Other Than The Weather

explore. dream. discover.

2011-07-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Lost: One girl’s passion and creative spark.
And, unfortunately, that girl is me.
As is surely evident by my lack of writing and Debbie Downer posts in the past, I have not been in the right state of mind to write as often as I would like. While I still think that life is great and I'm my happy-go-lucky self the majority of the time, I've got a heavy grey cloud hanging over my head and it's really been raining on my parade. So I’m taking a break from my blog. I need to focus my energy on other things in my life at the moment. I need to give myself some time to unravel the crazy web of 'what to do's?' that has made it's home in my head. Instead of fretting over fun and friendly posts, I've been dreading them. Instead of looking forward to blogging, I'm being bogged down. Instead of seeing all the positives, I'm focused on the negatives – and I'm tired of letting the negatives win. I want to make some changes in my life right now. I know I'm completely capable of more. I know that if I set my mind to it, I can get what I want. I know that if I truly listen to what is in my heart, it will lead me in the right direction. I'm determined, I'm ready and I need to let myself devote all my energy to the changes that are going to get me to where I want to be.

I know I’ll be back because, in the end, this is something that makes me happy. It makes me happy to know that I have a creative outlet. It makes me happy to know that there are so many amazing people out there. It makes me happy to know that even if I step away from this part of the world for a while, it will still be here when I'm ready to return. I hope to be back soon and be back and better than ever...as corny and cliché as that may be, it's the truth. I'm ready to really be me and I know that the me I'm going to be is better than the me I am right now. Mark Twain said it so wonderfully...

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did.”

I don't want to be disappointed. I'm throwing off the bowlines and sailing away from the safe harbour.
And I will see you when my ship is back on course.

for all the other kids

2011-06-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

First of all, ah-dorable.
Second of all, I think this kid has it spot on. With a little confidence and the determination to practice, it's amazing what you can do. For most of us, riding a bike is easy, it's natural and not something we think about doing when we hop on and peddle away. But when you're learning something new, if it's riding a bike, baking a cake or an accounting equation, there may be some challenges along the way. I imagine the little guy in the video didn't pull his bike put of the garage for the first time and rock and roll down the sidewalk like a pro. I'm going to imagine that it took him a try or two to figure out how to do what he wanted to do. Even after falling down, I bet he got back up, got back on his bike and believed he could do it. He believed in himself. He believed that if he kept practicing, kept trying, kept on going, that maybe the next time he got on his bike would be the time that he could ride it. For such a little boy, it seems like he's got some of the lessons figured out that as adults we often forget. I know that when I'm struggling to see the light at the end of a tunnel, it's hard to give myself a pep talk. It's hard to believe that I can get to the end, figure it out or get back on my bike and ride down the street with my head held high. But you can bet that the next time I get all Debbie Downer on myself, I'll be thinking of this cutie. If he can learn to ride his bike, I can learn something new, too. If he can believe in himself, so can I. If he can practice until he gets it, then I will, too. If he knows I can do it, then I should, too.

As I've said before, the wisdom of children is often so simple but so true and the lessons we learn when we're little are lessons we shouldn't forget once we're big. So to everyone learning how to ride bike, believe in yourself.
And thumbs up for rock and roll.

Have you learned anything new lately? Any advice for someone who is?

and the livin's easy

2011-06-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

Aah, summer. I've been waiting for you. With your warm days and sunny nights, you are just what I need in my life. Skirts and flip-flops, sunscreen and tank tops. Barbeques and patios, ice cream and popsicles. There is just so much for me to love. It may not feel like summer where I am right now but just knowing that summer is officially here is enough to get me giddy for what’s to come.
Summer has always been my favourite season, and today, it’s official arrival, my favourite day of the year. I don’t know if it is because summer meant no school or if it’s because the beach is my favourite place to be but I have always loved the sun kissed season in the middle of the year. There has always been something so appealing about putting away any jackets, leaving the layers at home, and taking in the happy sounds and salty smells of summer. I was fortunate enough to spend several summers growing up on the south coast of Maine, a few blocks away from the beach, and I can still remember the short bike ride down the street, bathing suit on and towel in hand, ready to spend several hours soaking in the sun and splashing in the ocean. Days seemed endless as we would find the perfect place for our beach blankets and let out toes tickle their way into the squishy sand. We’d jump waves, search for starfish and let the water carry us in to shore. We’d eat fresh snap peas from the market and chew on taffy from the corner store. We’d play catch and do cartwheels; we’d run races and build sandcastles. We’d be exhausted by the end of the day but anxious to return and do it all over again. Summer makes me smile. The good memories and sunny days seem to make me happier once the season has arrived. I’m more comfortable in my sunglasses and sandals than boots and big coats. I crave ice cream and lemonade and long days in the heat. It may not be as carefree as when I was young but summer relaxes me and refreshes me. It’s fun in the sun…and for me, it doesn’t get much better.
Thanks for coming, summer. I’m so glad you’re here.

Do you like summer? What’s your favourite summer memory?

a cup of chaos

2011-06-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

For any hockey player, the Stanley Cup is what dreams are made of. You work hard all season long, fight for your place in the playoffs and then battle to the best of your ability to make your way through three rounds to find yourself only four wins away from raising the coveted Cup over your head. Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was last night between the Boston Bruins and my hometown Vancouver Canucks and for me and many hockey fans, it’s a night of uneasy excitement and high hopes. I had hoped I’d be able to write today about how happy I was to see the Canucks take it all but unfortunately, things didn’t quite go that way and, instead, I’ve got to offer my congratulations to the competitors as the Boston Bruins outplayed, outlasted and outscored Vancouver and are now the Stanley Cup Champions. A great season for the Canucks, a great series for the Bruins and a great sport that I truly love to watch. {via} And while it was certainly a disappointing loss for the Canucks, it soon became a disappointing night for the city of Vancouver. I sat and watched the news in horror as live coverage of the violence and riots that followed the game continued to escalate into total destruction and disregard. How could these people treat our city this way? How could so many people be so violent and vulgar? How do a handful of hooligans inspire hundreds of hockey fans to turn on each other, on the people and places around them and commit crime after crime? So many questions of utter disbelief as the chaos of the city overshadowed what should have been a night all about hockey and a win so well deserved by either team. {via Andy Fang Photography} I woke up this morning still proud to be a Vancouver fan but so ashamed that by being one I was going to be associated with the shenanigans. And while negativity has certainly surround the chaos, out of the darkness has come the light. The police, firefighters and city workers were joined by volunteers from all over this morning to help rid the city of the destruction. While it didn’t take long for the trouble to take over last night, it was just as quickly wiped away by so many proud people who came together to breathe some life back in the city. Heavy boards may cover the broken windows and be a reminder of the ruckus, but they have quickly been filled by messages of love and congratulations, by messages of pride and promise, by messages of apology and sadness. The city has calmly responded and while it doesn’t make us forget that our reputation might be tarnished, it certainly has shown that we our proud of our team, our city and our country - we won’t let the actions of a small minority ruin the fun for the rest of us. It is truly inspiring to see people come together to make a positive change.

Are you a hockey fan? What brings your city together?

through a child's eyes

2011-06-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've recently returned home from a trip to Ontario, to visit my family and watch a childhood friend marry the love of her life. What is usually a relaxing stay at my mom’s house was almost anything but as my two adorable and active nephews were taking a trip to Grandma’s house at the same time. While I'll never complain about time off work combined with the fact that living far from my family doesn't ever get easier, spending time with them never makes for a bad vacation; however, this was one vacation that I certainly needed a vacation from after returning home. As I'm sure most moms would agree, keeping up with young kids isn't at all like taking candy from a baby! So while rest and relaxation weren't high on our activity list, running around with the rug rats had me smiling from ear to ear and living life from a petite perspective. A lesson on life from a child often offers more insight than the wise words of an adult. When the end of a game of hockey means the start of a game of soccer and having to go to bed seems like the end of the world, it's no wonder that their smiles are sincere and their solutions so simple. When blowing bubbles means big laughs and filling up a kiddie pool makes for a fun filled morning, waking up earlier than you’d like to a smiling face that gives you a slobbery kiss and a huge hug is a darn good way to start the day. My nephews may have been all about being on the go but they've helped me realize that life goes too fast not to slow and enjoy it. Taking in the magic moments, no matter how tiring is what makes me realize how important it is to live life to the fullest and appreciate all the little things. Life with a little one may sometimes test your patience (and limit your sleep!), but it is a priceless lesson in love and laughter.

What lessons have you learned from the little ones in your life?

are you two twins?

2011-05-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Twenty five years ago today, my little sister was born. And while I can't say that it’s a day I remember (being two years old and all), it's a day that was the start of many memories to come. My sister is one of my best friends. She is someone I laugh with, cry with and love to share clothes with. She understands my fast talking (whenever she let's me get a word in), isn't shy to tell me the truth and constantly cracks me up. She's a Dairy Queen addict, can’t get enough of the colour purple and isn't ashamed to like "With You" by Jessica Simpson. She's the best and she knows it. For my birthday several years ago, my sister got me a sweet album full of quotes about sisters and photos of us growing up. One quote in particular seemed to describe us, and I’m sure many sisters, really well… “A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double.” Even though we were asked if we were twins more than any other question growing up (I’m sorry LG, but we do look alike!), some things about us were so different that when we joked about her being from another planet, it sometimes didn't seem that far from the truth. Her loud, talkative never-say-no-to-a-party ways were often in contrast to my shyer, quiet, I'm-going-to-take-care-of-everybody qualities. But none of our differences have ever stopped us from being the best of friends. We were able to share a room for almost 20 years and have never run out of things to say. We have a long list of jokes and one-liners that wouldn’t seem funny to anyone but us. We’re each other’s biggest cheerleaders and much needed therapists. We probably know each other a little better than we know ourselves. So to my forever friend and little sister, happy birthday champ. I hope your day is full of Thai food, Timbits and some tequila without the lemon.

Do you have any siblings? Do you get along with your brothers and/or sisters?

sunscreen would be it

2011-05-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

By now, you might have seen this video floating around the Internet. And maybe, it's made you think twice about visiting tanning beds or postponing your visit to the doctor. Hopefully, it’s made you tell those in your life that you love them and that it’s important to pay attention to their bodies. And if this message reaches just one person, or saves just one life, than it’s worth passing it on. Skin cancer has unfortunately touched my family a few times and being the fair-skinned, freckled person that I am, believing that pale is the new tan is something I’ve had to convince myself of for years.

Beyond raising awareness for skin cancer and the risks of the sun, which I think is increasingly important these days, the video really got me thinking. What would I say to my sixteen year old self? What do I know now that I wished I'd known then? I don’t know if I’ve got any truly wise words and as I get older I know there is always more to learn but if I could talk to myself ten years ago, there’s a few things I’d want myself to know. I’d want my teenage self to know the importance of always having fun and not taking things so seriously. There’s going to be ups and downs and good times and bad times, but pick your battles, laugh things off and let your stress be a catalyst for positive changes. Take risks! My sixteen year old self (along with maybe my twenty six year old self!) needs to know that taking risks and trying new things are the experiences that will help you grow as a person. It’s okay to weigh the good and the bad, to be scared and unsure, to make an informed decision, but go for it, give it a shot and live your life to the fullest so you never have to wonder what could have been. And most importantly, be confident in who you are. Confidence is something that I tend to struggle with, something that holds me back from being the best I can be, and believing in myself at a younger age would help push me to places I'm struggling to get to now. So dear sixteen year old me, always stay true to who you are and, more importantly, believe in who you are. Because guess what? You’re great and life is pretty darn good. And when your dad says he will give you a million dollars if you guess what's in the box, go with your gut and say luggage - it would really help your twenty-six year old self if you were a million dollars richer.

What would you say to your sixteen year old self?

PS My apologies for posting a video that you might have seen before...with the message hitting so close to home, I just couldn't help it!

courage personified

2011-05-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

I had the absolute pleasure last night of attending an event full of awe, audacity and inspiration. The 13th annual Courage to Come Back Awards were presented to six incredibly deserving individuals from all around British Columbia who have overcome seemingly-insurmountable challenges and in turn reach out to help others. They are people from all walks of life who define what it means to be courageous in the face of adversity. They have found a way to fight back, to live their life to the fullest and to help and inspire others. It was a night full of unbelievable stories, inspiring outcomes and handfuls of tissues! {award recipient Jerome Bouvier via} What struck me hard last night was how real these inspiring individuals are. It’s one thing to see a video or read their story but to watch them accept an award in front of 800 people as they speak of their emotional journey is humbling beyond words. Real life stories of illness, injury or adversity and the courage to truly come back from what may have been the bottom hits close to home but is not easy to imagine. It had me thinking though, what would I do if I was in their shoes? What would I do if faced with such adversity, if the odds seemed stacked against me? As easy as it might be to say ‘It won’t happen to me’, we can never predict the curveballs that life may throw at us and we most certainly can’t be sure of how we would react. And as tough as it is to imagine yourself living a life like one of these incredible individuals, the hope and optimism that radiated from each and every one of them is inspiring in itself. It’s inspiring to know that even if you’re down, there are ways to get back up. Even if you feel like the world is against you, there is always someone rooting for you. Even if you feel like you’ve got nothing, you’ve got something. And as one of the recipients said, even if your life doesn’t always go to plan, your Plan B can still be a success. So to all those who have stood up to adversity, to all those who didn’t back down to being down, to all those who have truly had the courage to come back…thank you for sharing your stories.

Who inspires you? How do you define courage?

hostess with the mostess

2011-05-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

I think it was my brother who once said when I was younger than guests is just another word for cleaning. This week, I really feel like he could not be more correct. As my husband and I prepare to welcome some friends over this weekend for a little housewarming party, our list of things to fix up, touch up and clean up never seems to end. While I would definitely consider us to be a clean couple, it's amazing the scrutiny our house is suddenly under as we prepare it to be seen by other people. So while guests may mean a whole lot of scrubbing, sweeping, dusting and dishes, it also means a good time. I truly am excited to be having people over and while it may mean a little more work before, during and after the party, it also means that I get to play hostess and that’s something that I really like doing. We’ve never really had the space to have a party, or even much of a gathering beyond a couple of lucky people, and yet hosting one is something that I’ve always looked forward to. I’ve longingly looked at pretty pictures of perfect place settings and bookmarked fun foods and delicious desserts. I’ve dreamed of dining with dear friends over lots of laughs in the luxury of my own home. I can’t say I’m a pro party planner and while this weekend won’t quite be the party I’ve been picturing as it’s a little more low key and casual than my dinner party dreams, I’m really looking forward to welcoming my guests with open arms. The extra work is worth it to be the one watching for empty wine glasses, filling my guests full of finger foods and making the night a memorable one. So with the cleaning supplies going back into the closet, the bar stocked and the fridge loaded, all we’ll have left to do is cross our fingers our friends show up! Should be fun!

Do you like to be the host? Any tips for the perfect party?

mucho fun tonight

2011-05-05T05:05:00.000-07:00

As someone who loves an excuse to celebrate and has a slight (okay, it’s huge…) obsession with Mexican food, Cinco de Mayo seems like the perfect holiday for a girl like me. But for some reason, it’s not something that I’ve ever put much thought into or really found myself remembering to celebrate. I’m going to blame it on the fact that I live in Canada and it’s not as widely recognized as it is by my neighbours to the south but it’s definitely a day that I think deserves some serious attention.

Can we please just talk about how good Mexican food is for a second? Flavourful spices and colourful veggies…corn, chilies, cilantro, oh my! Just thinking about it makes me wish I had a big, fat burrito in front of me which is why it shouldn’t be a surprise that Mexican food has been my favourite food since I can remember and, to this day, still tops the list. When I was in university, living off oatmeal, tuna sandwiches, apples and cheese, I never made my meals my priority – I ate healthy but I didn’t seem to enjoy putting any effort into making myself much of a meal. However, the second I had people over for dinner, I was all about good grub and Mexican was my go-to. Fajitas or burritos for one never seemed worth the effort but add an extra person or two to the dinner table and my menu was always Mexican. It got to the point where my husband, my best friend at the time, would reply with “Let me guess, taco salad?” any time I would invite him over for dinner. He was usually right which meant I had to start changing things up to be less predictable…it also meant I had to find different friends to invite over for dinner so I could get my Mexican fix. Even now, when asked what I want for dinner, tacos or nachos are almost always the first thing that pops into my head. Some may call it a problem, I call it delicious.
Tacos, anyone?

Are you a fan of Mexican food? What’s your favourite type of food?

stuck in a rut

2011-05-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

It may not come as a surprise due to my lack of writing of late, but I'm currently in a slump. I can't get my creative juices following even though I'm fairly certain I can pinpoint the problem, yet without a solution, motivating myself to move past my mental drain is proving to be a problem in itself.
{via} As much as it may sound like things might not be going my way, I really can't complain. My life is great. And just knowing that that is something I can confidently say is certainly something worth smiling about on a daily basis. I've got a husband who loves me unconditionally. I’ve got a house to come home to every night. I've got a family full of love and friends who truly care. I'm healthy, I'm truly happy and yet one nagging nuisance keeps knocking on the door to my happy thoughts - I'm really struggling to when it comes to my career. I currently work for a great company, however, the work I am doing is no longer challenging, stimulating or interesting and the waiting around for the opportunity to move up that just doesn't seem to be coming anytime soon is really wearing on me. With the option to move on as the most attractive alternative, deciding what makes the most sense seems to be my biggest source of stress and a significant contributor to my current state of mind…so what to do? Go back to school? But what if I don't like it? Take a job anywhere else to avoid being down in the dumps? But what if it looses it's luster like the one I'm in now? Be happy I even have a job and wait for the safe opportunity? Take a risk, quit and try something new? When you know you have the potential to do great things but just don't know how to go about doing them, the frustrations of feeling uncertain and invaluable certainly take their toll. With so many options available and an endless array of interesting activities out there, how do I know what will make me happy? It’s the constant struggle inside my head these days – how do I make my nine to five as happy as my five to nine? I may not know right now, but I’m determined to find the answer…and soon…because like I said, I’m happy, and I want to keep it that way.

Are you happy at work? Any advice for loving what you doing?

none the wiser

2011-04-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

I have spent the last week curled up on couch, clutching bags of frozen peas and corn to my face, eating soup and ice cream and sleeping for hours at a time in the middle of the day. No, this is not the newest cure for the common cold but instead my rest and recovery from the removal of all four of my wisdom teeth last week. While I’m happy to report that my dentist thinks I’m recovering well and I’m feeling much better than the immediate effects made me feel, I’m even happier that all four are now gone and I won’t have to go through such a surgery again. I can’t complain about much because all really did go well and my lovely husband spent all week waiting on me hand and foot… but I think the most worrisome (and perhaps most funny) part about the whole process were the tales told to me by others as opposed to the actual operation itself. I know it’s true that misery loves company so I shouldn’t have been surprised by the reactions of those around me when I told them I was having my teeth taken out. The horror stories and tales of terror that I heard in the weeks leading up to my appointment should have been enough to scare me away from the surgery altogether. It seemed that everyone’s brother’s, cousin’s, best friend’s uncle hadn’t been as lucky as I would be and seemed to have had the worst happen to them. Weeks of bruising, bad reactions to the medication, or multiple weeks off work…but don’t worry, they all assured me, I’d be fine. (Really? What makes you so sure?) I don’t know about you but that’s not really the type of pep talk that has me pumped for what’s to come. Looking back, it’s made me laugh and has made me feel better about my recovery, knowing that mine was not as bad as many out there. And now, it’s nice to know that after returning to work, and back to more normal routine, everyone has been feeling my pain. It’s amazed me how much talking about trips to the dentist seems to be common ground for everyone around me. While I wasn’t quite like little David in the above video, I did give my husband a few laughs and my visit to the dentist was surprisingly much more of a hot topic than I ever thought it would be.

Do you mind trips to the dentist? Have you had your wisdom teeth removed?

scene it: limitless

2011-04-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

After having the last of our company leave on Sunday following two and a half weeks of visitors in our new house, a Monday night date night seemed more necessary than ever. A night at the movies with my man is always exciting, and on a Monday night with the gym being our second option, it was literally a no-brainer to be relaxing in front of the big screen. Limitless, staring Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro, was our entertainment for the evening and while it may not have been quite what I expected, it certainly had it’s moments which made for a good movie. After sampling a new drug, Cooper’s character, Eddie, is suddenly able to access all aspects of his brain making him increasingly intelligent and able to focus. This in turn leads to a fast paced life of riches and power that don’t seem to come without their fair share of negative consequences (…and a couple gruesome scenes that I could have done without!). It was a creatively captured movie that, while at times had me feeling a little dizzy, was artistically intriguing and both visually and mentally stimulating. And hey, Bradley Cooper isn’t so bad to watch for a couple hours so I can’t complain about that!
{via} What was probably the most intriguing part of the movie was the premise. What if, like in Limitless, there really was a drug that we could take that allowed us to utilize our entire brain capacity? What if we could access every memory? Use every book we've read or show we've ever seen and apply the information in our everyday lives? It's a scary thought to think how this could be used and abused but at the same time, the positive possibilities really are limitless. I don't know how many times I've watched someone else's amazing abilities and wished I was able to work like them – a great chef on TV or an amazing artist, a powerful philanthropist or a world-class writer. What would it be to like to have an incredible idea and simply see it come to life? To want to do something that once seemed out of reach and suddenly it’s a simple task. But when is enough enough? As Bradley Cooper struggles through the addictive powers of such an intriguing and powerful pill, Limitless demonstrates just how limited the drugs actually made him – making the movie worth a watch if only to get you thinking.

What would you do with limitless intelligence? Have you seen Limitless?

fooling around

2011-04-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

If I had to make a list of Days To Look Forward To in a year, today would not be one of them. April Fools’ Day has never been high on a list of mine when it comes to things to be excited about. It's not that I can't take a joke, because, believe me, I can and I have. Growing up with my dad and being married to my husband has made me overly prepared for any joke that might come my way. But what I don't like about April Fools’ Day is exactly what the day has turned into being about...being made to look like a fool. While certain jokes may be good for a laugh, I'm not really down with any day that has me walking on egg shells, carefully opening doors and drawers and second guessing any news I may hear – it just makes me too tense! My dad’s line of work seems to lend itself well to pranks and practical jokes. Removing the last few pages of someone’s book or filling shoes with shaving cream are often to be expected even on days other than April Fools’. Several years ago, my dad was on the receiving end of a ‘bleach in your shampoo’ prank, which saw him go from a dark brunette into an interesting orange inspired blonde. Good thing he has a sense of humour…and short hair! And while I will not-so-humbly admit that I have a pretty good sense of humor, I don't think I'm the perfect person to confide in if you’re playing pranks on people. Besides the fact that participating in pranks isn’t really my thing, keeping a straight face throughout is much harder than it may seem for me. I'll give you two point five seconds of a ‘yes, I am telling the truth’ look before the corners of my mouth begin to creep up into my cheeks and you can rest assured that I'm about to blow the cover on a carefully crafted trick.

I like a good laugh as much as the next person but if it's at the expense of others, I have a hard time getting on board. So if you want to be funny, try not to be mean, and whatever you do today, put a smile on your face and be ready for any fun foolishness that might come your way.

Are you a practical joker? Ever been on the receiving end of a good prank?

making it count

2011-03-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

Make today count.
It's a line I read a few days ago and I cannot stop thinking about it. Three simple words that are making their mark on my mind. An inspirational saying for making the most of each day, for taking the cards we are dealt and playing the best hand we can. I want to make a difference in the world, I want to be proud of all that I've accomplished and while I'm not quite there yet, if I can make the conscious effort to make the best of each day, to make my mark on a daily basis, then as the weeks and months pass, I'll truly be making this most of all that I set my mind to. Sometimes, the perfect inspiration comes at the perfect time. The past couple weeks I've been struggling through my work days, thinking about my life and, most specifically, my career and trying to figure out which way I am headed. But what about today? What am I going to do to make today a great day, to make each day a great day? When being on the job gets me down, when I feel frustrated or defeated, I have to remember that there is more that I can do to bring myself up. I'm the one who can change the direction I am headed. It's up to me to make the most of my day, to really make it count. And if this is a motto to motivate me everyday, then those bad days are going to be few and far in between. If I can go to sleep each night with the confidence that I made the day count, I can sleep easy knowing that my life is becoming more fulfilling day by day. My big dreams and ambitious adventures won't seem so daunting if each day is a day worth celebrating. So I'm going to make today count. I've made the conscious decision, it's big and bold on a Post-It note staring me in the face, and I'm telling of all of you. Today is going to be a good day. I hope it is for you too!

How do you make each day count? What motivates you on a bad day?

springing to life

2011-03-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

After what has seemed like a long enough winter, spring has finally arrived and I'm quite happy it is here. Depending on where you live, it may not seem like the new season is upon us yet but the fact that spring has officially sprung means the arrival of many good things to come. But because I like being honest, I'm going to be honest with you. Spring is not my favorite season. My favorite thing about it means that we are that much closer to summer, which you may or may not know is my absolute favourite time of the year. Just a few more months until beach days, parties on patios and sipping lemonade in the sun. Can you tell it gets me excited? But anyway… let’s get back to spring and it's wonderful things, because I really do think there are many wonderful things about this time of year. Springtime certainly symbolizes new life. With new buds on the trees, longer days and brighter nights, the reminder to revitalize is hard to miss. The birds are chirping, the grass is growing and hibernation is a thing of the past. We say goodbye to our winter woolies and hello to light layers. Bulky boots move to the back of the closet to make way for sneakers and sandals. It’s time for pretty pastels and bright hues, warm days and cool nights, and awaking from the sleepy slumber that is winter. Everyone is anxious to be outdoors, to make the most of more daylight and embrace all the activities that are limited by winter weather. Spring cleaning means a fresh start, a chance to unclutter and the excitement of a bright beginning. It’s easy to see why we seem to welcome spring with open arms. Spring is here and the world is ready to wake up.

What do you like about spring?

lucky charms

2011-03-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

It’s a great day to be Irish. And if you’re not Irish, it’s probably a great day for you either way, because chances are your heritage won’t hinder your ability to have a good time. Today is St. Patrick’s Day and while it may be one the rowdiest days of the year, I believe it is also one of the friendliest. There are not too many days when no matter what your culture or background, getting together to drink to a heritage other than your own is such a celebrated thing. Sharing a green beer with a stranger, who may or may not be dressed up as a leprechaun, would seem strange on any day other than today (…in my opinion, at least. I don’t know how many of you drink green beers with leprechauns on a regular basis). Shamrocks, pots of gold and those claiming to be Irish if only for a kiss are just a few sights to be seen that make holidays like this one a fun day to celebrate.
So what is it about St. Patrick’s Day the makes everyone okay with dressing up in green, doing a jig and downing green drinks? Sure, it’s an excuse to get out to the pub early but, let’s be honest, there are a lot of drinkers out there that don’t really need an extra excuse to be frequenting their favourite watering hole. I happen to love Ireland a whole lot and very much want to visit there again but is that really why St. Paddy’s is so widely celebrated? I’ll be the first to admit that although I’ve got quite a bit of Irish in me and I look forward to March 17th every year, I don’t really know why I like today so much. St. Patrick’s Day, a day to celebrate Irish culture, is celebrated around the world and I’m pretty sure that most of us have no idea why we’re celebrating. However, I’m also pretty sure that most of us don’t really care. An excuse to dress differently, make fun foods, decorate or just plain celebrate and I’m probably not going to say no. Why turn down the opportunity to have a good time? I’ll pretty much take any added incentive to get festive! So if it’s the pot of gold that you’re after, or just a good night out, I hope you find what you’re looking for.

Warning: If you do not like corny jokes, do not read on…
Q: What’s Irish and stays out all night?
A: Paddy O’Furniture
Do you celebrate on St. Patrick’s Day? How? Are you Irish?

i don't want to grow up

2011-03-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

Today, one of my favourite people is celebrating his third birthday. My sweet nephew was born three years ago and if I ever need to be reminded that time flies, watching him grow up is definitely that reminder. It seems like just yesterday he was welcomed into the world and now, as he grows, I am amazed everyday at his expanding vocabulary and how much he looks like a little man. His love of Star Wars, super heroes and sports and how much he wants to be like his big brother are just a few of the many things that make me love him so darn much. (And his adorable red hair is pretty darn cute, too!) The way he so excitedly exclaimed “Look what me got!” after every single present he opened this Christmas, whether it was socks or a hockey stick, was so special for me as it reminded me what it's like to be a kid. Being a kid seems so carefree. When eating your vegetables seems like the biggest struggle and play time lasts all day long, it’s no wonder we don’t all wish to be a kid again at some point. When I think about being little and what it was like to live with such few worries, it reminds me of a story that was often told in my household. My dad went down to the kitchen one morning to find the fridge open just a crack. As he got closer, he was shocked to discover that he had not left it open all night like he feared but instead, found my younger sister crouched inside stuffing Reese's Peanut Butter Cups into her mouth. However, in the crafty way that only children seem to know, she held up her hand cupping two chocolate cups in it and so sweetly said “Scott and Ashley?” as if she had been waiting to share with my brother and I all along, thinking that if she shared, she wouldn't be in trouble. If only being cute and clever could get us out of trouble like that now! Children have such an innocent way of seeing the world and watching my nephews grow up is such a lesson in simplicity. To get excited over the simple things, like socks, and to know how important sharing is to making the world go round are the little lessons that as we grow up we can so easily take for granted. Taking a look at the world through the eyes of a little one can instantly make the world seem like a sweeter place.

Why do you love about the little ones in your life? What keeps you young?

something old, something new

2011-03-11T06:12:00.000-08:00

Moving into a new house brings a lot of new things. A new place to put your clothes, a new way to get to work, a new room to wake up in. So many things can change when a big life event happens and no matter how prepared you can be for the unknown, it's still just that - the unknown. These last couple weeks, the first in my new home, I've found myself having to learn the lay of the land all over again. Things that became second nature are now things that I am second guessing...like where we keep the cutting board or which key locks which door. I've even had to wonder were my husband is sometimes now that we've gone from one bedroom and one floor to three bedrooms and three floors! It may not be the normal I am used to but it's my new normal. A normal I have to get used to. And that is what is exciting and scary about change at the same time. Whether it's a new job, a new town or a new school, there are going to be new faces or places or things to learn. And learning that different doesn't have to be bad is all part of the process. A new kitchen means a chance to get better organized. A new bedroom means more space to make my own. A new neighborhood means new friends to be made. A new normal might be a scary thing but embracing the change and accepting that new might mean new and improved makes change a lot less challenging. I know I'm going to miss all the little things I loved about my old place..but with a new place comes the chance to make new memories and discover more of those little things to fall in love with. So Mr. New Normal, I'm ready for you...are you ready for me?

How do you handle change? What's new in your life right now?

breakfast for dinner

2011-03-08T08:41:00.000-08:00

Today is one of my favourite days of the year. I wish it was because there’s some deep meaning behind it or it’s a super significant event but what I really like about today is that I get to have breakfast for dinner. Today is Mardis Gras, Fat Tuesday or, as I like to call it, Pancake Tuesday. For those of you who may not be aware, Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday is the last day of Carnival season and the day before the beginning of Lent. And why pancakes you ask? Because a big stack of pancakes is a pretty good for pigging out on and today is supposed to be a last feast of richer, fatty foods before the 40 days of fasting and sacrifice during the Lent season. (Which I’d also like to point out that Lent means Easter and Easter means spring and spring is a good thing. Just sayin’…)
{Jim's Pancakes...the coolest pancakes I have ever seen! you need to check it out!} It's funny, isn't it, that I am excited by the idea of having breakfast for dinner simply because religious tradition calls for it. I really can have whatever I want for breakfast, lunch or dinner on any given day but the expected meals are usually on the menu (with the exception of pizza leftovers creeping in at breakfast every once and a while!). And I'm sure that's why today seems exciting...because it is a little out of the ordinary. It's not the norm. Sure, I could have a steak for breakfast and cereal for dinner everyday but then how much fun would Pancake Tuesday be? You're right...not that much fun at all. Doing something a little different, changing up my routine and enjoying my morning meal at dinnertime does give me something a little different to look forward to. Heck, pancakes in the morning are a treat so having them after a day at work? Bring on the bacon, I say! And let the syrup flow!

Do you like breakfast for dinner? What’s your favorite breakfast food?

speechless

2011-03-03T08:56:00.000-08:00

Through the magic of DVR, I have finally finished watching the Oscars. While many watch to fawn over the fashions and others are interested in the outcomes, it's hard not to admit that it is certainly a long night of a lot of talking. And normally, too many long, potentially boring speeches can make for a painful program but, for some reason, I watched this year's Academy Awards in awe of the winners and the way they accepted their awards. As Natalie Portman rattled off names and Luke Matheny brought about some good natured giggles, it made me think how much of a mess I would be if I was the one speaking on stage. {via} Speeches have never been my specialty. I'm sure they are worse in my mind than they actually turn out to be but going back to the memories of grade school and having to give speeches gets my palms sweating and my hands shaking just thinking about it. I remember making a speech about toes (Yes, you read that right...toes. Like head and shoulders, knees and toes. And that's exactly how my speech started...). While I was certainly worried about remembering my speech and properly pronouncing my words, my mind was so focused on gripping my cue cards as tight as could be so as to mask my shaky hands that I couldn't even remember if I had managed to make it through my material. Fast forward 15 years to my best friend's wedding and Ms. Shakes McGee returns, this time, with a death grip on the microphone and a nervous knot wrenching in my stomach. While I would say that the speech was a success, as I do remember getting a few laughs, which I think were with me and not at me, although I can't say for sure, I'm much happier as a spectator than a speaker. Leave the listening to me (I’m pretty good at that!) and someone else can do the talking!

Do you like public speaking? Are you as scared of speeches as I am?

simple smiles: a beautiful day in the neighbourhood

2011-02-25T09:15:00.000-08:00

It’s been a long week of painting and sanding and baseboards and drop cloths as my husband and I prepare our new house for our big move this weekend but the simple sweetness of a stranger has put a smile on my face that continues to brighten my week. It's not so often that a stranger takes it upon themselves to go out of their way to do something nice for someone they don't know. Sure, holding the door open for the person after you or letting someone know they dropped their scarf are certainly kind gestures that shouldn't go unnoticed...but when was the last time a stranger's generous gesture really warmed your heart? I was fortunate enough to experience such a thing this weekend as the doorbell rang at my new house after having only received our keys less than 24 hours earlier. Imagine our surprise to find that our new neighbour had dropped by, flowers in hand, to welcome us to the neighbourhood and offer her phone number in case there was anything she could do to help us. A simple reminder that we really do live in a wonderful world.
{via} Neighbours can be a tricky thing. While some are sweet and smile and ultimately stay out of your way, others can borderline on being overbearing and a bother. I'm hoping that Bonny's kind gesture makes her the former and we’ll be waving at each other from across the way with chit chat and well wishes for a good day. Moving into a brand new house with fresh faces and strange surroundings can be daunting even in the best of neighbourhoods so knowing we’re moving in next to someone nice is quite comforting. We’re definitely going to feel like the new kids in town for a while, but feeling welcome will really go along way as we get settled. And now, thanks to the small gesture from a kind neighbour, sitting among the saw dust and paint cans and boxes and tools is a lovely flower arrangement that not only brightens up the room but has helped to make our new house into a home.

What are your neighbours like? Do you live in a friendly neighbourhood?

how to paint a room

2011-02-18T09:08:00.000-08:00

I wish I was here to let you in on some little secrets about renovating a room through the magic of paint. I wish I knew the ins and outs of tackling a transformation. But I’m not. And I don’t. I’m about to undertake a little painting project of my own and instead of how to paint a room, for me, it’s more like how do I paint a room.

My husband and I are over-the-moon excited to be getting the keys to our new house tomorrow. As it is our first time being homeowners, we are so looking forward to having our own place and experiencing what it’s like to make our house our home. However, we haven’t even moved in yet and it hasn’t taken us long to discover that a new home means more space, more responsibility and way too many options. Picking a paint colour for the living room in our new home proved to be a process that made us realize just how little we actually know about painting and decorating a home, even though we would probably call ourselves both creative and handy.
{the before - with the old homeowners' furniture} {the inspiration for colour via} I actually really like painting walls. I don't know if it's the artist in me that sees them as a blank canvas or my secret longing to be good at interior design but either way, I can't wait to throw on some old clothes, get up on our ladder and see the first swipe of colour make its mark on the white walls. That may be the easiest part of the process though, because as we stood wide-eyed and wondering in front of the swatches of slightly varied shades of paint colours, we soon realized we really weren’t sure what we wanted our walls to look like. Would Mushroom Bisque be the colour of choice for our living room? Or would the lighter Gobi Desert be better? Would Espresso Bean be the perfect pick for our feature wall? Is Chocolate Swirl too yummy looking? (It indeed is, just in case you were wondering…) We may have had our inspiration for dinner but picking the perfect paint colours would take a few more trips to Home Depot before we decided that Basketry would win, despite its lack of a more masculine name for my man. So as we dive into decorating our new domain tomorrow, I am confident that there are many more things we will learn along the way. The best way to tape edges? I have no idea. How long it will all take? Beats me. But what I do know is that I’m excited. I’m excited for a new house and I’m excited it’s mine to make my own.

Any painting tips? Would you hire someone to paint your house or do it on your own?

be my valentine

2011-02-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

Ted’s Two Minute Date on How I Met Your Mother is one of the sweetest displays of affection I have ever seen. Fitting dinner, dessert, a movie and flowers into two minutes to take advantage of a schedule too busy for dating makes my heart melt. (Yours, too, right?) And while not many of us have the chance to date a TV character like Ted, I think there is so much to be said about someone who can take a simple idea and make it special, whether it’s remembering your favourite flower, recreating an important date or just knowing what will make you smile. With the thousands of dates planned for tonight, chances are some will be better than others and while they all may not be action packed or overly adorable, memories will most likely be made.
Everyone has their own idea of the perfect date. My idea of the perfect date doesn’t mean the most expensive restaurant or the most elaborate plans but, instead, it’s the simple things that go the furthest, the things that so obviously took time and love to plan that end up meaning the most. I’m lucky enough to have a husband who treats me to plenty of romantic evenings and doesn’t disappoint when it comes to date nights. My surprise picnic in the park or the time he took me as a tourist all around our town certainly stick out in my mind as perfectly planned outings with the one I love. But what sticks with me the most is how much our dates make me feel special, it’s how meaningful they are and how I can always tell that he was thinking of me throughout it all. No matter what we do or where we go, it’s the little things that let me know I’m loved. So no matter who you’re with, where you’re going or whether or not you celebrate Valentine’s Day, I hope love is in the air!

What’s your idea of the perfect date? Got any bad date stories?

nice to meet you

2011-02-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner and celebrations of love in full swing, it seems only appropriate to reflect on our relationships and how we got to where we are. Just like any relationship, love has to begin somewhere. Whether it’s a nerve wracking blind date, a chance encounter in a coffee shop or a childhood play date turned perfect partner, everyone has a story. Some stories are romantic, the kind that make your heart melt, others funny and maybe even a little embarrassing. Some are stories of unexpected introductions while others are perfectly planned proposals. When I look back at the people who mean the most to me in my life, it makes me smile to think of the first time we were face to face.
I love hearing about how people met. I think there’s something so sweet that comes with going back to the beginning and recalling your earliest memories. And the best part is that everyone really does have a story. Even if you can’t remember it perfectly or it wasn’t picture perfect, meeting someone for the first time can turn out to be a very special thing.

My husband and I definitely do not have the most romantic how-we-met story. We met during our first year of university, where his party animal ways had begun to make a name for himself. We were first introduced by a mutual friend and I ever-so-sweetly (okay, maybe it was more stand-offish than sweet!) said “I’ve heard about you…” Nice, right? Calling someone out with the first words you ever say to them? Probably not the best way to make friends (or find a husband!) and pretty out of character for me but it was enough to convince him that I was worth getting to know and it wasn’t long before we became best buds. It may not be a romantic story but it’s our story…and, especially because I can’t change it, I’ve learned to embrace it…even if I’m a bit embarrassed about being so blunt with him! In the end though, no matter how we met, I couldn’t be happier that we did.

How did you meet your love? Or closest friend? Know anyone with a great story?

put your hands up

2011-02-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

When you think ‘crime fighting hero’ I’m guessing the first thing that comes to mind is not a grandmother and her handbag. (If it is, I’d love to hear why!) But that’s exactly who the hero of the hour was this week in the UK. When she heard a commotion down the street, the wee wonder of a woman took it upon herself to stop the six suspects from smashing the store windows and ultimately stopped a robbery from taking place.
I'd like to think I'd be that brave. If my life wasn't in immediate danger, I'd like to think I'd be the one running across the street, wildly waving my purse, stopping a crime from getting any worse, but I honestly don't think I could ever predict my reaction. Of course I’d want to be the one that saves a stranger or blocks a break-in, but would I? Would I be the one to cause a commotion, to come to the rescue, to look danger in the eye? I think when situations suddenly present themselves, a split second decision is what shocks you into action...not the hours you've spent analyzing what you would, should or could do.

My husband often tells the story of when he was a young boy and became pinned under a full flower box that he had tried to climb. His sweet four-foot-eleven little lady of a mother suddenly appeared, as strong as Hercules, and lifted the 300 pound box off her little boy. Ask her to do it again, without her son underneath, and I guarantee she'd struggle to shift it ever so slightly. But when danger strikes, we so selflessly jump to the rescue without stopping to think about our actually abilities or certain consequences. I can only hope that my courage will kick in when I need it, that my muscles can move more than I realize and that I, too, could save the day if I had to.

What would you do? Have you ever witnesses a crime?

blue forty two

2011-02-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

With millions of people tuned in to the most watched program of the year, chances are that you or someone you know was parked in front of the TV yesterday watching the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. If you were like me, cheering for the good guys in gold and black, the score may not have been as you hoped but whether you watch for the football, the food or the hyped-up half time show, hopefully it was an enjoyable evening of entertainment.
{via} I love major sporting events. I'll be the first to admit that I don't follow football throughout the year but come playoff time I'm suddenly interested in the outcome of the games. While I am a big sports fan and truly enjoy almost any sport with hockey at the top of my list, what gets me excited more than the on field athletics of a major match is the fun had while watching…the good friends, the friendly competition between fans and, of course, the fattening food that comes with any championship. To me, Super Bowl Sunday means nachos, pizza and chicken wings…all three of which I filled up on yesterday while watching the game. Even as my tummy told me to stop, I couldn't help pigging out on everything in front of me. Major sporting events seem to mean a majorly full stomach. There’s something about getting together with a group of family or friends to watch a game that makes me throw all my nutrition knowledge out the window. Portion control (along with my indoor voice) often doesn’t get to join me when it comes to watching any big game of the season. Sure, I’m still feeling a little full, a little uncomfortable, but considering the Super Bowl only comes once a year, chowing down on chicken wings isn’t something I’m going to say no to. Whether it was the company, the football or the food that put a smile on my face, Super Bowl Sunday did not disappoint. My team may not have won but my tummy sure did!

Are you a sports fan? Did you watch the Super Bowl?

seeing double

2011-02-04T08:14:00.000-08:00

In my opinion, flash mobs are a stroke of creative genius. Coordinating a large (or small) group to perform a seemingly impromptu activity without breaking character cannot be an easy feat but as it's popularity spreads like wildfire around the world, more and more people are trying their hand at staging a scene. Improv Everywhere, the New York City comedy group, has helped make flash mobs an international activity with their undercover agents and hundreds of missions and their commitment to creating chaos, confusion and of course joy has captivated me.
How awesome is the Human Mirror? Really awesome, right? I think what catches my eye the most, other than the obvious, the amazing acting abilities and perfect placement of all involved, is the reaction from the spectators. It cracks me up to see the dramatic double takes and the wide eyed wonderers. I think I’d probably be one of those awkward eye averting audience members who doesn't want to stare but secretly wishes she could whip out her camera and take lots of photos (because let's face it, as much as it makes me smile, I'm not really one for staring!). I think public displays of artistic endeavors are just what the world needs sometimes. How much would your mood improve if on the subway ride home from a tough day at work you found yourself inside a magically mirrored subway car? I'm pretty sure I'd be forgetting about fretting and focused on the fun in front of me. Or while waiting to catch the train, everyone around you breaks into song and dance? It sure would turn my frown upside down!
{via} Creativity sparks conversation, it inspires others and it makes people stop and think...and I personally love seeing it in public places. While flash mobs may cause confusion, they are good clean fun that make so many smile.

Have you ever seen a flash mob in person? Have you ever participated in one?

reaching for the stars

2011-02-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

A new year is supposed to mean a new you, right? Eating healthy, getting rid of bad habits, becoming a better friend…all great goals for the start of a brand new year. But now that we have officially fallen into February, chances are that those oh-so-healthy New Year’s resolutions didn't quite make their way into the new month with you. If you’re like most who made a commitment to change, chances are that you may not have reached your goal.
I've never been into resolutions. I think they are great for other people and if they inspire you to make a change for the better in your life, if only for a month, than I wish you long lasting success. They're just not for me. As my husband so cleverly pointed out, I'm better at evolutions and not resolutions. Making changes throughout the year, however big or small, tends to increase my chances of bettering myself. Giving up sugar for one month can be quite easy and often longer lasting than 30 days...but committing to cut back on my candy consumption starting January 1st would probably have seen me sneaking sweets the first week in.
I feel like my only resolution, if it could be called that, is somewhat backwards. My husband and I tend to swear off the gym for the month of January, knowing it will be full of eager exercisers looking to keep up with their resolutions and drop those holiday pounds. It was pretty evident last night as we made our way to the gym, finding only a couple cardio machines in use, compared to a couple weeks ago when finding an open machine proved to be the only challenging activity available. It may sound like I think I have nothing to work on but trust me, I do. Throughout the year, I can guarantee you I will come up with a handful of habits that I could do without or a list of new things to learn. But I know myself enough to know that if I truly want to commit to something, setting small goals for myself is the way to go. I'll evolve, learn a lot and make it to the end of the year as a better person without feeling like a failure because I couldn’t keep up with my New Year’s resolution. A new year does mean a new me…but it just won't happen overnight.

Have you stayed committed to your resolutions? Any advice for reaching your goals?

lather rinse repeat

2011-01-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

My life is full of routines. Monday to Friday has me going through a similar set of actions everyday without a lot of variety. My alarm goes off at the same time every morning. I shower, get dressed and dry my hair, drink my smoothie as I run around gathering things for my day and head out of the house at the same time every morning. I take the same bus and the same train to work, arriving at approximately the same time every day where I hang up my jacket, fill my water bottle and turn on my radio before settling in for a day’s work. The end of the day sees me working in reverse, packing up and leaving at the same time as the day before, arriving home to get changed for the gym, exercising and coming home to make dinner.
I definitely consider myself a creature of habit so having a daily routine is not necessarily something to complain about. As much as I welcome change and like to switch things up every once and a while, my routine is comfortable. I’m so used to doing the same everyday tasks that they become habits. I don’t have to think much about it, it all comes so naturally, making it easy to stay organized, keep in shape and get the little things done efficiently.

Sure, there are some days that I wake up and hate that I’m off to work just like every other day that week. There are some days that I crave a change in my life, something to make every day a little different from the last (I guess that’s why I love my nights and weekends so much!) but, for the most part, my routines just work for me. Which, let's be honest, is probably a good thing considering I don’t think they’re going anywhere for a while. And okay, I’ll admit it…I’ve become a little superstitious about the order in which I operate. However, maybe it’s time I break out of the box a little bit…maybe I’ll eat my breakfast tomorrow before hopping into the shower…

Do you have a routine? Do you crave change?

maybe tomorrow

2011-01-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

As the saying goes, why put off until tomorrow what you can do today. I don't think I'm going out on a limb when I bet that I'm not the only one who can come up with several answers to that question that don't involve getting things done today. Procrastination is certainly an art form for some and while I'm not the best at it, I'd have to say that I'm pretty darn good at it. I’ve had my fair share of late nights and rushed conclusions to know that procrastinating is an evil curse I’ve cast upon myself.
Putting things off has become something I do more often than I care to admit. I'd like to be the one who gets an assignment or comes up with an idea and follows through without hesitation. However, there are too many examples of the opposite that easily demonstrate that I am not quite that type of person. Remember The Sketchbook Project? Well, when I excitedly received my sketchbook back in July, I dreamed of spending time each week to not only work on completing it but I was looking forward to immersing myself in something I love to do, a project that would force me to take time for my art. So when last week’s deadline quickly approached, and I had but a quarter of the pages filled, I couldn't help but be impressed with how I had managed to procrastinated for six months while at the same time wondered how I hadn't learned from the past pressure of leaving things until the last minute. And maybe that's the problem, that the pressure is actually what drives me and pushes me to get something done. If I can't see the finish line, I think I am less likely to work towards it. But dangle that carrot in front of me and suddenly you can't stop me from working like a race horse to get it. Luckily, the consequences haven't been too bad so far but that's no reason to keep putting things off. It’s a reason to change before putting things off puts me in a situation I will regret. So starting today, I am saying goodbye to procrastinating…and we all know that when I say today, I really mean tomorrow…which probably means sometime soon…which probably means I’ll just add it to my to-do list and hope for the best!

Are you a procrastinator? Any tips to avoid procrastinating?

PS Thank you all for your inspiring words and ideas! Your support and a little break have me feeling like this funk won't last for much longer.

inspiration for creation

2011-01-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

It's said that inspiration is everywhere but to be honest, I just don't see it right now. Lately I've been having trouble being inspired; not just to write but to work and clean and paint and make dinner. Nothing seems as exciting as I want it to. I don't know if it's because the holidays threw a wrench in my routine and my so-called turkey brain is still wearing off or if it’s because Mr. Sun hasn't come out to play with me in a while but whatever it is, I don't like it.
I do agree, though, that inspiration really is everywhere. It's on TV and the internet, it's in newspapers, books and magazines, it's in our homes and out on the streets. It can be found in the most unusual places like the back of a bathroom stall or as a part of our every day endeavours like the girl across from you on the bus. I remember being in university, struggling to come up with a name for an event that I had created for a class assignment. As I stood in front of the wide open freezer, eating frozen strawberries in an attempt to avoid a quick run to the store across the street to stock up on sugar, my roommate looked at me curiously and of course questioned what I was doing. The first words out of my strawberry-filled mouth were ‘feeding my creativity’ and not only was I stunned that the words had come out so easily but I was suddenly inspired, having felt a stroke of genius when I thought it would never come. Who knew a cheap bag of frozen strawberries would be the perfect ingredient for inspiration? It’s moments like this that can be so motivating, knowing that the perfect word or picture or idea could pop into your head at any moment. It’s a moment like this that I am so patiently waiting for right now. I know the inspiration is there, I’m just not seeing it too clearly. It’s a reminder that sometimes we have to look a little harder, dig a little deeper, break out of the box and it really will be right before our eyes. Just in case though, I’m thinking heading out to the store tonight to stock up on strawberries might not be such a bad idea!

What inspires you? What is your best source for inspiration?

see you next year

2010-12-31T11:11:00.000-08:00

As half the world has begun to celebrate and the rest of us prepare to say farewell to 2010 and welcome 2011, I can’t help but reflect on the year that has passed with a big smile on my face. Looking back at a year in time will undoubtedly bring back many memories, some happy, some sad, some full of promise and some full of regret but for me, 2010 has been an excellent year and taking a walk down memory lane only makes me excited for all that is to come in the future.
After counting down for (literally) years, the Winter Olympics finally arrived in my home town. Taking in the world’s best athletes, perfecting my patriotism and watching Sid the Kid give Canada an important gold medal could not have been a better start to what was an amazing year. I went whitewater rafting, travelled to Spain, ran my second half-marathon, cut my hair drastically for the first time in my life and watched my best friend walk down the aisle.
On top of all the fun that this year brought, it also seemed to be a year that made me feel more grown up than in the past. I married my best friend, surrounded by my closest friends and family who so generously flew across the country to share in our celebration. Six months later, my husband and I bought our first home, adding to the celebrated milestones of 2010 but giving us something to look forward to in 2011 when we move in.
I can only hope that 2011 is full of the love, laughter, adventure and successes that I was lucky to experience this past year. While I’m a little sad that such a great year is coming to an end, I’m hoping that I can make the best of the one that is just around the corner.

Wishing everyone all the best for a happy and healthy new year, may it always be better than the one before!

What’s your best memory of 2010? What do you look forward to in the new year?

all i want for christmas is you

2010-12-24T23:11:00.000-08:00

I’ve got to say that Christmas is one of my favourite holidays.
People are happier, families get together, homes are decorated and there are always sweet treats to be eaten. It is a holiday that shows the true generosity of others and a holiday full of giving.

I can still remember being about 5 years old and (not-so) patiently waiting for Santa’s arrival. My brother and sister and I were up at the crack of dawn, much earlier than we should have been and were so anxious to see what goodies lay under the tree. Now, the only way to sneak a peek at our gifts without heading downstairs, which of course was necessary for three little kids, was to crouch down next to my parents’ bedroom door, position ourselves at the perfect angle and see through the foyer and into the living room where we could ever so slightly see our gifts in all their glory. Have you ever seen three young kids try to stay quiet? And when they know they’ve been good that year which means good stuff under the tree? I’m sure we were more than loud enough to wake our parents yet when they opened their door we were still surprised to see them!...We would run back to our rooms as fast as we could, giggling with glee until it was time to make our way down for presents. Christmas is full of so many happy memories and as I get older and start new traditions or change old ones, it only makes me more excited for each year and all the cheer that comes with the holiday season. I hope that wherever you are, whoever you’re with and whatever you celebrate, you are enjoying quality time with the ones you love, appreciating all that life has given you and taking a moment to reflect on all the happiness that surrounds you. A Merry Christmas to all...and to all a Good Night!

here come santa claus

2010-12-21T09:17:00.000-08:00

If you grew up celebrating Christmas in North America, chances are good that at some point when you were little you made your way to your local mall, wearing your Sunday best or an outfit scarily similar to your siblings, and stood in line so you could sit on Santa’s knee and smile for all of three seconds. It’s a holiday tradition that seems to satisfy parents looking for a festive photo and scare sweet babies into screaming at the top of their lungs. Watching moms and dads make silly faces, bribe their young ones and hope they’ll get a great family photo has always made me chuckle so discovering a whole website of funny, weird and scary Santa photos has weirdly enough brought a smile to my face this holiday season.
Personally, I’ve always liked Santa. A cheerful, jolly old man who is going to bring me presents and likes cookies? Really, what’s not to like? And I have to admit that I still wish he was real. It took me a long time to stop believing that good old Saint Nick wasn’t really flying around the world delivering presents to all the good little girls and boys because I really didn’t want to stop believing, I didn’t want it to be a lie. Believing in Santa was magical. Waking up one Christmas morning many years ago to find a Polaroid of the big guy in red sweetly watching over my sister and me as we slept was such a treat…and finding out that our neighbours had the same photo with the same Santa Clause caused so much excitement and only sealed the deal that he was certainly real. A few years after, I remember having a discussion with some friends, the great debate of Santa’s existence, and while most of us decided that it didn’t logically make sense, one friend, who wasn’t so well off, argued that there was no way her parents could afford all the presents she and her three siblings received each Christmas morning. Well, that was enough to convince me for at least another year that the Pere Noel really did exist.
This Christmas, I’m lucky enough to be celebrating with my two-year old and four-year old nephews who have been behaving extra well these last few months in the hopes that Santa and his reindeer will stop by and I cannot wait to see their faces come Christmas morning…Santa let me in on a little secret and I happen to know he’s bringing some pretty exciting gifts!

Did you believe in Santa? Do you want your children to?

gifts gone bad

2010-12-16T08:38:00.000-08:00

{via} With Christmas around the corner, and only nine shopping days left before the holiday, seasonal shoppers are still flocking to the stores in hopes of finding that perfect gift for all those on their list. In light of such, numerous gift guides are floating around the internet, debuting on talk shows and being reported on the news. Gift guides of the hottest toys, the best gadgets for your spouse or what to get those hardest to buy for are always handy to have in mind when it comes to holiday shopping. But what about what not to buy? What gifts would be the worst to unwrap come Christmas day? Gift giving can be tough enough if you don’t know ahead of the holidays what you hope to get someone...but when it comes to buying and receiving gifts, there may be several not-so-happy holiday presents that you’d hate to find under your tree. Even though I’d rather not think of a gift as being bad because a gift is a gift and it’s the thought that counts, sometimes you wonder what those thoughts actually were.
I don’t know if I’m just lucky or if it’s because I’m easy to please, but I’ve been fortunate enough to have received many great gifts as I’ve celebrated birthdays and Christmases, with the bad ones few and far between. So maybe I haven’t loved everything I’ve ever received (how many sets of tacky tea towels does one really need?!) but fortunately I don’t have any horror stories about pink pony sweatshirts or already used kitchen gadgets. Although I’ve got to admit that even if it’s not at the top of my Christmas wish list, chances are that I pretended I loved it and have plenty of use for it. On the contrary, my sister is the worst when it comes to faking her delight for gifts gone bad. Growing up, it was never a surprise if she loved your gift or hated it. Her squeals of delight over the good ones have always been in sharp contrast to the ‘oh-you-shouldn’t-have-where’s-the-next-gift’ look of disappointment that she can’t hide when she gets something she’s unimpressed with. Putting the present off to the side like it’s a hot potato and moving on in the hopes of finding something better is a classic LG move that she likely won’t grow out of. I have to keep my fingers crossed that I will not see that reaction any time I give her a gift!

What’s the worst gift you have ever received? What do you not want for Christmas?

PS Thank you so much for all the kind words and well wishes for my friend...she's not back to work yet but she's on the road to recovery.

smell the roses

2010-12-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my colleague, who has become a good friend, was hit by a car on her way to work. While crossing the street she was struck by a car making a left turn that must not have seen her as the rain poured down in the dark of the early morning. While she is indeed injured, suffering from what the doctors believe to be a cracked pelvis, I am most certainly relieved that she walked away from the accident requiring only rest and time to heal her wounds. I usually like to write about things that have made me happy or at the very least are positive in nature but in light of the accident, which I haven’t stopped thinking about, it only seemed right to reflect on how scary life can be and how fast it can change.
It’s made me want to hug my husband tighter and call my mom to tell her I love her. It’s made me want to tell all drivers to slow down and all walkers to be safe. It’s made me realize that rushing to get somewhere on time or speeding up just to make it through a yellow light may not be as important as it seems. As I got in my car last night, I felt a little more cautious and a little more aware of what was going on around me. With traffic accidents happening daily, some more serious than others, it only reinforces how precious life is and how all it takes is a second for your life to change. While bumps and bruises will heal and seem like minor hiccups in an otherwise uneventful life, it is usually the bad times that make you realize how good the good times really are.

While we all wake up in the morning fairly certain of how our day will more or less go, you can never predict that the unthinkable will happen or an accident might occur. I don’t believe we should live our lives in fear but appreciating what we’ve got is a lesson that I would hate to learn the hard way. As you go about your day, your weekend and the holiday season, please remember to take things slow, appreciate the life you are living and tell your friends and family how much you care.

daily dinner dilemma

2010-12-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

There’s a simple question that my husband and I ask ourselves every day and yet we almost always have trouble answering. The simple question of ‘what’s for dinner?’ seems to stump us on a very regular basis, getting more “I don’t know” answers than a 4 year-old being questioned by his parents. Once 4 o’clock rolls around, we seem to have the same discussion every day, trying to figure out what it is we feel like eating, and shaking our heads at ourselves that, yet again, we have forgotten to take anything out for dinner. It should be simple, considering we have to eat dinner every day, but having to decide the night before or the morning of what we might feel like eating that night seems to be harder than it sounds.
Along with many other things, planning ahead what I want for dinner is a habit I should have inherited from my mother. Her reminders to take chicken out of the freezer before leaving home for the day is not something I seem to remember to do in my own adult life. A simple task that I probably thought she was weird for doing is now something that I wish I could remember to do. I’m hoping that it’s one of those things that come with being a mom so that when I have children, they won’t come home from school to find me staring aimlessly into the fridge hoping the food will tell me what to do. There are certain responsibilities that come with growing up and while some I’ve mastered, there are others that I’m still working on. For example, I may have inherited the need for clean countertops and a spotless bathroom but I still have trouble seeing the dust that my mom always seemed to spot. I know when she would ask “am I the only one that sees the dust in the house?”, the answer “yes, Mom” was not what she was looking for! And so with that in mind, I figure there’s still hope for my husband and I. One day, we will wake up, get ready for work and remember to defrost the steaks. We will wake up the next day knowing we want a stirfry and we’ll have already bought everything we need. And hopefully the day after that, it will become a habit and our daily dilemma won’t be so hard to solve. Until then, trips to the grocery store will probably continue to be a part of our daily routine. (Umm, honey?…what’s for dinner?...)

Do you plan your meals ahead of time? What ‘grown up’ things are you still working on?

i wish it was christmas today

2010-12-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the SNL performance of “I Wish It Was Christmas Today” by Jimmy Fallon, Tracey Morgan, Chris Kattan and Horatio Sanz? While I love the dance moves and I’m envious of their sweet sweaters, I love the skit even more because it pretty much sums up how I feel all the time. I wish it was Christmas today, and tomorrow, and the next day, and the next... and now that it is December, I can officially sound off about my love for the season. As much as I look forward to this time of year, I feel very strongly about holding off the Christmas chatter until December 1st. Call me a scrooge if you wish but getting too excited, too early just takes away from how special a holiday it is for me. Hearing Christmas carols mid-November grinds my gears and gets me angrily scolding the radio station or store that’s playing them. And don’t even try to get me to watch a movie that takes place around Christmas time if it’s not the last month of the year. So, thankfully, now that it is December and we are in the month of Merry Christmas, I am getting giddy about all the wonderful things a winter wonderland will bring.
Even though it’s not officially winter and I am a loyal summer lover, there are so many things that I love about this last season of the year, one of the best things being the holiday that comes with it. I love to see twinkling lights lining the streets, I love to see ribbons and bows and boughs of holly hung all around town. I love the way everyone seems just a little bit more cheerful once December rolls around. I love advent calendars and gift wrap. I love scarves and mittens and toques. I love getting cozy by the fire, drinking chai tea under a fluffy blanket and wearing soft slippers. But...my favourite thing of all about winter is something so simple…making snow angels! (A little hard to do without snow so I’ve got to be honest, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a white winter!) It may sound like such a childish thing to love about the winter but that may be at the root of why I love it so much. Getting lost in the moment as I lay on the ground moving my arms and legs back and forth allows me to feel like a kid again while I forget that I may look ridiculous or my pants will be wet when I get up. Forgetting about feeling silly or not caring if I’m covered in snow make for magical moments that really sum up what the holidays are about for me. Being able to be carefree and happy, surrounded by lovely sights and my favourite people while giggling like a little kid are the real reasons why I will welcome winter with open arms.

What do you love about the winter? Do you decorate before December?

shop til you drop

2010-11-30T08:23:00.000-08:00

I have a confession. This one isn’t as embarrassing as my love of watching The Real Housewives but I do feel like I’m in the minority when it comes to what I’m about to tell you. Are you ready? Here goes...I really don’t like shopping. I feel as though I should because I like fashion, furniture and getting new things and the satisfaction of a good purchase can be so rewarding, but put me in a mall and I’m usually ready to go home soon after I’ve arrived. With Black Friday sales and the crowds of Christmas shoppers making their way into the stores, I’m less and less inclined to go shopping, making it a very good thing that my Christmas shopping is almost done!
There’s several things that really turn me off about shopping. For one, I’m really bad at it. How is that possible, you ask? Well, I tend to look and look and look and end up with nothing! I am completely indecisive about spending my money that even if I find something I really like or really want, I usually need a second opinion. I need some convincing confirmation that somebody else thinks it’s a worthwhile purchase. And if there’s no one around to tell me I’m doing the right thing, then one of two things is bound to happen, the first being much more damaging than the second. It has happened to me so often that you’d think I’d learn...but I haven’t...yet. I’ll see something I want, look around for approval, not find the approval and decide to think about it as if giving it a good night’s sleep will give me more of a reason to purchase the product and plan to come back another day. What usually happens next is that I arrive back at the store, ready to pull out my credit card, only to find that they don’t have my size or they just sold out. I usually take it as a sign that I wanted it more than I needed it and I’m better off without it...but in reality, I’m crying a little inside and know I’ll be thinking about the item over and over in the days to come. The other shopping scenario that gets me if I’m alone is buyer’s remorse. There is something so terrible about overanalyzing a purchase, deciding to buy and then regretting it... and this happens to me more often that I’d like to admit. I am definitely guilty of making a purchase only to rethink it as soon as the shopping bag is in my hand....that is, until I get home to have someone tell me that shopping really isn’t such a bad thing and I, and the other people in my life, deserve pretty purchases every now and then. Add to these issues crazy crowds or not finding what I’m looking for and I am much happier to shop from the comfort of my computer. Another confession: I know I'm ridiculous!

Do you love to shop? Do you get buyer’s remorse?

thank you

2010-11-25T11:14:00.000-08:00

In honour of the Thanksgiving holiday being celebrated in the States, it seems only appropriate to reflect on how grateful I am for all that I have been blessed with. It truly makes me feel so lucky that I’ve got so many things to be thankful for. I can’t say enough about how much I appreciate the life that I’m living and how much gratitude I have for the wonderful people that make my life so special.
{via} I think at times like this it is especially important to be thankful for all the little things that I so easily take for granted everyday. Like having mittens in cold weather or art supplies for painting. Or having a job that pays the bills or a computer where I can write my blog. I’m thankful for my alarm clock because as much as I hate to hear it go off every morning, it means that I’ve made it to another day. I’m thankful for the pain I feel after a long run because it means I’m able to walk and run and stay active. I’m thankful for having to pay rent because even though I’d love to have more money for shopping, it means I’ve got a roof over my head and a house to go home to. I’m thankful for warm meals and the leftovers I eat for lunch. I’m thankful for the technology that lets me stay connected to my family around the world. I’m thankful that I get to hear the words ‘I love you’ more than once a day. To be able to ‘thank’ the things in life that don’t often receive words of gratitude, like Leah of thxthxthx or Jimmy Fallon on his Late Night show, may seem silly or get a lot of laughs but in all honesty, it might make you take a closer look at all the wonderful, weird or simple things that we experience on a day to day basis. It’s a good reminder that the little things deserve thanks, too.
{via} I’ve truly got so much to be thankful for and as corny as it sounds, I’m thankful there’s a holiday that reminds me of such. Thanks to every one of you for being a part of my life and a very Happy Thanksgiving to all those who are celebrating!

What are you thankful for? How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?

apology accepted

2010-11-23T11:58:00.000-08:00

I couldn’t help my curiosity when the headline Fool Proof Ways to Apologize flashed on my monitor this morning. Really? Four failsafe ways to wiggle your way out of the doghouse? (And in the Shopping section nonetheless! Hmmm…I see where this is going…) Being in any relationship usually comes with it’s fair share of disagreements or arguments that can leave one or both of you needing to say you’re sorry. But considering we're all a little bit different and will react a little differently to any fight, tiff or argument that we get into, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that these probably aren’t the four best ways to fess up and be forgiven.
{via} I’ve got to admit that I’m not won over as easily as is suggested. Yeah, I’ll take a candlelit bath or an unexpected outing and I believe there can be some special sentiment suggested by such shows of love …but a video testimony admitting your mistake? And pouring your heart out? Sounds a little too contrived to me. By all means, give these gestures a try but it may be best to understand the person you’re apologizing to. What I usually need when I’m upset is time. Give me a little time to clear my head and some space to think my own thoughts and then a heartfelt apology or expression of your feelings is going to go a lot farther than an expensive gift or perfectly planned meal. (I will take those too if you’re offering…but it would probably mean more if they came at a time when you weren’t trying to get out of the doghouse!)

Yes, the sweet touches are nice and, if you mean it, they show that you care. And that, to me, is the easy answer for having your apology accepted. Saying sorry shouldn’t be something we do because our mom says so, saying sorry should be something we do because we are actually saying what we feel.

Are you good at apologizing? Or too stubborn like I can be? What makes a sorry sweeter?

simple smiles: learning from life

2010-11-19T15:44:00.000-08:00

Sometimes in life, there are days when things just aren’t going your way, when more bad than good seems to happen in a week or the month is speckled with sad news. And then suddenly, someone says something or does something that just hits you the right way and changes your outlook on the way you see the world. After a few days of feeling down this week, I received the perfect email pick me up from my sister. Whether she knew it or not, the email she sent seemed to reach me at just the right time, when I needed someone to remind me that life is full of wonderful reasons to embrace all that I have been lucky enough to experience. The email was a simple list that has probably made it’s way around the Internet for years and for whatever reason, made it’s way to me at just the right time. The list contains simple life lessons from a lady named Regina Brett who wrote the list as she approached her 45th birthday (…and not 90th birthday as is rumoured!...because she’d be looking pretty darn good for a 90 year old!). While so many of her personal life lessons really rang true, there was one that I’ve heard over and over but seemed like the right kind of reminder this time around.
“Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.” Such simple words but all too often and all too easily ignored. I can definitely admit that I’m guilty of holding on to a nice shirt or waiting to wear that new dress. I save treats until the time is right. I’ve got the good duvet safely in the closet. But it’s something that I think I should consciously change. Because really, what’s wrong with today? Why isn’t today special enough to take myself out for dessert or pull out that pretty purse? I don’t think I’ll be putting on my party dress to clean the bathroom by any means but I think the lesson I’m learning is that I’ve got to make the most of what I’ve got. Everyday is something to be celebrated and if I buy some nice candles, why not burn them? If I’ve got good things in my life, why not use them? Company shouldn’t be the only reason to get out the good towels! Of course I’m still going to get excited over surprise nights out, romantic dinners or pretty presents…but getting excited that every day is a new chance to experience all that I’m lucky enough to have is a life lesson that I hope I never forget. So treat yourself tonight. Pull out the china. Wear your expensive accessories. Make today the right time because today really is special.

What do you save for a special occasion? Any advice for embracing each day?

an a for effort

2010-11-15T21:34:00.000-08:00

{via} I spent the better part of my day today talking about how great I am. Yes, you heard me right, how great I am. It sounds like a weird thing to say, doesn’t it?! But it’s the truth and truthfully, I feel weird about it. It’s the end of my company’s year and with the end of the calendar year coming up quickly, it meant it was time for my annual performance review. That meant my morning was spent analyzing all that I’ve accomplished throughout the year and finding an abundance of adjectives for saying I’m awesome. I’ve got to say that it wasn’t one of my favourite things I’ve been asked to do at work. Sure, organizing business cards or sending out a large mailout aren’t glamorous assignments but having to talk about all the wonderful, amazing, beneficial things I’ve brought to my company this year made me feel more awkward than I anticipated. Like a resume or job interview, talking up your terrific traits isn’t always an easy task.
{an awesome hotdog? i think so!} As much as I struggled through my own awesomeness, I’ve got to admit that it may have helped me feel pretty fantastic. It made me take a real look at the work I’ve contributed over the past year and realize that I am indeed an excellent employee. I find it all too easy to get down on myself when I have a bad day or when I feel like I could have done more but when I have to sum up my success, I realize that I’m proud of my achievements and that I’ve contributed an awful lot to my office. I’m personable, organized, dependable, always ready for the next challenge, and have stepped in to help others on countless occasions. I may blush at the idea of being boastful or bragging but being able to admit I’m wonderful just did wonders for my confidence. Not to toot my own horn (okay, all I did was toot my own horn!) but I was able to write quite a bit about myself and that’s got to make a girl feel pretty good, right?! I hope we can all see the good in ourselves, even on days when no one asks.

Why are you wonderful to work with? What makes you more confident?

lest we forget

2010-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

There's something really special about Remembrance Day for me. I can't be sure but I think the combination of having a grandfather who served, being proud of my country and respecting all those who have fought for freedom has created such a strong connection. I don't let this time go by without proudly wearing my poppy or observing a minute of silence and taking the time to truly remember all those who sacrificed so much. With so few veterans left and battles still being fought on a daily basis, I find it ever important to carry on the message that without the actions of these brave soldiers and civilians, the world would not be as it is today and I am entirely grateful for the courage and honour so proudly displayed during such a tough time.
{In Flanders Fields}I remember having to do an art project in high school where we had to pick an image to recreate that represented life in the war. I can still remember the image I chose, of a soldier in a trench, looking sad, desolate and heartbroken but still stronger than I could ever imagine having to be. It's an image that I don't think I'll ever forget as it impacted me more than I could predict. It gave me a glimpse into the battle being fought on the front lines as well as the mental battle that I can only begin to imagine those in the war fought everyday. I can't comprehend the violence and I truly wish we could all get along without having to break out guns and grenades but I do think we have so many soldiers to thank for their bravery, selflessness, commitment and sacrifice to the battles of the past and present.

To all those who fought and continue to fight, I am so thankful for all that you have done in the face of adversity and violence and in the name of peace and your country. You and your service will always be remembered.

snug as a bug

2010-11-10T14:49:00.000-08:00

When I was younger, I used to wish for any excuse to stay home from school. I’d secretly hope that I would get sick so that I wouldn’t have to hop on that big, yellow bus yet again. And it’s not like I didn’t like school, I did quite a bit, but there was something so desirable about being able to stay home when you should have been in class, as if being home sick was a rebellious act, as if a sick day was a vacation in disguise. I secretly hoped I would get sick so I could stay home – until it actually happened. Because when you’re home sick, you soon discover it means staying in bed, fighting the flu and missing out on all the fun your healthy friends are having without you.
{via} I had to stay home from work yesterday because a cold hit me hard and getting through the day at work would have been much worse than catching up on what I’d miss. And it made me think of the times when skipping school seemed so worth a sick day. Now, when I get a cough or a cold or a sore throat like the one that kept me confined to the couch yesterday, I fight hard to get better, to get back to the office, to get back normal so that breathing and swallowing become painless and thoughtless actions. I will admit though, as much as I hate being sick, it doesn’t hurt to take advantage of the good that comes with the bad. Who doesn’t love an excuse to stay in your pj’s all day? I won’t often say no to that! When you’re so used to getting up and getting dressed and going to work, I’ve got to admit that taking a break from the routine is a plus no matter how many boxes of tissues I may go through. And when soup is my staple when I’m sick, getting curled up under a blanket with a nice warm bowl of chicken noodle goes a long way in making me feel better. Even though The Price is Right isn’t the same without Bob Barker, I love being able to watch it as I dream of seeing myself in the Showcase Showdown even though being on TV is the last place I’d want to be seen considering the mess that is me on a sick day. Add to all that a husband who happily runs to the store three, four or five times just for me and makes sure I’m tucked in tight and I start to think I’ll wish for sick days more often (…minus the sick part, please!).

What do you do when you’re home sick? What makes you feel better?

keep fit and have fun

2010-11-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

There’s always something so tough about trying to get back into shape. While I haven’t let it go too long, I’m currently challenging myself to get back into the gym on a regular basis and make working out a part of my regular week day routine again. So when I came across the 20 Biggest Health Excuses That Hold You Back this morning, it was like someone read my mind. Reading the reasons why I, along with many others, seem to put so many other things ahead of our health makes me realize how easy it should be to include exercise everyday. And when the outcome is feeling good (and hopefully looking good, too!) it really should be a no brainer when it comes to being fit.
Staying fit throughout the summer was hard enough...with eating out and weekends away, my outdoor activities had to heavily make up for my unhealthy habits. But taking a break from the ever important routine of getting my butt in gear to get to the gym has only made it harder to get into the groove again. Granted, after running a half marathon, I felt entitled to a few days off. It’s too bad those few days off turned into a few weeks off and after those few weeks off…well…exercising a few days a week is a mental battle harder than lifting some of those heavy weights. But I find that now is the best time to do it. Summer has ended, the days are getting shorter and my schedule has seemed to slow down. All perfect reasons for getting back to the daily grind of burning fat and building muscle. Yes, it’s a shame that when I don’t need the beach body cause I’m covered up by cute coats and warms sweaters, I’ve got the time to work on it. But I know working out now will only benefit me in the long run…like when I want that second helping of shortbread at the company Christmas party or some ice cream on my apple pie. So winning the fight against lazy days is a game I’ve got to become good at. Not only for the guilt-free holiday treat eating but also so I can feel good about myself. I know how awesome I feel when I get a good sweat going and how satisfying it feels to discover new muscles. These are the feelings that I have to keep in mind as I make my way home tonight. I have to ignore the couch who calls my name so loud and instead remind myself of all the reasons that going to the gym is a good choice to make. Because if looking good isn’t enough motivation, feeling good will get me going even more!

What motivates you to exercise? Do you have a regular routine?

my purple pride

2010-11-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

{via} It's been several years since I graduated from university and while I may be in denial about the end of those days, I can’t help but relive them and reminisce about all the good times I had while I was there. So you can imagine my delight when I read that my school had rave reviews in The Globe and Mail's Canadian University Report, an annual survey based on assessments by students about the schools they attend. I'm proud to report that the university I attended finished with the highest ranking in seven of the seventeen criteria in which it was graded. Bishop's University was ranked the highest for, among other things, quality of teaching, satisfaction with town/city, campus atmosphere and most satisfied students...not so bad to be at the top of those lists!
Anytime Bishop’s is mentioned in the news, I’m like a proud mother celebrating her child’s achievements. I can’t help but get a little giddy to know that my alma mater did something worth talking about. Even when it’s bad news, like a flood, fire or foolish freshman (which happens all too often!), my heart still warms at the thought of my little university town pushing their way through any tough time or tragedy. Bump into any alum that went to BU and it’s like you haven’t seen each other since being separated at birth but lived on the same street your whole life. You’d think we were being paid to promote the school with the way we can’t stop babbling about our breakfasts at PizzaVille or walks across the arches. The memories, landmarks and school spirit seem to remain the same throughout the years and so reminiscing about life in Lennoxville is something so hard to explain if you’ve never experienced it. Having one small bar in town to raise a toast with your profs but two Greek restaurants for the post-bar poutine is accepted and embraced. Painting yourself purple during frosh week and again for every football game is not unusual...even if it means showing up to an exam that way because you didn't have time to take a shower first. And missing said football game because tailgating takes on a life of its own is a foggy memory for any proud Gaiter fan. Our school song, which is belted out by students every year to serenade the principal at his house, states “we will never graduate” and I don’t think truer words could be sung (…or slurred!). While I may have taken it for granted during those first few days as a freshman, I’ve come to realize that while I can’t go back, those days will certainly live forever in my heart.

Did you go to college? What was the school spirit like at your school?

expect the unexpected

2010-11-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

Weekends are my favourite part of the week. Of course, there’s the whole sleeping in and not having to go to work part that always makes it such a relief to get to the end of the week but what I really love about weekends is the extra time to do fun things and the adventures that often ensue. While weekdays usually include errands and exercise, the weekend is often reserved for friends, family or fun and sometimes you never know what that will mean. For me, this weekend involved all three and while I knew it would be a good one, I couldn’t have predicted that I’d be as good as it was.
You know those days or nights when you’ve got good plans but if someone were to ask you about them, you’d say it was nothing special? And then you go out, have more fun than you could have imagined and look back and laugh at all the outrageous outtakes that made your night memorable? That pretty much sums up my weekend. I spent the last few days visiting a good friend a few hours away, and while I was really looking forward to the time we would spend together, I could never have imagined that such simple sentences would unleash a series of unforgettable adventures. When the owner of the pub we went to for a little live music casually told us there was a bowling lane out back (and he wasn’t kidding!) our night took a turn for the random as we suddenly found ourselves setting up own our pins and crossing our fingers for a strike. And when we were asked if we brought anything to throw by the cashier of the movie theatre where we went to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show, we shouldn’t have been surprised by the rice, toast and decks of cards that were launched through the theatre. They might seem like you-had-to-be-there moments but they were the moments that made my weekend. They were unexpected, a little strange and a lot of fun.
I love those nights – nights that need explanations with stories that couldn’t be scripted. It’s those nights that are often the most unforgettable, when one unexpected event turns into two and suddenly you can’t remember the last time you had so much fun. It’s those nights that start out okay and end amazing with a roller coaster of ridiculous all in between. It’s the unexpected fun that if you tried to plan for, you’d fail. It’s the rush of being in the right place at the right time without realizing that you’ve got all the ingredients for the recipe for fun. So if anyone ever tells you that there’s a bowling lane behind their bar, believe them. You never know where the night will take you.

What unexpected moments have made for memorable nights for you? What’s your favourite thing about the weekend?

tricked into treating

2010-10-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

So it may not come as a surprise that I have a sweet tooth. So much so that every once and a while I try to give up sugar for a certain period of time so that I can get the sweetness out of my system. So then it also may not come as a surprise that I like Halloween. Any holiday that encourages me to eat sugary sweets and consume chocolate bars is certainly a-okay in my book! While dressing up may not be my strong suit, indulging in the tiny treats is one part of Halloween that I’m really good at.
{via} Trick-or-treating was always something I looked forward to when I was younger. Considering my household was the healthiest on the block, having a chance to stock up on sweets was literally such a treat. Filling a pillowcase with enough sugar to satisfy my sweet tooth for months on end certainly seemed like a holiday made for me. However, as I grow up a bit, I’ve got to say that Halloween is a pretty strange celebration. Throughout most of our young lives, we'd told not to talk to strangers and especially not to accept anything from anyone unknown...but then all of a sudden, for one night of the year, not only are those rules thrown out the door but the opposite is actually encouraged. Your parents send you out the door, dressed up as ghosts and goblins and encourage you to accept candy from anyone and everyone who seems to be in the spirit of the evening. I’m certainly not complaining – holidays like these are my chance to break all my health rules…and I don't know whose idea the ‘treat’ part was but I like it! So as I spoil myself silly with small Snickers and tiny Twix, I tell myself that because they’re small, it’s okay. And while I know there’s really no logic behind my miniature meals, I’ll continue to chomp down on my candy corn because come November 1st, Christmas cookies will seem so far away.

What do you like about Halloween? Do the tiny treats tempt you?

what not to wear

2010-10-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Every year around this time, I get a sinking feeling in my stomach. I get anxious, self conscious and worried about what the week’s end will bring. Yes, I’m afraid of haunted houses and things that go bump in the night (I’m a wimp!), but what really gets me is the all important pressure of finding the perfect persona to duplicate on the eve of Halloween. With how many homemade horrors and do-it-yourself disguises make the Hall of Fame every year, it’s hard to compete with costumes that will always seem cooler than any I could create.
{via} I tend to take the easy way out when it comes to costumes. Something that involves a small amount of effort and little money spent is usually how I dress up by default. Don’t get me wrong, I think dressing up is a lot of fun and I love seeing the creative costumes of more gifted individuals, but I tend to crumble under the pressure of creating a crafty, clever and recognizable costume. My past get-ups have always been easy, like a flight attendant or a rugby player, and I’ve yet to go above and beyond by turning myself into anything that would make others envy my attire. I tend to blend into the crowd as opposed to standing out, ogling the outfits of all the others that clearly didn’t wait until the last minute to whip up their wardrobe. And even though Halloween arrives at the same time every year, there’s something inside of me that won’t commit to a costume in time to make it a masterpiece. Sure, I’ve had some good ideas, but dishing out some dough, showing too much skin or taking the time to scout out the right materials seem to be my stumbling blocks when it comes to dressing for success. Or maybe the fact that I'm still taunted by my siblings for being a fat ballerina when I was 6 has put a damper on my costume-creating abilities...do you know how hard it is to be anything skinny when you grow up in Canada and have to fit a snowsuit under your costume?! I know there will eventually be a 31st of October when my creative and crafty side will conquer my fears of not being good enough and I’ll create a costume worthy of being considered cool. Until that day comes though, dressing all in white, borrowing some wings and calling myself an angel just might be as good as it gets.

Are you dressing up this year? What the best costume you’ve ever seen?

everything's amazing, nobody's happy

2010-10-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

I know we’ve all been there…wearily working away at our computers when all of a sudden we are no longer wired to the World Wide Web. We become frustrated, short-tempered and angry that the machine in front of us is not doing what we want it to, like it’s the computer’s fault that the connection failed or the document disappeared. And I know as soon as I say this it is going to make me sound old or out of date but the extent to which we depend on technology is astonishing at times. Our dependence on the tech world has increased so rapidly in the past decade that without it, we often don’t know what to do.
We depend so heavily on our phones, the internet and our computers in general to do so much for us that it’s no wonder that as soon as something goes wrong with any of our devices or our access is limited, we feel stranded. At the beginning of this year, the province of British Columbia, where I live, introduced a law that made it illegal to operate any hand held device while driving. They recently reported that almost 20,000 drivers have been ticketed and I can’t tell you the countless more I’ve seen that didn’t get caught. We’re so dependant on instant interactions, that making a call or answering a text seems more essential than the safety of yourself and those around you. It’s just one of the many examples of how chained we are to the technologies that make our world work these days. And while I’m innocent when it comes to texting behind the wheel (I’m not good enough at texting while walking, let alone driving!), I’m guilty of living a life full of dependence on devices… without my phone I wouldn’t know my friends phone numbers and without an internet connection at work I wouldn’t have much to do. After spending hours fixing up a file yesterday, only to have it magically go missing, I lost all motivation. If my moods are going to depend on how good Google is or whether or not I’ve got Facebook friends, I feel like I’m going to be let down more often than I’d like. Lately, with several technological failures affecting my productivity, I’ve found reflecting on the fact that phones and Facebook may rule my life makes me want to find other ways to function. Instead of fussing over the fact that the internet is slow or I forgot my phone at a friend’s, I want to continue to be in awe over all that we can do instead of the things we can’t. Because really, as Louis CK says, everything is amazing…and I’m going to do my best to be happy about it.

How dependant are you on technology? What devices can't you go without?

so much to do, so little time

2010-10-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

I know it can be argued that time is relative or that time is absolute and while I can’t seem to wrap my head around what either one really means, what I can wrap my head around is that time is a funny thing. It goes fast when you need it to slow down and when you want it to hurry up, it takes forever to get to where you want it to be. This past week I’ve been so much busier than I thought I would be and there just haven’t been enough hours in the day to get done all that I had hoped.
{via} Whether it’s minutes, hours, days or years, it’s amazing the mind games time can play. When you’re counting down to a vacation or an exciting event, the days seem to drag on and getting from 10 days down to 1 day seems like an eternity. But then all of a sudden, once you’re kicking back on the beach or trekking through the rainforest, 10 days goes by in the blink of an eye and, before you know it, you’re back at your desk counting down the hours until the work day ends. The saying “time flies” never seems to be wrong!

I once worked at a library wholesaler where I often had to pack and ship books. While not the most stimulating work, it became necessary to fight boredom by having a little fun with the time…like seeing how many boxes we could pack before taking a break or guessing how long it would take to do large orders. What really became a challenge was trying not to look at the clock until we thought 10, 15 or 30 minutes had passed – a task more challenging than one would think and all the more exciting when your guess was right on! And now, there are days like today, when I wish I could take all those wasted minutes and tack them on to the time I’ve got left in the night ahead of me. So whether I’m killing time, wasting time or saving time, I’ll take every moment in time that I can get...if it's 10 more minutes of sleep, 5 more minutes until a deadline or 1 more minute watching TV with my husband, I want to make the most of every minute.

How do you make more time in your day? Do you wish time would speed up or slow down?

jumping into action

2010-10-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend, my husband received a generous, and if I do say so myself, frightening birthday gift from one of his closest friends. While not something you can unwrap and be surprised by, the gift of a bungee jump certainly has the shock value that one can hope accompanies good gift giving. I am happy to report that he, along with the four others that were much braver than I, survived the 150 foot jump. And not only did they survive but they all survived with smiles on their faces, full of adrenaline and excitement and the desire to do it all over again. My fear of bridges combined with my lack of interest in throwing myself off of one had me with my feet planted firmly on the ground.
Bungee jumping isn’t on my list of things ‘to do’ in my life but I, like most people, do have a list of several things that I hope to accomplish or experience in my lifetime. While I haven’t actually created a bucket list or 101 things to do in 1001 days, I definitely dream of being able to put checkmarks next to some exciting, scary or adventurous personal goals. Jumping out of a plane with a parachute appealed to me much more than jumping off a bridge with a bungee cord so skydiving is something I can now proudly say I’ve done… and would highly recommend! And now that I have a couple half marathons under my belt, running the full 26.2 miles will be next on my list of activities to complete. It’s satisfying to know that I’m going through life accomplishing my goals and completing tasks no matter how scary, unattainable, crazy or physically demanding they may seem. While some items can be fun, some can be serious and some can be good for humanity, taking the time to decide what you want out of life and what you want to be able to say you accomplished can be such a motivating exercise that once it’s down on paper, it’s hard to ignore. And that may be why I have such a strong desire to see the ball drop in Times Square on New Years Eve, swim with dolphins in crystal clear water and have an exhibition dedicated solely to my own artwork…because looking back on my life, I hope to be happy with all that I’ve done and hope I never have to say “I wish I’d done that…”.

What’s on your list? Would you ever go bungee jumping?

ready to run

2010-10-07T16:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend, along with 15,000 other fierce and determined runners, I will be pushing my way through the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Half Marathon with a goal of getting to the end. It will be my second time running a half marathon and while my speed may not be my strength, I will certainly be giving it my all as I lace up my shoes and hit the pavement for 21 kilometers of jogging joy. And I may not have followed my training program to the letter (it's hard to get out running when the couch is calling your name!) but I am ready to see how fast my legs will carry me throughout the streets of downtown Victoria.
I wouldn’t call myself a runner by any means but I can now say, after several years, that I truly enjoy running. That’s something I never thought I’d say, especially growing up with a mother who is most definitely a runner, having completed 23 marathons and countless other races, but my attitude towards the activity has certainly changed. We always joked that my mom was crazy, running for hours only to end up where she started…taking the car seemed much more efficient. But now that I’m one of those crazies, I find myself at peace when I hit the trails or the treadmill and the fact that I’m running in circles (or nowhere at all!) doesn’t seem so silly. It clears my head, activates my endorphins and continues to keep me healthy. And while my motivation to get going isn’t always there, once I’m out and about and jogging through the streets, I’m happy. My face may not show it as it goes bright red and I huff and puff and look as though I might blow my house down but there is something so satisfying about setting out to run a certain distance and completing that goal. And while this Sunday’s goal of completing 13 miles is one of my more ambitious objectives, I hope to get through it knowing that that sense of satisfaction will be waiting for me at the finish line.

Do you exercise? Or run? What do you do to stay in shape?
{via}

happy birthday shoes

2010-10-07T03:15:00.000-07:00

Today is my husband’s birthday. Happy birthday to my baby, my best friend, my actor, my comedian, my chef, my salesman, my partner in crime, my pillow and my favourite face to come home to after a day away at work. His birthday is one of my favourite days of the year because it gives me a reason to celebrate having him in my life and reminisce about all the ways he makes me smile – like how he hates to wear socks and throws them off every single day into the exact same spot by the fireplace. Or the way he spoils all the sad parts in movies with a silly joke or a ridiculous comment. I love the look on his face when he knows he’s eaten one too many sweet treats or shouldn’t have had that second helping. And I love how he gets as giddy as little kids do when it comes to birthdays, Christmas or opening presents.
This year, I got lucky and knew my guy really wanted to improve his golf game so some lessons for the links were the obvious birthday gift of choice. However, husbands, fathers, brothers, and boys in general always seem to stump me when it comes to buying presents. What do you get for someone who doesn’t accessorize or beautify, doesn’t care about cute creations or pretty pillows and certainly wouldn’t want a new book or piece of artwork? I know not all men are the same but my dad’s tie collection grows with each celebration and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind a surprise every once and a while. And even though my husband says he’d always be happy with tools or electronics, what do I really know about either of those? In my opinion, a wrench doesn’t really say I love you and I’m so happy to be celebrating with you. If any guy in my life mentions something he sorta, kinda, might want, I’ve got to write it down because chances are, that’s what they’re going to be ripping the wrapping paper off of when it comes time to celebrate their special day. Thankfully, my birthday boy’s memory (or lack there of!) seems to save me and his suggestions for gifts easily become surprises! Thanks, babe...and happy birthday!

What do you buy for the guys in your life? Do you find it easier to shop for men or women?

imagine the freedom

2010-10-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

I don’t think I’m alone when I tell you that I’ve always dreamed of winning the lottery. Don’t get me wrong, I put a lot of value on working hard for what you want but wouldn’t it be nice to not have to worry about money for a while? Or for the rest of your life? There have been several stories in the news recently about lottery winners who have won more than once and I can’t help but picture myself accepting that oversized cheque with open arms.
Every so often, there seems to be a conversation about what I would do if I held the winning ticket. Sometimes I dream about being sensible – putting my money away for my future children, for retirement, for a rainy day; giving money to my family so my brother can pay off his law school loans, my sister can get a place of her own while she goes to school, my parents can take the trips they’ve always dreamed of; and the long list of charities that would be deserving of donations seems to grow along with the amount of money I dream of winning. And other times, I dream of all the luxuries that I would splurge on...spending serious amounts of cash on silly purchases. A shopping spree would certainly be first on the list along with beautiful houses in all the holiday spots I dream of visiting and enough shoes to fill the dream closet I’ll one day build. My list of material possessions and purchases seems to grow along with the rising jackpot. I’m not holding my breath that my bank account will rise from the few figures it’s at now to the eight figures I’m currently hoping for (buying tickets would help!) but a girl can dream, right?! Most of all, I want to win the lottery to just live life. To experience all there is to experience without the limitations of my bank account. To conquer all my fears and achieve all my dreams without worrying about where the funds will come from. To have the time and money to just be would be living the life of luxury I dream of.

What would you do with your winnings? Do you buy lottery tickets?

one film, four words

2010-10-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy going to the movies. On top of the entertainment it provides and the yummy snacks I fill up on, going to the movies gives me the opportunity to be a movie critic - expressing my honest opinion about what characters I liked, what plot twists were unnecessary or why I can’t wait to hear what others will think of the casting. So what would I do if I only had four words to sum up my feelings about what I’d just seen on the screen? I’d probably think it was impossible but that’s exactly what users at The Four Word Film Review struggle to do on a daily basis. The challenge not only comes from having to sum up your thoughts in such few words, a tough task in itself, but the most creative reviews are both informative and humourous – not an easy assignment if you ask me.
Summing up a movie in only four words would be a challenge to say the least. Usually, after watching a movie (or during a movie!), you can’t keep me quiet. Whether I’m raving about the perfect plot or making suggestions so it’s not a snoozefest, I’ve got some kind of critique for the makers of the movie. Keeping it short, clever and with some hint of what the movie is about with a limited amount of words seems cruel at first. But once you take a look through the thousands of reviews posted by users from all around the world, it suddenly seems intriguing (My personal fave so far? Superbad: “Not super, not bad.”). So how would I describe a movie in four words or less? I haven’t been able to come up with a good one yet but now that I’m trying, I think it will be hard to stop. The next time I’m in the theatre or curled up on my couch watching a movie, I know what I’ll be doing – training my brain to think in four word increments and trying to come up with the best critique that I can. Easy? I think not.

Can you sum up a movie in four words or less?

lost and left behind

2010-09-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Having stayed in several hotels since I was young, I’m not a stranger to a home away from home during my holidays. And having traveled with several different people, I’ve come to learn that everyone has their own way of living life on the road whether it’s unpacking everything as soon as you arrive or spending your stay living out of your luggage. No matter how you choose to live or relax while away, it’s probably not uncommon to forget a shirt stashed deep in a drawer or a shampoo bottle still in the shower, right? But would you forget a shark in your bathtub, your pet cockatoo or €20,000 in cash? These are only three of the top ten strangest items found left behind by the members of Great Hotels of the World. I can’t say I’ve ever had any of those items with me on a vacation but you can bet I wouldn’t be leaving them behind.
{via} Leaving something behind is just not an option when I go away. If you’re anything like me, you can’t help but check, double check and triple check every corner, drawer, nook and cranny to make sure that every item you came with has made it’s way back into your suitcase. Even when I don’t use a drawer or open a closet during my stay, I won’t feel right about leaving if I haven’t taken a few peaks inside just to make sure my pants didn’t miraculously grow feet and walk their way into the closet. It doesn’t make sense but it’s what I do. While I may be a compulsive closet checker, I get a sense of satisfaction knowing that I haven’t left a sock sitting under the bed or a towel drying on the balcony. And even if I always get the feeling that I’m forgetting something, I can at least be satisfied knowing that I made a valiant effort to repack all my possessions…especially that pesky shark or my pair of false teeth!

Have you ever left anything in a hotel room? Do you live out of your luggage or unpack everything?

guilty as charged

2010-09-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make.
I’m not proud of it, I’ve only become involved recently and I don’t like to tell too many people. It’s not something that is a big part of my life but when I’m into it, it’s hard to break away. I have to confess…I like The Real Housewives shows. Judge me all you want ( I deserve it!) but there is something so captivating about these women and their network of family and friends that seem to live a life so completely different from anything I’ve ever experienced. Getting a glimpse into their world of luxurious spending, catty gossiping and daily drama is my unexplainable guilty pleasure.
{via} I think we all need an escape like my love for the ladies of Orange County, New Jersey or Atlanta – not only for the downtime it provides to tune in to the TV and tune out of my brain but also because it presents a far fetched 'reality' that allows me to either laugh at the outrageous or dream of the lavish. I don’t watch and wish I was living the life of any of these women but it easily draws me in so that I’m involved in someone else’s life and I can step away from my own. With all the stresses that we deal with on a daily or weekly basis, I think it’s necessary to have a guilty pleasure. Something that isn’t our norm, something that allows us to treat ourselves, something that puts a smile on our face if only because it’s different from our everyday occurrences. And sometimes it takes something a little unusual or out of the ordinary to help us realize that our lives are full and fabulous. So as much as I’m not proud of my current choice in entertainment, I’m happy I have it. I'm happy I have something that lets me unwind and whether it’s a trashy tv show, a romance novel or a piece of chocolate cake, I hope we all have something to indulge in that takes us away from our day-to-day lives.

Care to share your guilty pleasure? What allows you to escape the everyday?

fading into fall

2010-09-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

I’m one of those stubborn summer lovers who refuses to believe that the summer ever ends. Even as the cool breezes blow in and the leaves begin to fall from the trees, I’m still holding on to the sunshine with two flip-flopped feet planted firmly on the ground. However, considering it is now officially fall, I think I’m ready to say so long to the summer and embrace all the wonderful things that this time of year brings.
Considering I’m a little late to the party when it comes to welcoming fall, all the things I love about autumn won’t come as a surprise. There is something special about a cool, crisp fall day with the fallen leaves dancing in the wind that makes me want to throw on a warm sweater with my favourite scarf and frolic through the beautiful orange, red and yellow. Follow the frolicking with a large mug of hot tea while I curl up under a soft blanket with a good book and suddenly saying goodbye to summer doesn’t seem like such a bad thing. The thought of warm fireplaces, cute jackets and Thanksgiving turkeys are enough to make me happy that the end of September is here - autumn seems to equal being cozy and that’s really nothing to complain about. As I break out my thick socks and add hot soup back onto my dinner menu, I am easily reminded why there are so many fans of the fall. As much as I will always be sad to see summer go, having four different seasons and being able to celebrate the change between each of them is something I truly look forward to. While I may be sad to pack away my beach towels and sunhats, knowing that blankets and toques will be keeping me cozy for the next few months is enough to keep me comforted on these first few cool days of the season.

What are your favourite fall things? Is fall your favourite season?

happy birthday turbo

2010-09-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

Today, my mom celebrates her 38th birthday.
She’s been celebrating her 38th birthday for the last 14 years but you’d never know it. She is one of my closest friends, my favourite shopping partner and a truly amazing mother. My mom is a health nut, a personal trainer, a 3-time Ironman Finisher and a dedicated volunteer to a variety of community causes. I’ve never met anyone with more energy at 5:30 in the morning than she has and her ability to eat a salad the size of a large mixing bowl is hard to beat. While I may not have inherited my love of accessories from my mom, whose Ziploc baggie works wonders as a purse, I will definitely give her credit for my love of all sweet treats as well as my need to always have a clean kitchen counter.
Mothers have some incredible talents that seem to come only with motherhood. Mom’s have an amazing ability to see dirt where no child ever will. They are especially skilled at making sandwiches so that they always taste better than any I could ever put together and their built-in lie detector seems more accurate than any used in an FBI interrogation. Mothers seem to have motion-sensor alarms that will arouse them just as you’re creeping in after your curfew and their magical power that seems to kiss away pain is greater than that of any superhero. I’ve been lucky enough to have grown up with a super supportive single mom who can’t help but laugh when she tells me “I’m getting serious now!” and always found ways to make sure we were well taken care of and well loved. Parenthood is a tough job and I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without the love, laughs, support and daily emails my mom has provided me throughout the years. Thanks to all moms for being moms and thanks to my mom for being you...Happy Birthday!

What is your favourite thing about your mom? Or about being a mom? Are you like your mother?

spreading the love

2010-09-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

I was reading my local newspaper this morning and stopped on a quick story about a young good deed doer who is making his way across Canada in an attempt to spark an increased level of trust and kindness among strangers. Stefano Andriani’s project, Travel Kindness, will see his team making their way across the country for the next few months doing everyday good deeds along the way. Efforts like Stefano’s, attempting to make our world a kinder place, are such necessary reminders that there really is so much good in the world, especially when the newspapers seem to be full of bad news.
{via - do you agree?} A good deed, no matter how big or small, can really put a smile on a stranger’s face. To be able to brighten someone’s day by offering some spare change or a helping hand is often such a simple yet satisfying task and I truly believe in the value of being able to pay it forward. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a stranger's smile, you know how good it feels to get that extra push in your day whether it’s because someone gave up their seat on the bus for you or offered you an extra nickel for your morning coffee. I remember when I was young, my class at school was challenged to commit a good deed and not tell anyone about what we had done – a secret between ourselves and the stranger we had so kindly helped out. How hard does that seem? I mean, I could lend a hand to someone in need or go out of my way to be kind to a stranger and just keep it to myself, right? I remember that keeping my selflessness a secret, so that it did indeed seem selfless, was tougher than I could have imagined. We all have a need to share with others and I really don’t think it’s a bad thing to want to share the good things we do...even if it’s because we’re proud or just want recognition. As much as I do believe that challenge taught me not to worry about acceptance and to be kind no matter who is watching, I think hearing stories of goodwill are motivating. They encourage us to look at out lives and find ways to help those in need. They inspire us to take an extra second to notice that the world is a good place and by being in it, we can help make it better. I am thankful to people like Stefano and the many, many others that constantly remind me that common kindness can go a long way.

Have you received any random acts of kindness lately? Any heartwarming stories?

where in the world

2010-09-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

Vacations, no matter how long or how incredible, always seem to be too short. Coming back home and back to reality is always a bittersweet moment. As much as I am happy to be back in my own bed with the comforts of home cooked meals and my familiar routine, I can’t help but wish I was still soaking up the sun on the Spanish coast.
Spain was amazing! The early morning walks to the beach, feeling the soft sand between my toes as I lay taking in the Mediterranean and the late nights sipping sangria as the sun set over the sea. It doesn’t get much better! I was taken aback with all that Barcelona had to offer. La Rambla was busy and bustling and the perfect place for people-watching. The Sagrada Familia took our breath away with its inspiring detail and demanding presence over the city.
Spain was certainly just what I needed. The weather was perfect, we relaxed in the sun and there were certainly enough sights to fill our days making the recipe just right for some time away (and I did manage to pack pretty light!...thanks for all your tips!).
The problem with, or rather, the appeal of travelling, depending on how you look at it, is that after spending a short time in an amazing place with beautiful beaches and spectacular sights, all I want to do is see more of the world. You’d think I would just be grateful for my getaway - and believe me, I really am – but when you get a taste of all the world has to offer, it’s hard to stop with one visit to the Spanish seaside. Considering there are so many sights in Spain that I didn’t have time to take in, it’s exciting to think of all the other cities, countries and continents that I’ve yet to be able to visit. The world is so full of breathtaking views and interesting architecture, there are cities full of stories from so long ago, the landscape is so varied from one town to the next. My list of places to visit is constantly growing and I can’t imagine that it will ever stop. Talking to other travelers during my holiday has filled my head with dreams of my next vacation…hearing about cruising the Greek Islands or pub hopping through the Scottish countryside makes me wish my next vacation was weeks away instead of too many months. I am so inspired by the amazing holiday that I was so lucky to indulge in that I am so looking forward to the next one. The travel bug gets me every time!

Where do you dream of travelling to? Any suggestions for my next trip?

my bags are packed

2010-09-03T23:35:00.001-07:00

As the last long weekend of the summer begins, I am sad to see my favourite season slipping away. However, I couldn’t be more excited because it is finally time for my much needed and highly anticpated holiday! (Is it weird that I’m little sad to be missing out on a long weekend?!) My husband and I are about to take off on our delayed honeymoon and head to the home of the World Cup winners - we are off to Spain for some sand, sun, shopping and stumbling through speaking Spanish. However, taking a trip means it’s time to pack my bags and that is one task to do with travelling that I actually dread.
I am the worst over-packer. I tend to pack whatever I think I could possibly-might once-if I’m in the right mood wear. A weekend away turns into 6 outfits, 4 pairs of shoes and way more clean underwear than I could ever go through. Even when I was growing up and would spend the summers at my dad’s house, my mom would always have to remind me that my dad did indeed own a washing machine and that she was sure he’d be happy to let me use it while I was there. I seemed to have a hard time believing her. On the other hand, I’ve never seen a boy pack more than he might need. A couple pairs of shorts, two or three t-shirts and a simple rotation between the few seem to be more than enough for a week away. But what if you’re not in the mood for the outfit you had planned on wearing? Or what if an unexpected hike in the woods or fancy dinner out is suddenly on the agenda? There are too many variables for me to worry about that I get stressed thinking that I might not have the right outfit for the daily outing…so why not pack it all and then I won’t have to worry about it while I’m away? And if there’s space in my suitcase, don't even get me started! My theory tends to be that I might as well fill it…but that’s a whole other story!

What kind of packer are you? Got any tips for an over-packer like myself?

dinner is served

2010-09-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

I don’t watch too much TV, but when I do, I can’t help but drool over the scrumptious shows showcasing the talents of professional and amateur chefs. Last night, I happened to catch the end of Masterchef, a cooking competition that sees amateur cooks with a variety of backgrounds challenged to be crowned the champion chef. As the four contestants in danger of losing their apron whipped up homemade pasta dishes in 90 minutes, I couldn’t help but wish I was a wiz in the kitchen just like them.
I really enjoy cooking. I can’t say I’m too good at it but it’s so satisfying to put time and effort into preparing a meal only to have it come out as tasty and well-cooked as you imagined. On the other hand, a disastrous meal can be so disappointing - I've learned the hard way that lemon meringue pie is not my specialty! I’m definitely the type of cook that needs instructions…give me a recipe and I promise you I will follow it step by step (my husband? Not so much…reading a recipe isn’t his thing!). This doesn’t always create the most amazing meals, as a little creativity in the kitchen isn’t a bad thing, but I’ve definitely treated my tastebuds to some delicious dishes over the years. While not the most sophisticated of cookbooks, I’ve found Eat, Shrink and Be Merry to be the perfect cookbook for a recipe reader like myself. It not only provides mouthwatering meals but all the recipes are healthy and super easy to make…throw in a little humour (…The Ladle in Red anyone?) and some fun facts about food and cooking with my husband or some good friends becomes one of my favourite things to do. For me, cooking with someone or cooking for someone is much better than cooking by myself or for myself. I just don’t put the effort in when I’ll be the only one eating it. But if it’s time for dinner party, I will happily be helping out in the kitchen. I may be no masterchef but I am definitely a willing participant!

What do you like to cook? Do you follow recipes or create your own masterpieces?

hair today, gone tomorrow

2010-08-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a scary day for me.
As much as I had spent sleepless nights preparing myself for the amount of hair I was about to have cut off, I was still shaking like a leaf in the wind as I sat down at Beauté Légère and let Simon snip his scissors through my long locks. I made the decision several months ago that it was time for a change and, more importantly, that it was time to let go of my length and donate it to Locks for Love, an amazing non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. With the children in mind, and the amazing encouragement and support from my family and friends, I took a deep breath, surprisingly didn’t shed a single tear and let the scissors do the styling.
I went into the salon with a mane that made its way down to the middle of my back. I left with the longest layers falling just slightly below my chin. Now that’s what they call a hair cut.
Hair is a funny thing. As much as it is ‘just hair’ it often defines who we are. Not in the sense that we are nothing without our hair but it certainly does have a strong grasp on certain feelings and emotions relating to a woman’s beauty and attitude. It can give us confidence when we’re happy with how it looks. It can create a new persona with sassy styling or a chic cut. It’s cut, colour or style can be changed to accentuate or hide other facial features. Hair has an amazing effect on the way we view ourselves and others. Having a bad hair day can not only mean bad hair but sometimes a bad mood as well. I know how much it frustrates me to put time and effort into styling my hair in the morning only to go outside into the humidity or rain and have my once lovely locks flip, flop and curl into a new, not-so-lovely ‘do. I can confess that when unwanted waves appear out of nowhere, I’m a constant complainer. I’ll cross my fingers that cutting my hair will have cutback my complaints (no promises!) but in any case, this new hairdo will definitely take some getting used to!

Have you ever made a dramatic change to your ‘do? Are you a cautious cutter?

playing with dirt

2010-08-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

As an aspiring artist and a lover of all things creative, I am often in awe of some the amazing ways individuals choose to express their creative talents. Some make accessories, some draw portraits, some take photographs…but there are many non-traditional ways to make art that often don’t get as much appreciation or attention and I think it’s because they are just that – non-traditional.
This dirty car art fits into that last category. No, I don’t think I would display this in or around my house but it has definitely struck me as not only creative but also so cleverly well done. I am truly in awe of the work done by artist Scott Wade who breaks out his brushes to gently remove sand and reveal realistic and beautiful images on the windows of dirty cars. The closest to art I’ve come on windows in need of a wash is a smiley face next to the words ‘clean me!’. It never really crossed my mind that someone could look at a dirty car the same way I do at a blank canvas. To think that a masterpiece could be created (and destroyed in moments!) on an object that I wouldn’t normally classify as art is such an interesting concept.
But that’s what I love about art…that it can come in the most unusual forms or by seemingly unconventional practices and still demand respect for it’s beauty, difficulty, or just because it’s something that the artist thought of in an interesting way. In my own artistic endeavors, I often get caught up in the rules of what’s accepted or what looks beautiful but then become hypocritical because I believe art doesn’t have to have rules. If you look out your car window and think, it’s so dirty, I’ve got to get it cleaned, it doesn’t mean someone else won’t look out theirs and think, it’s so dirty, I’ve got to get my paint brush. I love that creativity comes in all forms. I love that, in my opinion, art can be defined differently by everyone and can never be defined wrong.

What interesting artists have you come across lately? Would you call Scott Wade’s creations ‘art’?

{Photos via here and here where you can find his whole gallery}

simple smiles: a sweet surprise

2010-08-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

My husband is the best. I hope there are others who have amazing spouses or partners and would challenge me on this statement but with all the sweet ways he makes me smile, I know I’m a lucky girl. I was already smiling last night after coming home from work to find fresh flowers awaiting my arrival (he reads my blog!) and little did I know that things were going to get better. We headed to a nearby park to get in our daily exercise and after parting ways so I could run one more lap and my husband could begin his stretching (or so I thought), I was super surprised to come around the last corner and see the delightful spread that my husband had so sneakily and sweetly prepared for our dinner. He thought of everything for a picnic at the park…our beach blanket, a delicious chicken and pasta dish, lots of water to stay hydrated after my run, a sweater so I wouldn’t be shivering as the sun went down and a delicious treat that I like to call ‘heaven in a bottle'. (Okay, so he didn’t think to bring my camera but it was easy to forgive him for that one!...)

I love simple surprises such as the one I was so lucky to get last night. It wasn’t an expensive gift or fancy restaurant but it was so full of thought. It was something that I never would have guessed was coming and didn’t cost a lot to prepare. It was something that made me feel so important and so in love. It’s the little things that can make all the difference sometimes. Like getting flowers when it’s not your anniversary. Or realizing he remembered your favourite movie. I think the unexpected surprises are the ones that make me feel the most special. The ones that make me realize that I’m on someone’s mind for no reason other than they were thinking of me or wanted to see me smile. The fact that someone cares about me enough to want to see that surprised look in my eyes is a feeling that I hope never to take for granted. With so many reasons to give and receive gifts or to go out to celebrate, it’s often nice not to have a real reason - a sudden celebration or sweet surprise simply because you’re you. How could I not think I have the best husband?

What unexpected surprises have you received? What simple things make you smile?
PS This was my favourite surprise picnic...when he proposed!

cool to be in school

2010-08-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

With back-to-school happening now, or in the very near future, getting back to class means sacrificing some wonderful summer pleasures that many kids (and adults!) have become used to. Not only do lazy days and staying up late become a thing of the past but the freedom to talk, text and type whenever and wherever becomes a weekend pleasure. With smart phones becoming so smart and so much more than just a phone, kids and teens have access to endless amounts of distractions all while sitting in the comfort of their classroom.
Busted, scolded online, and posted on Failbook, for not only updating but also complaining about class, this student is probably wishing they could erase that one simple status update. I would be so embarrassed if this happened to me...and I’d be dying to get my phone back! I remember when I was in school, Tamagotchi’s were the biggest threats to productive teacher time. Those virtual pets that you were ultimately responsible for keeping alive were banned at certain schools because kids spent too much time worrying about the health of their digital pet instead of the happenings of the real world around them. Much different from these days when kids are not only playing games on their phones but also texting and accessing Facebook along with pretty much anything else on the Web that they wish. It’s amazing how times have changed…I was once distracted by daydreams and doodling and now, although I’m not hip enough to have a phone that lets me do all those fantastic things, I sure get antsy if I can’t check my messages for an extended period of time. With technology advancing all the time, teachers are no longer looking out for people passing notes with paper but through cyber space instead. I’m thinking this makes the job a little tougher but I bet there are some teachers who are always itching to check their emails or updates just as much as some of their students. The summer is full of freedoms that we tend to take for granted but once that bell rings, students certainly have some sacrifices to make and some separation anxiety to deal with. It makes me wonder what I’d be like as a student these days!

And another funny Failbook for any students and all lovers of Anthropologie… What do you think about kids and phones at school? Any teachers with funny/unfortunate stories? Or confessions?

read it: deception point

2010-08-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

Books and the summer seem to go hand in hand. Whether it’s on a blanket in the park or a warm evening on my balcony, I love to have several good summer reads to bury my nose in. We know I’m no movie critic and I’m definitely no literary critic but having just finished Deception Point by Dan Brown and found it to be a page turner perfect for getting lost in on a summer’s day, I thought it appropriate to give it a review…even if it is almost 10 years old. (Okay, so I’m a little behind!)

I have to give Mr. Brown credit. For a book that contained so many scientific facts and political jargon, two topics I am not well versed in, I was able to easily follow along with the dramatic developments and make sense of the thrilling twists and turns. And although I may not have understood all the detailed data, which does take up quite a bit of the book, I understood the plot and learned quite a bit along the way. Dan Brown has a way about his writing that certainly keeps the reader engaged. In Deception Point, he develops both several likeable and hateful characters and it’s hard not to wonder what will become of them. However, I did find that a lot of the events, including dramatic escapes and split-second decisions, seemed pretty far fetched and in a book based so much on scientific specifics, it seemed odd to second-guess the reality of the story. It is definitely a novel that will keep you guessing - not only about how it will end, but also how it’s all possible. While not my favourite book I’ve read this summer, I’d say it’s worth a read, especially if you like simple thrillers that are easy to speed through.

What books have you read this summer? Are you a Dan Brown fan?

and the award goes to

2010-08-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

Last week, while checking in on some of my favourite reads, I was making my way through The Bucket List, reading Sara’s post about The Versatile Blogger award she had just received. After learning seven random things about her as the award dictates, I began to check out the 15 bloggers she was passing the award on to…and to my surprise, one of them was me! I am super honoured and excited to be recognized and thought I would love to play along.
ONE. I. Love. French Fries. I can’t get enough of them. I really have a hard time saying no even though I know they’re not good for me. Would you like fries with that? Always yes. With salad or fries? Always fries.

TWO. I am afraid of bridges. Yes, it might sound strange but something about being on a bridge that, in my mind, could fall any second makes me weak in the knees. I think there’s something more to this fear like a fear of losing control or a fear of falling but until I get to the root of it, a fear of bridges is what I call it.

THREE. One day, when I have more money and most importantly, more dispensable income, I would like to treat myself to regular manicures and pedicures and a house full of fresh flowers. I know I don’t need either of these luxuries but they make me smile. Feeling beautiful is important and a little pampering wouldn’t hurt every once and awhile.

FOUR. I don’t like hot chocolate or chocolate milk. This really is unbelievable to a lot of people but I have just never liked either of them. I think there is actually such a thing as too much chocolate, however, I don’t expect anyone to agree with me.

FIVE. I am a huge sports fan. I’m usually a fairly quiet person but when I’m watching sports, I get overly excited and have a tendency to get loud.

SIX. I’ve emailed my mom (almost) every single day since I moved away from home. Even if it’s a one-liner-have-a-great-day email, I like feeling connected to her even though there is so much distance between us.

SEVEN. I can’t tell a joke for the life of me. If you told me a joke right now, and I tired to tell someone else, I would mess it up. Without a doubt. There’s really no point in me trying.

Thank you so much to Sara for this award!
I hope all of the following blogs will appreciate the honour just as much as I did (...and hopefully play along too - seven random facts about you and 15 bloggers to award)! Please wander over to these fantastic blogs by some amazing Versatile Bloggers…
Abigail from SkyWaitress.com
Alycia from Crowley Party
Brandi from not your average ordinary
Brie from i heart kiwi
Gabby from Gypsy*Diaries
Hollie from and baby makes three…
Holly from Holly Knitlightly
Ilene from much love, illy
Jenn from much to my delight
Krystal from Village
Krysten from After ‘I Do’
Lauren from pen.ny
Leigh from Leigh Ashley
Lenore from Lather. Write. Repeat.
Tiffany from Dancing Branflakes

tourist in my town

2010-08-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

I live across the country from most of my family and good friends. While the negatives of this outweigh the positives, I have to admit that there is one really good thing about living far away…and that is having visitors! It is not only fantastic to hang out and catch up with friends but to take them around town and act as a tourist is always a highlight of having friends fly in.

This past weekend was one of the best I’ve had this summer and I have to give thanks to the out of town visitor who was the driving force behind our trip to Tofino where the beautiful beaches and the chance to surf always create amazing memories. Taking someone to a fantastic spot that showcases the beauty of my side of the country not only gives me a chance to show off why I love where I live but also to take advantage of all there is to offer. There is so much to take in all around me and sometimes without the push of a foreign friend, it’s hard not to take for granted all that there is to experience. To be able to pull out my camera and see the sights as if I’m seeing them for the first time becomes a bit of a proud moment - and I don’t have to feel like a dork for taking tons of pictures of the mountains that surround me every day or the park that I’ve walked through many times before.

I love being a tourist in my own town but sometimes, without an actual tourist to give me the excuse to act in awe of my own area, it’s easy to say, maybe next time, or, one of these days. But visitors are a great excuse to try out that fancy restaurant that everyone talks about or take a tour bus around town to the sights you‘ve heard so much about. Sometimes, you just never know what your city has to offer until somebody else is around to see it. Anyone want to come visit?

What’s it like to be a tourist in your town? Where do you take visitors?

PS Thank you for all the lovely birthday wishes...what a way to make a girl feel loved! Too sweet!

it's my party

2010-08-12T21:10:00.001-07:00

I love birthdays. I actually love celebrating other people’s birthdays more than my own (I hate to be the center of attention!) but with my birthday coming up this weekend, I can’t help but think about all the fun times and good memories from my birthdays past. I’ve been lucky enough (and loved enough!) to have had several surprise parties thrown in my honour and one particular one seems to stick out. While getting ready to go to my cottage for the weekend, my parents left to go fill the car with gas – a seemingly normal task when taking a two hour drive. However, when the trip to the gas station that is about seven houses away from my humble abode was taking them 15, 20, 30 minutes, I began to think something was wrong. I could not have been more surprised to answer a knock at the door several minutes later to find 10 of my closest friends all packed and ready to take a road trip with me to the cottage to celebrate my day of birth. How they got organized enough to actually pull it off, I will never know but it truly was a happy birthday!

{via}

Unfortunately, for some more than others, with a birthday comes aging. I have to say that while there are many people who wish they didn’t have to watch their age creep upwards faster than they’d like, I’m not one of them. Sure, I like being young and I think time is always flying by too fast, but I actually find aging an exciting adventure. I remember seeing Dr. Phil’s wife, Robin, on TV one day talking about what it’s like for a woman to get older. She was saying that if she wasn’t 50 years old, she couldn’t be happily married for 30 years and she couldn't have 20 year old sons who she was so proud of. Not one to normally pay too much attention to talk shows, I found that her words really struck a cord. There are so many milestones in life to celebrate as we get older and without reaching these ages, we can’t celebrate long lasting love or watching our children grow up. I’ve only been married for several months but I look forward to getting old with my husband and that’s not something I can do if I don’t embrace my birthday every year. So as I prepare to celebrate getting older tomorrow, I am looking forward to all the adventures that will come with this new age bracket. Whether I’m turning 26, 36 or 46, I hope each age and each new day brings something exciting to look forward to.

What’s your favourite birthday memory? What do you like to do to celebrate?

how to quit your job

2010-08-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

You can call it crazy and you can call it crass but you can’t deny that this girl is creative! According to the story, this gutsy young lady sent an interesting email to her coworkers. The email, containing 33 photos (see them here!) that tell a story, not only announces that she is quitting her job but also calls out her boss for, among other things, spending a ridiculous amount of time online on Farmville. While not something that I would ever dream of doing, I have to admit that I am slightly in awe of her aggressive resignation tactic!

I’ve had to quit a couple jobs in my life so far and I have to say that leaving every one of them, while for good reason, made me want to avoid eye contact and get it over with as quickly as possible. Quite the opposite of taking photos, sending an email and having a permanent reminder of my exit make its way around the internet. However, I’ve never had a boss whose disrespectful and embarrassing behaviour could overshadow any type of scene I could potentially make. Personally, I think this type of clever communication could be used to land you a job not to leave one. My job applications have always been formal and professional and I’ve envied those who’ve found creative ways to get noticed. However, when this witty woman goes to her next job interview, they won’t have to ask her reason for leaving – they’ll probably already have seen the proof.

UPDATE: It's not for real...but still funny!

Any other creative ways to quit? Or to get hired?
Should quitting a job become more than just handing in a letter of resignation?

to eat or not to eat

2010-08-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

I can’t help but smile every time I watch this video. If you were placed in a room with a marshmallow (or a chocolate cake, or a margarita…whatever tickles your taste buds!) and promised that you would receive a second one if you didn’t give in to temptation, do you think you would wait? The reactions and restraint that these children display are priceless. While it seems like a cruel trick to tempt these tots with treats, it is too cute not to watch.

Temptation is a funny thing when it’s placed in front of you in the form of a treat. As much as I know I don’t need it, I have a hard time not wanting seconds when it comes to dessert. After getting over the cute factor and looking into the video with a little more logic, there are too many variables that wouldn’t have occurred to me at such a young age and it makes me question what choice I would now make. I’d like to ignore the fact that wanting two of something when you already have one is greedy but I can’t push that from my mind. And I don’t really think these children are being greedy – who wouldn’t want seconds as a child? But I now know better than to need more than what I’ve been fortunate enough to have received in the first place. And with an unfortunate understanding of sugar’s lack of nutrition, I think I would be more proud of myself if I only went for one tasty treat as opposed to toughing it out and treating my tummy to two. Politely declining the second helping no matter how bad I want it would now take more self control than staring that marshmallow in the face for several minutes in the hopes of its multiplication.

All logic aside, I love this test. I love the way these children take it so seriously, knowing what reward they will receive. I think I could be patient if performing this test at my current age, but twenty years ago? I wonder how long I would have suffered. At what point do you say, I’ve waited long enough and I’m eating that marshmallow? When does the torture of staring at a sweet become too much that the prospect of having two just doesn’t seem worth it anymore? I am more than impressed by the patience that these cuties demonstrate, and their clever ways of avoiding that appealing marshmallow, and I can only hope that my self restraint would have been just as good as theirs.

Would you give in? What temptations are too good to give up?

picture perfect

2010-08-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

It may be heading towards the end of bathing suit season but with some of us still heading out to the beach or the lake, I didn’t think it was too late to talk about this interesting ad campaign. Denbenhams, a UK retailer, has taken a stance against airbrushed beauty by banning airbrushing from their ad campaigns. To highlight how unnecessary (and unhealthy for consumers!) it is for models to be touched up, they’ve put an unconventional twist on their ad campaign by comparing an unaltered photo with one that has been airbrushed. Take a look at how interesting the results are…

So first of all, yes, this model, without the airbrushing, is beautiful. From her cute bob to her smooth skin to her lean physique, there’s no way I would ever think twice about her as a model if I saw her in a magazine or store front. Can’t spot all the differences between the first photo and the second? Considering how small some of the touchups are, I’m not really surprised it’s hard to make out the modifications. To see the subtle changes between her ‘real’ photo and the one that’s been altered really struck me as eye opening. The fact that the shape of her arm has been ever-so-slightly skimmed and they’ve done their best to create a helmet of hair shows just how much emphasis is put on living up to an unachievable level of perfection. It’s really no wonder we can focus on the tiniest details about ourselves and wish we could change them.

It’s an interesting way to reject airbrushing and to promote self acceptance. Airbrushing really isn’t necessary when it comes to making people look beautiful. Sure, I’d like to see myself without any wrinkles, no stray hairs and maybe a bigger bust - but really, that’s not me. And it’s not realistic. Nitpicking at the shape of a shoulder (really? a shoulder?) or the shadow of an underarm should never be an issue. Model or not, we all come in different shapes and sizes with different skin tones, different hair cuts and definitely different takes on the definition of beautiful. Accepting ourselves for who we are, “flaws” and all, no matter how big or small, should be reinforced by the fashion world. Us ‘real’ girls are the ones wearing the clothing and considering swimsuit shopping is such a dreaded outing for most girls I know, seeing these models without any touchups might give me a little more confidence to step out of the change room or into the pool. (Okay, maybe not, but no matter how much I hate being in a bikini, I find this ad campaign very refreshing!...)

What’s your take on this campaign? Would you be less inclined to shop at a store with ‘less than perfect’ models?

who knew i knew that

2010-08-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

There are some days when I just don’t want to work.
Today is one of those days.

I can’t put my finger on why I lack motivation today but sitting at my desk seems to be making me very sleepy. It’s making me dream of being at home, snuggled up in bed without a care in the world. As I sit in front of my computer, I’m thinking of all the things I’d rather be doing than working…and that list is getting longer as the day goes on. While I can’t really escape to the countryside or fly off in a private jet, I’m left with several alternatives that allow my brain to keep busy while I wait for my motivation to return. My most recent time-consuming discovery is Sporcle. With thousands of free online trivia games, Sporcle keeps me on my toes and challenges me to recall useless facts that I didn’t even know that I knew. What better way to make the day go by quickly?

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It’s amazing what information our brains retain (or don't!) when we’re all of a sudden challenged to remember the things we learned in school or from watching TV. I thought I knew all the words to Adam Sandler’s The Chanukah Song but put me under a time limit, ask me to list everyone The Cable Guy sings about and suddenly I can’t guess who eats together at the Carnegie Deli (Bowzer from Sha Na Na and Arthur Fonzerrelli in case you were wondering…). These mentally stimulating diversions not only give me something to take my mind off the work I don’t want to be doing, but they surprising teach me quite a bit about trivia that I thought I knew… or never knew I wanted to know. Like 3 letter body parts. Easy, right? Sure, until the two minute time limit is ticking down much faster than I can think of my ribs or my jaw. Suddenly my confidence in my intelligence has me second guessing how smart I really am. Luckily, with so many different categories, I’m bound to get a perfect score somewhere on Sporcle. US States maybe? Corporate logos? Okay, so it may not be the most intellectual distraction but it sure is better for my bank account than the online shopping I’m trying not to do!

What do you do when you’re bored?

rolling on the river

2010-08-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

If you’re a regular blog reader, have spent more than a few hours on Facebook, or even had a look around several blogs, chances are you’ve seen an advertisement for Groupon. Groupon presents a different deal each day for a variety of cities around the world and if there are enough people that want in on the savings, the deal is on and the savings are yours to take advantage of. And although they don’t need any more promoting, I can’t help but talk about them. There have been some amazing deals in my area that I’ve been lucky enough to take advantage of and if you’re a sucker for savings like I am, I’m guessing this introduction to Groupon might come in handy fairly soon.

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My sister-in-law is a walking advertisement for Groupon. For months she had talked about it, took advantage of local deals and proudly promoted her super steals to any friends and family that would listen. So when Groupon finally came to my city, she didn’t waste any time in letting me know that I should be signing up for the savings as soon as possible. And I couldn’t be happier I did after the amazing weekend that I’ve just had. It was a long weekend to celebrate BC Day yesterday and celebrate BC I did with an adventure in the great outdoors. A couple of months ago, Groupon featured a whitewater rafting adventure for 40% off the price of a day trip. Almost half off and something I can check off my life’s to-do list? Yes, please! It didn’t take much hesitation to sign up and as I was cruising down the rapids, paddling my arms off and squealing with delight, I’d say it was pretty obvious that this experience was well worth the money. Rafting was a blast and although the water was a little colder than I would have liked, the rush of adrenaline combined with the thrill of rafting through the whitewater really gave me nothing to complain about. Add to that a few nights of camping in the great outdoors with a couple close friends and the weekend couldn’t have been better.

Rafting was an adventure that I would not want to have missed out on and, thanks to Groupon, I didn’t have to…a win-win weekend for all those involved!

Do you use Groupon? Have you ever been whitewater rafting?

breaking the silence

2010-07-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

This morning, on my commute into work I had a change of heart. I was looking forward to writing about my exciting weekend plans and the great deal I got on my upcoming white water rafting adventure, but, after seeing this article on page four of 24 Hours, I felt very strongly that there was something else I needed to talk about. There are so many inspirational people in the world and I believe that highlighting their dreams and accomplishments pushes us all to make a difference, no matter how big or small, and inspires others to do the same.
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Michael Schratter, an elementary school teacher and local social columnist, has big plans for this upcoming year. Through an amazing journey in honour of raising funds and awareness for mental illness that will see him biking around the world, Michael hopes to break the silence and create positive conversations surrounding a topic that seems too taboo to talk about. On August 1st, Michael will begin his 40 000 km Ride Don’t Hide campaign across 6 continents to bring awareness to mental health issues. Not only is the fact that he will be riding an incredible distance something worth talking about but the fact that he himself suffers, and has suffered since he was 13, from depression, anxiety and related mental health issues, makes him all the more courageous and certainly an inspiration to me.

It’s inspiring to see people put their ‘normal’ lives on hold to take part in a challenge that not only is a physical battle but also a mental one, as tough issues take center stage and force the world to take a closer look at it’s self. There are so many tough topics out there that often don’t get the attention they need causing so many to suffer in silence. Having the courage to talk about it is such a step in the right direction.

Whether you support Michael’s campaign or any other cause close to your heart, I know we all can make a difference in the lives of those around us, even if it’s as simple as lending an ear or being a friend.

Who inspires you?

PS...a big hello to all of you who have jumped over to my blog from Dancing Branflakes! Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a good time! I couldn't be more excited that Tiffany chose to feature me today! Challenge yourself to jump high, have fun and take a photo...it will make you smile!

shiny happy people

2010-07-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

According to this feature from Forbes on MSN, I can happily report that I am living in one of the happiest countries in the world. With Costa Rica taking the top spot for happiness and Panama following in the number three spot, Canada was awarded silver as the second happiest country within the Americas and I think that gives all us Canucks a little something extra to smile about. Add to it the fact that my country is sandwiched between two tropical tourist destinations and it sure does make me proud to be living where I am.

While I don’t live in the happiest city in Canada - that award has gone to Montreal, having been ranked number two by Lonely Planet – I do have to agree with Lonely Planet’s US Travel Editor, Robert Reid. He says “...you can find happiness anywhere you go...” and I’m positive he’s right! If you ask me, happiness is subjective. It means different things to different people for different reasons so to claim that my city may be happier then yours seems only to be a matter of opinion. I enjoy where I live, I enjoy the people around me and I truly enjoy my life. But I think that there are hundreds of places that I could live that would provide the same level of happiness that I experience in my current city. I think my happiness has more to do with what I make of my surroundings than the actual city, or country, itself. I’m sure if we all ranked the places we’ve been in terms of what city made us smile the most or what country we thought was the happiest, we’d be giving out awards to a lot of different destinations. Either way, I’m going to keep smiling…not only because Canada is a happy country but, more importantly, because I have lots to be happy about.

Do you live in a happy city? How do you measure happiness?

no such thing as a free lunch

2010-07-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

Every once and awhile, I like to give up sweets. I have a huge sweet tooth and an incredible amount of will power but every so often, the sweet tooth prevails and I get to the end of the week feeling like my stomach has taken a wrong turn into Candy Land. This time, when I decided to give up sugary goodness for a month, my sweet husband decided he'd support me and sign up for thirty days without treats as well. At two weeks in, the cravings haven't got the best of us yet but temptation reared it's ugly head in a very surprising way. While making his way through the grocery store, my husband wandered by the end of an aisle where cake mix and icing were on sale for 88 cents each. While sales always seem to catch his eye, cake and icing never go unnoticed either and I’m sure it tortured him a little inside to know that he wouldn’t be having any cake anytime soon. However, I was surprised that instead of complaining that my health kick was causing him to crave cans of icing more so than before, he commented on how ridiculous it was that a box of cake mix and a can of icing (plus the eggs, oil, milk, water etc.) could be purchased for the crazy low cost of about 3 dollars. Compare this to a healthy dinner for a family of four...chicken, vegetables...and you're talking a 30 dollar meal for most people. The treats all of a sudden don't seem so tempting just for their taste but instead for their cost as well! How unfair!

How crazy is it that for a tenth of the price of a well balanced meal, a family of four could each eat a quarter of a cake? I'm sure I've thought about it before but when cutting out sweets, you're forced to look at food in a different way. It makes me feel truly lucky that I can afford to eat well. It makes me feel lucky that I can choose healthy foods for their nutrition and not worry about tomatoes costing more than Twizzlers. But it also makes me wonder...does it become a toss-up for some people? Why save a few pounds when you can save a few bucks? How unfair is it that not only do the things that are the worst for us health-wise seem to taste the best and coast the least? I knew that cans of icing would catch my husband’s eye but the fact that it was because of price and not taste certainly says a lot.

Just some food for thought. What are your thoughts on sweet treats and how cheap they can be?

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(your name here)

2010-07-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

Receiving mail is always a pleasant surprise. Who doesn’t love a handwritten letter or a brown-paper wrapped package? Considering that I am excited to see just about anything addressed to me, I was beyond excited about the package that showed up in my mail box last night.

About a month ago, I stumbled across The Sketchbook Project. It’s an awesome project with a really simple concept that allows artists from all over the world to have their work displayed in a travelling exhibit. You sign up, they send you a sketchbook, you fill the sketchbook any way you like, you send it back, they put it in an exhibit and they travel the exhibit around the States.

Two weeks ago, after finally deciding that I was worthy enough to be a part of such a cool project, I signed up, selected the “(your name here)” theme and hoped that when my sketchbook arrived, I’d be able to produce something cool, creative and perfect for the project.

And last night, my amazing sketchbook was waiting for me in the mailbox! I tore it open pretty quickly, flipped through the blank pages dreaming of all the images I’d have to create to fill it, admired my new library card and then tucked it back in it’s packaging for safe keeping until I put pen to paper. I don’t know when they started this searching out of sketchers for their exhibition so I might be a little behind on jumping into this project but I am so looking forward to getting it started. I think it’s a fantastic way to engage artists from all skill levels, all over the world, and all types of styles - stimulating the art community one sketchbook at a time!

For any aspiring, established or wannabe artists, there is still time to be apart of this artistic concert tour – you have until October 31st, 2010 to sign up! And let me know because I would love to follow along.

driving along in my automobile

2010-07-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Summertime to me means road trip time. There is really nothing like packing up the car, making sure you’ve got some good treats and great music and preparing for the long road ahead. Depending on the company, I personally think road trips are a fantastic way to vacation. Getting to your destination becomes half the fun! And I don’t think I’m alone…Marta has posted some of her most helpful tips for how to road trip in style. My personal fave? Bringing socks to cuddle up in after kicking off the flip flops! I thought I was the only one!

I’ve always dreamed of just getting in a car and driving, not having a plan, not having a destination and just making decisions on the fly about where to go. It would be so freeing to not worry about getting through traffic or getting somewhere ‘on-time’. I always picture my road-trip-to-wherever-life-takes-me beginning on a hot summer day in an old red convertible, with my hair blowing in the wind and the perfect tunes blaring on the radio. I want to drive without a worry, close my eyes, put my finger on a map and just find a way to get there. I want to come to a T in the road and have to choose right or left, not knowing what lies behind either turn.

Road trips offer a different perspective for exploring. They allow you to show off your ability to recognize license plates or to count blue cars as the speed by. I think what I like best about road trips is spending quality time with my fellow adventurers. While there may be several downsides (raunchy reststops and a little road rage!) I really feel they are suited to summertime travel.

Do you love to road trip? What are your tips for a successful road trip?

survey says...you're beautiful

2010-07-19T14:50:00.001-07:00

Good news (I think!) for all you 31 year old women - you are currently at your most attractive according to this Maclean’s article!

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While this article didn’t seem to be all that informative or scientific, I can definitely tell you that I feel more attractive now that I did when I was 18 or 19. I don’t know if it has more to do with the way I look or the way I feel but I do know that I am much happier with myself now than I was when I was awkwardly making my way through my first year of university. Considering I am still not at 31 and apparently I have several years before my beauty is at it’s best, it does give me another reason to get excited about getting older.

I think you have to take stats like these with a grain of salt but I do have to agree with the 70 per cent of respondents that defined beauty as being confident. I think the confidence factor is what makes us more attractive as we age. It’s not the fact that we are getting older, and therefore, more beautiful, but the fact that we are more comfortable and confident in our skin. We know how to present ourselves to the world in a way that we are proud of. We have given up on trying to impress others and instead focus more on making ourselves happy. This healthier attitude may have something to do with how attractive we appear to the outside world. And maybe as we age, we are more able to express our inner beauty on the outside. I know society tends to tells us that beauty is defined by certain measurements but in my opinion, beauty should not be defined by a number – by age or weight or size – but instead by a feeling. And no matter what society tells us, beauty will always be defined differently. So whether you’re 18 or 31 or 65, I hope you feel beautiful.

Is there a certain age at which you have felt most beautiful? How do you define beauty?

blast from the past

2010-07-16T12:20:00.001-07:00

I really cannot wait for Saturday night to come. I’m always excited about Saturday’s, they happen to be my favourite day of the week, but this Saturday is special because I will be kicking back in my car with a seat full of snacks at the drive-in movie theatre! Kids running around in their pajamas, couples wrapped in blankets in the back of trucks, two (or three!) movies for less than the price of one and, most importantly, dancing sweets encouraging me to visit the snack bar. The number of drive-in theatres has sharply declined over the years since their introduction in New Jersey in 1933 but being in the open air, getting cozy, watching a couple movies and not having to worry about what stranger might shush you if you have something to say is quite the treat.

With how fast technology is advancing, it’s no surprise that certain things from the past are on their way out. Having a drive-in to go to in my area makes me happy and only reminds me of other classics that I love.

Jukeboxes are fading away but I cannot help wanting to hear it play every time I see one. Flipping through the list of records, using the big, sticky buttons to select the song, hearing the record drop…all things that I wish I got to experience more often! Coin operated, fancy lights and colours and the sweet sound of oldies that float through the air. It all makes me think I should have been born a few decades earlier!

And diners! I imagine it’s more common to see a diner than a jukebox or drive-in movie theatre but there’s something about the stainless steel outsides, red-topped stools, cushy booths and waitresses in white that seem synonymous with eating out back in the day. I think I could go for a milkshake right now!

What classics do you crave?

simple smiles: i like everything

2010-07-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

First of all, how cute is this little girl?! I cannot get over her adorable curls and the way she pumps her little fists!

What a way to start the day! Don’t you think life would be a little bit better if we all woke up feeling this way? If I could wake up and tell myself how great my life is (which, by the way, is pretty great!), I think it might put me in a pretty awesome mood.

I think what I like most about this video is not how my heart melts to see such cuteness but instead it is the amazingly innocent way that little children think. It makes me want to be little again and not have to stress about all the seemingly difficult issues that have to be dealt with on a daily basis. To wake up and be happy about everything in your life, to truly like all the little things and remind yourself how wonderful life is, to really believe that you are lucky to live the life you live; it’s such a gift to have that mentality. It’s the way I wish I thought more often. Thank you to this adorable little girl for reminding me that there are so many fantastic things to like in my life.

I can't imagine many of us jumping up on the bathroom counter and listing all the things we like about our life... but do you have your own daily affirmations? What do you like about your life? What puts you in a good mood to start your day?

seeing yellow

2010-07-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

It finally felt like summer had arrived on the West Coast this weekend as I indulged in several sports related activities – cheering on the home team at a baseball game, hoping for some straight shots at the driving range and staying in to socialize through the Spain’s successful soccer win. I’m a huge sports fan and I thoroughly enjoyed all of this weekend’s activities but one thing really rubbed me the wrong way in the World Cup final. And I think I should point out before I go on any further that I am not a huge soccer fan and, by no means, am I an expert on what is and what isn’t a penalty or how soccer should be played at its best. However, this year’s World Cup final saw a record 14 yellow cards given out by the referee – more than twice the previous record! I don’t think referees have an easy job but I also can’t get past the fact that some of the video replays we watched showed terrible displays of unsportsmanslike conduct as players tripped over the air in agony, giving the impression that a kick of the ball was actually a kick of their shins. And maybe these players were indeed too physical for the sport and should have backed off on their aggressive antics. Either way, fourteen yellow cards sure felt like a lot to me. Considering it was an edge-of-your-seat-until-the-end kind of game for most fans, it’s unfortunate that yellow cards can beat out gold cups when it comes to grabbing headlines.

Any soccer fans out there? Was it bad officiating or just bad play?

you snooze, you lose?

2010-07-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

With the weekend beginning in only a few short hours, I am looking forward to one very important thing…sleeping in! I can’t tell you how much I hate to hear my alarm go off every morning. It always comes too soon and I wake up thinking that my clock must be broken because there is no way it is already six in the morning. Although I can’t remember what time I woke up in high school or how it affected my day, I’m sure I would have wanted an extra few minutes of snoozing to keep me awake during some of my snore-worthy classes. I guess that’s why I found this CBC article so interesting. A study performed at a Rhode Island boarding school found that 30 more minutes in the morning produced happier, healthier and more alert teens. While the study may have had some limitations, I won’t argue that I would love an extra thirty in the morning to hit that snooze button.

I wonder if the same could be said for adults…are we getting up too early and depriving ourselves of sleep to try and make the most of our days in the office? Would we have more productive days if we just got a little more shut eye instead of trying to make up for it on the weekends like I am about to do? (Saturday morning sleep in, here I come!) I could go for a later start time and few minutes shaved off my day so that I can get home to my family at the same time…all while taking a little better care of myself and paying more attention to what I’m actually doing in a day. But only if my pay didn’t change, of course! Think they’ll go for that? Come in later, don’t stay longer and get paid the same amount? I don’t think I’m in a rush to bring this great idea up to my boss just yet…

scene it: knight and day

2010-07-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

So I’m no movie critic but as comedian Dane Cook points out, we all seem to be when it comes to watching previews, or in my opinion, when we’re watching any movie.

I thought I’d give it a go as a critic after watching Knight and Day starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz this past weekend. While I can’t say it was an amazing movie and suggest you run out and see it, I do think it’s worth watching. As a date movie, it was perfect. Corny, yes, but enjoyable for both me and my husband. Tom Cruise ran around with his hand on the trigger of his gun, shooting up more than his share of the secret agents who were not-so-secretly stalking him. All this action was just enough to distract my husband from the cute love story and innocent antics of Cameron Diaz. Her sweet smile and her small-town thinking were enough to keep me watching; wondering what was going to happen to her next. A little too much action in movies and I tend to zone out, wondering about what I will wear the next day or how long it would take to run and get some more snacks. But this mix of action and comedy, cluelessness, a little love and extreme situations had me pleasantly engaged and surprised. It’s cute.

I think leaving the theatre smiling is a good thing so hopefully renting this one will leave you curled up on your couch with a smile on your face.

Seen any good movies lately? Got any movie reviews?

sizzle boom bang

2010-07-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

I often can’t decide how much I really like fireworks. I tend to “ooh” and “aah” as the beautiful colours sizzle and sparkle and light up the sky but I always come away just a little bit disappointed. There’s something about going to see fireworks that gets me excited…and maybe it’s just the idea of going out with something to celebrate, laying out on a blanket staring up at the dark sky. But when the fireworks are finished in a flash and I’m fighting traffic, I sometimes wonder why I even bothered to come in the first place. One thing I do know for sure is that I can never get a good photo of the fabulous pyrotechnic pulses that seem so artistically planned but chaotic at the same time. With Canada Day and the Fourth of July having just passed, I definitely should have written about this before the two days of celebration…but when holidays and extra days off work come around, I find it hard to buckle down to the computer! However, thanks to Jo-Anna of Bucci Photography who was thinking ahead, these 11 tips from Photojojo for capturing the sparklers in the sky will certainly help for future firework photo success.

simple smiles: leaps and bounds

2010-06-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

I’m kinda a nerd when it comes to taking fun photos.
Okay, I’m a big nerd when it comes to taking fun photos. It’s one of those little things in life that really makes me smile. So when I got my wedding photos back last night I was thrilled with the way the photo below turned out.

Thanks to Jessica Balfour for the fabulous shot.

The bridal party was a tad skeptical…and who wouldn’t be? Can you please jump as high as you can in your cocktail dress or tuxedo so the bride can have a fun photo? Probably not ideal but it’s the kind of photo that I take in most (okay, all…) places I go. So when I stumbled upon this post from Hi + Low about Philippe Halsman’s recent photography exhibit, I was happy to know that I’m not alone. It makes me smile to know that someone else out there is taking photos of people jumping; a simple act that we do less and less of as we get older. I think it captures such an interesting moment, it really brings out a different side of the subject without them realizing what facial expression you may be capturing or where exactly their hands, legs, arms, or feet may be when the shooter snaps the shot. It may be silly but it’s something simple that I can’t see myself stopping anytime soon.

What makes you smile? Do you like doing silly things in photos?

summer lovin'

2010-06-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

How awesome was it to be a kid on a hot summer day and run through the sprinkler? I think it played out the same for most of us when we were wee. There was so much excitement surrounding the sprinkler, especially its first sighting of the season. And when the water finally did spray out like an elephant’s trunk, we all ran away, just far enough away and around the perimeter that only the tiniest of drops could touch us. We’d run up and stick our toes in the spray, giggling the whole time and then sprint away with mere seconds left before the long legs of water would rain down upon us. And, finally, some brave soul would decide it was time. I vividly remember the feeling of the water first hitting my skin anywhere above my ankles - up the legs and to the tummy and finally drenching my hair which would make me squeal with delight. And then the games began…hiding under it, hopping over it, sitting on it, chasing it…its amazing how entertaining a simple watering device can be.

photo via 13bees

Summer is my favorite season. With so many ways to breathe in fresh air in the summer time and with a cold glass of pink lemonade to keep you cool, it’s no wonder I am always counting down the days to the third season of the year.

Do you celebrate summer? What’s your favourite season?

travelling in style

2010-06-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

Whether you’re a soccer fan or not, it’s hard to ignore the huge sporting event taking place right now in South Africa. The World Cup is underway and observing the emergence of national pride among my friends and coworkers always makes me smile. I love it. I was a superfan at the 2010 Olympics, cheering wildly for Canada, so I completely understand the pride and passion that emerges when cheering for your national team. I can’t say I’m too into soccer but as this tournament goes on, I’m confident that I will soon care who comes out on top.

But what really caught my attention recently is not who is winning the games or what penalties shouldn’t have been called. Instead, it is Louis Vuitton who has sparked my interest. Louis Vuitton and the World Cup? How do they relate, you may ask? Well, this year, FIFA came to Louis Vuitton requesting the luxury hand bag and luggage maker create a trophy case for the Cup. I can’t say LV would come to mind first if I was thinking about a case for a soccer trophy but nonetheless they have created a leather-bound carrying case with all the trademark LV styling. Supermodel Naomi Campbell was on hand to help reveal the new partnership of football and fashion and although I’m no expert, luxury luggage and frenzied football fans don’t seem like an obvious couple. I do, however, find it a clever combination. For someone who isn’t waking up at 4am to cheer on my chosen country, I’m suddenly a little more interested in the coveted World Cup. And a little jealous too… custom Louis Vuitton luggage? A trip to South Africa? I’ll take either!

Via Reuters

misery loves company

2010-06-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

As much as we love sharing happy news with our family, friends and social networks, bad days, bad news and bad service always seem to stir up quite a reaction. Sharing our frustrations not only seems to act as a stress reliever but also encourages others to do the same thing. Who doesn’t love to commiserate with their friends, or even a stranger, about how late the bus is or how rude the cashier was? Negative experiences seem to lead to a positive reaction. It’s something we all have in common. Who hasn’t had a bad day that made you wish you hadn’t gotten out of bed?

A friend of mine recently posted online about her negative experience with a furniture company. What better place to do this than on the World Wide Web, right? Where hundreds of your friends can read your vent, sympathize with you and vow never again to use this terrible company? Wrong. After several “I had the same thing happen to me…!” stories, one cautious friend politely hinted at this article from The New York Times. It details the danger of posting critical comments online - posting your negative opinion about a business could get you sued! I found it to be such an interesting read as I know there are so many of us who wouldn’t think twice about sharing our opinion online with whomever will listen - especially if it’s harsh or judgmental.

So if you’re having a bad day or can’t believe how long it took for your pizza to be delivered last night, maybe sharing it with your neighbour as you commute into work or with your colleague as you ride up the elevator is the safest bet for all of us critical commentators. My guess is that they’ll have had the same thing happen to them last week, last month, last year...and they probably won't sue you for it!

let's give them something to talk about

2010-06-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

In a world with so many creative people and a multitude of events happening around the globe at the same time, why is it that the only thing we can often think of to talk about is the weather?

It often frustrates me that when riding in the elevator with my colleagues or meeting someone new at a party, all I can think of is to make a comment about how nice it's been the last few days or why I can't wait for the rain to stop. I don't think I'm an overly interesting person but at least more interesting than the dark storm cloud forming over the conversation I am having. I know the weather is one thing that we all have in common. Whether we like it or we hate it, we all have to deal with it. But is there really nothing else out there? Are there no other small talk topics that aren't too political or controversial?

Do you think meteorologists get tired of being asked about the weather? I wanted to be a meteorologist when I was younger just so I could stand in front of the green screen. Then I realized that you actually had to know and understand the weather. I didn't want to be the one responsible for inaccurately predicting a tornado so I quickly found something new to aspire towards. A study by Forbes.com found that seven out of 33 5-year-olds say they want to be superheros when they grow up, making it the single most popular career choice for kindergartners. Not a bad career in my opinion. At least it's not a desk job!

What's the most interesting thing you've heard lately? I'd love to hear it and share it with others. I'd love to give the world something to talk about other than the weather.