I worked on the rehab floor of a hospital. I was in charge of baking and crafting with the patients who were working on rehabilitation and most often it was the elderly who had suffered a stroke. Around the holidays I would put on some Bing Crosby, bake some gingerbread and listen to their amazing stories. I learned so much from these amazing people who were working so hard to regain the use of their arms or legs, something we often take for granted. Looking back at my teenage self I realize how much more I received from just listening and watching their bravery. 

BlogTO did an amazing post about the volunteer opportunities there are around the holidays. Even if you cannot donate money there are so many things you can do by donating your time, check it out http://www.blogto.com/city/2012/12/10_volunteer_options_during_the_holidays_in_toronto/

…when it comes to relationships. No I was not talking about music, even though I’m a huge fan. And yes we both seem to be strong willed, creative, determined types. So maybe we do have more in common than just the relationship thing. And obviously I don’t know the girl personally but this is what I have gathered from nothing her from her fame and fandom. But she recently said something in cosmo magazine that seemed very familiar to me and it got me thinking. Heres what she had to say: On relationships: “How to make them last. I’ve never had a really long relationship, so I have no idea what that’s like. Wish me luck for the future!” So why do I think we can relate, well three things: we fall hard, we fall fast and we are looking for something rare. 

Now I usually don’t write anything on relationships in my blog posts because its usually something I like to keep in my script writing, inspiration for my stories (and boy do I have tons of stories). But I thought it would be fun and adventurous to dive into this topic. I have noticed this trend with a lot of my single female friends.  There are so many driven, talented, beautiful, creative and successful women that seem to have it all but have a hard time finding good men! but why is that the case? Shouldn’t guys be flocking to these types of girls? ya know the girls that are drama free and have their shit together? Maybe its the result of living in a big city, or maybe the career that i have chosen or maybe its a shift in our culture. What happened to the good old days when a guy would be smitten, politely ask you out, wine and dine and court you while remaining a gentleman and then fall head over heels? Can we bring that part of the 1950s back please! Even just for one night. Until then I’m on team Taylor. 

Just came back from a very spirited audition where I had to portray a cheerleader (life long dream) so I am in a very peppy mood to say the least. And as much fun as some auditions may be I have definitely learned that you cannot wait for opportunities to come to you, you have to make it happen yourself, thats the only way you can guarantee success. 

Recently I participated in a 48 hour film challenge. Take a group of young and motivated filmmakers, give them a genre and a total of 48 hours, add some actors who are meeting each other for the first time with no knowledge of the script till the morning of and you have yourself  a challenge. What was amazing to watch while we raced to finish filming our scenes on time so that editing can begin was the comradery of everyone involved. It was like “one for all and all for one” or however that saying goes, because everyone wanted to complete the same goal and everyone believed it could be achieved. Believing anything is possible with the support of the group and creating something for yourself was all the key ingredients we needed to make an amazing and beautiful film. It pushed us past the obstacles and it made us creative in the face of a time constraint. We MADE IT HAPPEN because we had to there was no other option, we only had 48 hours! That was a huge lesson in getting things done. Sometimes we think we need all this time and money and names behind a project to make it great but the truth is we don’t. We need our creativity and resilience but most of all we NEED to believe in ourselves. If you believe whole hardly in what you are trying to accomplish there is no way others won’t believe in you too. So stop procrastinating and perfecting and just start doing. 

Now I am going to start writing my script, I have a deadline and a dream, its time to make it happen!

Sometimes I wish my future self was my best friend and we would go for coffee and she could give me advice. She would tell me what mistakes I would make and she would tell me how I became so successful and happy. Would I listen to her? Probably not because the only way to make the right choices sometimes is to make the wrong ones first. Its not a bad thing but it is a thing we must do. You might even need to make many mistakes to find what you are looking for. Comparing your shortcomings to others, blaming others and living in someone else’ reality is never the answer. I have been ignoring the lessons that keep showing up in my life. I have been blaming circumstances on my setbacks and what I really should have acknowledged is that I have the ability to have whatever it is I desire. This does come with many failures along the way but I learned that it is no one else’s fault or obligation. Having a clear focus also helps. Knowing exactly what you want and stopping at nothing to get it. I tell myself all the time “the universe is just testing me to see how much I want this” and I keep going because I will beat the universe. 

“What’s the world’s greatest lie? It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate.”

Source: Free People Book Club – Free People Reads The Alchemist | Free People Blog http://blog.freepeople.com/2012/09/book-club-meeting-alchemist-finding-personal-legend/#ixzz27W46b5LF

“One’s Personal Legend is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend… whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth.”

Source: Free People Book Club – Free People Reads The Alchemist | Free People Blog http://blog.freepeople.com/2012/09/book-club-meeting-alchemist-finding-personal-legend/#ixzz27W4XCc3L