HERE IT IS

one year

2012-01-24T07:33:00.000-06:00

Yesterday officially marked 1 year of dating this handsome man. Despite the fact that we couldn't celebrate all day like we'd hoped, it was still a super day with a super fly guy. He's even man enough to take me to see Beauty & The Beast 3D! Yup, we watched that. What a great movie...I mean guy. Love you!

cankle

2012-01-10T16:35:00.001-06:00

Well, I can say I don't look nearly like the sweet little dude above, but I did injure myself. Friday evening at a basketball game I twisted my ankle. I won't tell you the details of that, but I'll just say that I wasn't very happy. I tried to be a hero and work at my job (where I'm on my feet all day) for the rest of the weekend, but decided my left leg was probably going to get a lot more muscle-y than my right soon due to a good limp (and because it just didn't seem to be getting any better).

So to the Pan Am clinic this morning it was.

Turns out I've got a sprained ankle and a badly strained/minor micro-tears in my achilles tendon. Doctors orders: take a week off work. Well, it sure is nice to have a week off, but it really will be noticed in my bank account later on...

So, 2012 has started out with a bang. But as I let the prescribed painkillers set in right now, I don't really care...

a new year

2012-01-03T18:43:00.001-06:00

It's already the 3rd day of the new year 2012, but HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I spent my New Years Eve hanging out with my man. And 5 of his male friends. Just me and the guys. Rock Band and hot tubbing ensued (as well as the classic pizza, beer, & cigars) and I got a quick News Years kiss (just kidding mom & dad, we don't do that...) as there was an awkward ratio of guys surrounding us.

I never make new years resolutions, but I do plan on having a better year this year than last. Last year had its hardships from sickness, to losing people, nearly losing others, to being clean broke. But this new year can only be better and I look forward to it!

I hope the year holds exciting things for you all and I ho--

Oh sorry, I thought the world was ending just now....

cozy blankets

2011-12-30T20:51:00.000-06:00

Apparently I can't avoid anything lately when it comes to sickness. I had the stomach flu a couple of weeks ago and now I'm fighting tooth & nail to not get the full blown strep throat and/or sinus cold that're going around. My tonsils are a little swollen so I've been forced to revert back to my Mono tactics: hot water with honey, soup, and laying on the couch with a couple of cozy blankets and a movie (Narnia's on tv right now).

Good thing I have a redeemable massage from Giselle's from my man for Christmas! Oooo boy!

i'm dreaming of a white christmas

2011-12-29T01:09:00.000-06:00

Well, I realize that this is already a few days overdue, but my limited time off for Christmas was spent with family & loved ones. I had a great Christmas and was very grateful for all of the things I received. I always wish I could spend so much more on gifts on people, but unfortunately life's finances never seem to allow it.

It was weird how there was nearly no snow on the ground for Christmas Day! Watching White Christmas was almost parallel; the four main characters head to Vermont: "it should be beautiful this time of year, all that snow!" but arrive to an extension of fall...but at the end of the movie it snows...it didn't in Manitoba. I'm not complaining that we've had a mild December thus far, but Christmas isn't supposed to be a crunchy brown. I accept it though. Christmas doesn't come in snowflakes.

*Merry Belated Christmas!*

a christmas story

2011-12-20T23:47:00.001-06:00

Since it's nearly Christmas time, I figured this video was fitting. A friend posted it on facebook and I actually thought it was pretty cute & cleverly done. The third wiseman is hilarious.

And Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends today!

*Christmas Countdown: 5 days!*

christmas tree

2011-12-12T21:53:00.001-06:00

It officially feels like Christmas my roommates and my little cabin in the city!!

It's ridiculous how much a Christmas tree (a real one at that) can raise the spirits of someone. The night of setting up the tree was followed by Christmas presents getting wrapped, my favourite movie playing on the tv (Love Actually), candles burning, and the Lindeman wine bottle nearly drained... *le sigh*

Our motto for the season which we wrote on the whiteboard:

Christmas Season, Peaceful spirits

*Christmas Countdown: 13 days*

17 days

2011-12-08T23:12:00.003-06:00

After a long day at work it's nice to come home and just kick up your heels. It's also nice to chat on the phone with somebody you like...

I'm so excited for Christmas! I've only bought one present so far (ewps) but I have a feeling I'll come across a day (Lord willing, soon) where I feel completely motivated and get a good chunk of it done. The most difficult thing is narrowing it down to one thing that you really want to get someone- that's all the budget allows. Roommate and I decided to get a Christmas tree (I know it's kind of late, but better late than never) so I bought some decorations at Zellers that were cheap as borscht at $2.99 for a box of 12- and they're actually pretty classy. Good job Zellers. I also can't wait to stuff my face with apricot oatmeal cookies....(mom, can you make some?).

What else is nice? Pay day Fridays.

*Christmas Countdown: 17 days*

sick day

2011-11-29T12:35:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I took a very rare sick day.

Somehow I seemed to contract a stomach flu bug and it hit out of nowhere. Let's just say nothing stayed down in my stomach and I was flat out in bed every single moment of my day yesterday other than making the trips to ease my stomach pain and nausea. I guess the picture above of tea isn't relative to yesterday- there's no way I could have had tea, other than water and a little apple juice, I ate a total of 9 soda crackers and 6 Pepto Bismol.

Hadn't been sick like this in 5 years!

But I am feeling a whole lot better today, I can actually stand up without fear of a sprint to find a bin- must've been a 24 hour thing. I hope none of you pick it up! Today I guess I can watch some tv shows/movies/read to pass the day unlike yesterday- there was no hope of me doing any of those without making the belly churn.

Time to start gaining back some strength, on the menu: toast.

black friday off

2011-11-25T14:32:00.001-06:00

Today is Black Friday for our American neighbours and Canadians were preparing to create a similar situation for our retail stores here. Fortunately, I have the day off!

So I've spent most of my morning browsing tumblrs and as I was checking mine, I was updated with a fact that someone I don't know actually re-posted a photograph I had taken that I'd posted on my tumblr! For any average tumblr person with many followers, this might be a regular occurrence. For me, however, I was kind of excited! Means I've created something that's worthy of space on another persons private domain (some of these 'domains' are so incredibly creative, I'm in awe). For those unfamiliar with tumblr, it's simply a place where you can share either photos, quotes, etc, that inspire you or just appeal to you- you can either post things from your own personal collection or re-post things from other people's tumblrs.

Also appears that I am getting readers from a broader spectrum than my inner group of friends or family here on this blog as well! So thanks to those who actually read this!

Anyway, once I decide to put myself together for the day, I'm going to go and visit my cousin who just had her little baby girl, Chloe, a week ago; I haven't yet met the little munchkin.
*
Exactly one month until Christmas!!

2011-11-21T20:51:00.000-06:00

It's winter.

My roommate and I had done pretty good with not turning on the heat in our house due to our heated kitchen floor which kept our toesies warm enough. However, the night that it snowed enough for us to have a more permanent blanket of snow on the ground (aka, shovels were brought out), the temperature in the house dropped to 11c...that was enough for me to cave. Especially when my nose felt like it had been subjected to an evening in the fridge. I've been wearing my wool socks from Peggy's Cove on a daily basis.

And now that the snow seems to be more permanent, I've looked at how many weeks there are til Christmas: 4 weeks! Looks like it's the perfect time of the year to watch my favourite movie Love Actually. And I also happened to stumble upon a box of new Christmas mini-lights in one of my boxes- those will add to the warmth and coziness of my little cabin-like home!

fresh bread

2011-11-07T10:25:00.000-06:00

One of my favourite smells is freshly baked bread!

I decided to throw the ingredients into the bread machine before I left for my basketball game. It smelled so good when I got home; it's so welcoming opening the door to the warmth and smell of that freshly baked goodness.

Don't hate because I documented bread...

It also snowed all last night so we've got a layer of white outside. What's keeping me "okay" with it is this homemade-bread toast with homemade jam and some Christmas music playing.

fake english

2011-11-04T01:18:00.000-05:00

You're sitting in a coffee shop and you hear a couple beside you rattling off in some other language and you have no blessed idea what they're saying. I had a Korean roommate one year in college; you can imagine the (often humorous) barriers... I've always found it so interesting to think that those weird sounds they're making actually make sense to the other person. Sometimes a language difference can cause you to think the person is less educated (it's shallow, but don't deny it, it happens).

So I've always wondered what we, as English speakers, must sound like to foreigners.

This gives me an idea.

i like change

2011-10-30T00:36:00.001-05:00

Do you ever get that feeling of realizing that you've changed?

People are constantly going through changes in their lives and I think everyone, at least I do, has a moment where they actually realize a significant change from a moment in their lives til the present- and it doesn't even have to be a great time lapse to get those changes.

I'm not talking too in depth about anything in particular, but I was thinking as I was driving home tonight (darkness outside, a misty atmosphere, and being el solo in the car are a perfect setup for think time) about my thoughts on a certain subject (can't remember the exact subject at the moment) and how they've changed from only a few short months ago.

Some might attribute it to growing up or the crowd you hang out with, but whatever the case, I kinda like it. Crazy changes like moving to a new country might be a little dramatic, but changes in what you think about something are little exhilarating. Maybe that word's a little too strong, but sometimes people get caught up living life day in/day out without ever exploring or allowing themselves to gain a new perspective on something. I know I get pretty unsettled with that. And sometimes your mindset has changed without you ever realizing it was happening until a random moment- like an epiphany (sometimes a really lame small one, but none-the-less...).

Sometimes you only have that angle of thought for a short period of time until you get a new perspective...but the cycle can continue.
*
Weird how I haven't really been a committed blogger for awhile and I come up with that...

more east coast

2011-10-17T21:45:00.001-05:00

More shots of my trip to the East Coast this past August/September.

2011-10-07T11:41:00.001-05:00

I've been so busy! I was frantic trying to find a replacement tenant for my old place before I had to pay October rent. Yes, I've moved! But only down the road.

The week prior to this one I was busy with job interviews at a few places; in one instance, I had two interviews for one place. I ended up taking that one particular job and filled out the paperwork on the very same day that I found a replacement tenant for my old house!

No need to worry about paying rent at two places and finally finding employment so that I'm not nearing the big goose egg in the bank account anymore! Can you imagine the weight off my shoulders?!

So I started my new job the very next day after I willed out the paperwork and worked evening shifts for the next three days. Having been off work for a significant period of time, it was a bit of an adjustment being back on my feet all day and having to actually look presentable for a good portion of the day.

I now how the weekend off to attend a friends wedding in Winkler (congrats Janelle & Ryan!) today and be with my family and my guy for Thanksgiving!! I absolutely love Thanksgiving with all my heart. I love the food, the pie, the fellowship (of the rings), the fall-ness, and I really love that it's a day that can hold me accountable to be thankful for all that I've been blessed with. Having had a difficult summer, it was easy to focus on the negative and allow stress to overwhelm me, but I always had things to be thankful for. Of course I should focus on those blessings more than for one day or weekend, but in reality, it doesn't always happen. So, one thing I'm thankful for is that there is a day out there specifically created to get my out of my own head.

Now go drink & be merry!

Happy Thanksgiving!

dots & loops

2011-09-27T15:57:00.000-05:00

Second favourite place we visited on our trip had to be Lunenburg, Nove Scotia (from about the early 1700's). I will dedicate another post specifically on the place.

Dots & Loops was a shop that I had about 1-2 minutes (literally) to look around in as we were running late for wedding decorating back in Chester, NS. I wish I had found it earlier; it had such neat things! I wouldn't have minded a souvie from there.

the creep

2011-09-25T00:19:00.005-05:00

I have heard complaints lately, especially with the recent formatting changes that have been made, that "facebook is just all about creeping people now."

When has it not been about creeping people?

You consciously make a decision to put your life on the internet (in pictures, comments, personal background info, etc.). Not for people to see? Right, I forgot- it's just so you don't forget what your interests are and what you look like and who your friends are and who can present their best life.

You have a select group of people you are "friends" with (about 1 trillion give or take a few...), but yet you still throw out the request for them to unsubscribe to your activity because it's faaaar too public: "Why are so many people invading my privacy on this public social media site on the world wide web??" If there are friends you don't want seeing what you're up to, why are you friends with them? (And I don't mean so that you can creep them- don't be hypocritical, that's rude). Suggestion: stop posting on walls so that everyone can read all the woe's of your life spilled ever so personally to your mentor; I don't know if you knew this, but an inbox message (or email, or text, or phone call) does not include the public eye.

You bet, I am a facebooker. I experience exactly what you do. But it's our own fault if people see our lives made public on it by none other than you, the author of your profile & posts.

I get it that more & more non-friends can see your activity, I support the idea that that's unnecessary.

However, facebook-abstinence may be the only way out.

souvies

2011-09-22T14:34:00.000-05:00

I was fully prepared to end up coming back with zero souvenirs from my trip simply because I was on a strict budget and my pictures would be enough of a memory keepsake. However, in Peggy's Cove, two lovely ladies (Irene & Grace) had set up a stand with some of their home knittings and when I saw these wool socks, I didn't think twice about taking this little piece of Peggy's Cove back with me to shield my feet from the horrid Winnipeg winters.

As the weather gets cooler here, my body will only thank me.

bay of fundy

2011-09-21T00:41:00.002-05:00

If any of you have not had the opportunity to go to the Bay of Fundy, you must! It has some of the greatest fluctuations of high to low tides in the world. I was told that in 6 hours, it will rise/fall 15 meters. It seems difficult to put that perception into a picture in your head, but I was able to see if for myself and was blown away by the craziness (for lack of a better word) of it. We saw the "craziness" from Hopewell Rocks, NB which has those highly famous flower-pot rocks (where the tides have eroded the base of the rocks away over the course of the years).

Yes, I took these pictures (below) and they are actually the two same locations documented at both low tide and high tide. The park wasn't even open when we arrived at 9am and we hung around until about 3pm to see the final stages of the shift.

Also, to blow your mind a little, I will include for you a real time video I took of how fast the water is actually rising. It'll make you careful of how long you linger in one area for too long...

gleeming

2011-09-12T16:19:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot for the designer, Jane, of Gleem jewelry where the models were nine'd up in clothing from Poppie on Corydon.

It was my first time actually shooting for someone I didn't know! It was a fun experience since she's just starting to promote her work online and I'm just starting to become more comfortable putting myself out there in order to get behind-the-lens experience; amateurs coming together! I'll admit I was awful at getting the edited final shots back to her promptly, but major things came up that needed to be dealt with so editing was put on the back burner for awhile and Jane was extremely gracious about it.

It may not have been a campaign for Chanel but it feels extremely rewarding seeing strangers get excited about your work (as evidenced by all three of the models making one of my photos their facebook profile picture).

vespa

2011-09-12T01:31:00.001-05:00

My dad bought my mom a little scooter recently. I finally was able to get to their place and take it for a spin.

My roommate also has one and facts are: you can fill it up for approximately $5 (or less!) and that can easily last you 3 weeks.

Moral: I want one.

returned traveller

2011-09-06T18:10:00.002-05:00

I'm back from the East coast and it was beautiful! I'll have more detailed posts about where I went, but I just wanted to let you know that I am back and am sharing a couple of pictures (above) of my favourite spot we visited: Peggy's Cove. I couldn't bear leaving, but alas, time was short.

This photo (below), is a sneak peak at another historical place we went to...

the sea be billowin'

2011-08-29T17:28:00.001-05:00

I leave for the East coast tomorrow morning! (and just in time to miss hurricane Irene!)

It's been hectic trying to pack since I've basically been living out of my car for the last week (long story), but I'm chipping away. Had a double-double coffee this morning, so I plan on having energy to get myself together before crashing at my sisters tonight. I'll probably over pack...as usual.

Bon Voyage to me!

the gears

2011-08-25T17:24:00.000-05:00

As I sit here and watch an episode of BBC's The Vicar of Dibley (highly recommended for those who love a little good British humour), I felt the need to revive my dusty blog. Perhaps some photos that have been hiding in my folder on my desktop.

1. In honour of the coast. I'm headed out to the Maritimes in 5 days!
2. Had coffee on the brain lately.
3. One of the best hairstyles- coincidently am wearing my hair like that today!
4. Fall is coming and so is comfort like this.
5. An ensemble I dig.
6. Exposed brick! Hardwood floor! Cats! I wouldn't mind living there.
7. Touché.
8. The yellow knit sweater, Starbucks, & HBC blanket...super appealing.
9. Sweet antique ring.
10. That's an outfit I'd most definitely wear, plus, the red hair still haunts me...should I? Shouldn't I?
11. I'm one for "roughing it" when camping, but how cool would that be?!
12. All the photos about clothes...I want to go shopping...get a job first, Jillian!

Like I said, the blog is being revived and hopefully I'll become more creative in terms of what to write about. I know lots of familiar faces follow this thing so it's easy to gear it towards what I know they'd be interested in reading about or looking at, but sometimes I need to forget that and just post whatever.

I'll tell you this, I will be writing about my trip to the East Coast for my dear cousin's wedding as well as the new place I'll be moving into on October 1st! Bookmark me!

Cheers!

come back, jack!

2011-08-13T22:35:00.004-05:00

Summer seems to bring so much that one could possibly blog about yet so it goes that blogs seem to come to a lul. I've been unemployed for a significant portion of this summer (most of it spent trying to get over the irritating lingering fatigue aspect of Mono...just ask those people you know that have had it).

I attempted to do something despite the lack of employable energy and decided to go off and coach at a volleyball sports camp for a month- WHAT?! I, too, wonder sometimes what I was thinking about that decision, but let me just say this: despite the fact that my energy level was sometimes so low I thought I was going to throw up, faint, cry, or all the above, it has been good to be there. I feel like I can get some things in my personal life that were lacking back on track. I can also find more appreciation for my life outside of a certain world again.

I popped open the bubble I'd been living in for the past 3 weeks (yes, 1 week left to go) today by catching up on the last few weeks of SYTYCD that I'd missed while away and also purchasing not one, but two magazines.

There's something about fashion magazines that get me motivated to do stuff (probably due to the fact that they are so visually stimulating- and I'm a visual person). Make/buy new outfits, take better pictures, write better blog entries, get a better job, be a better person (believe it or not, there are articles in these two magazines that are motivating & not just trashy..like the first cover might show; hence, the reason I buy these ones), or just be a better version of me. All things I think I need since I've been surviving off of government cheques for the last little while. A swift kick in the pants, if you will.

I don't really have an aim for this blog entry. It's not creative in any sense really. Can't even say I used a new word or anything.

But I do wish to inform you that the blog will become lively once again soon. For one, you can anticipate a trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia documented in the next few weeks!! Besides, August/September are my favourite months, so I'd better get camera-clicking and writing!

Please keep me on your radar! Cheers!

new bothwell

2011-07-11T17:56:00.001-05:00

Wandering around my boyfriend Dallen's parents country yard yesterday made for some fun pictures. It's a taste of something that I really miss while living in the city. New Bothwell's better for more than just it's world famous cheese!

one match

2011-07-08T23:23:00.002-05:00

I made my first fire of the summer today (I've been to multiple fires already, but hadn't made my own yet).

I think I made my father proud when I successfully made this fire in a matter of minutes with only one match!

All those years of rough camping paid off. Happy weekend!

little adults

2011-07-06T15:43:00.004-05:00

Anna Skladmann is a German photographer who did a project called Little Adults. Her photo series documents the children of the Russian Elite (restauranteurs, actors, members of the Moscow intelligentsia, etc). These children's lives are so extremely regimented (private lessons, tennis, & ballet to name a few), they live in what seems like a secluded world; Skladmann states that "their parents are attempting to make up for the Soviet times-- they only want what's best for their children."

View more of the photo series with captions here.

on july the 4th

2011-07-04T22:24:00.001-05:00

Did you hear the one about a girl in Amsterdam who got pulled over for wearing a skirt while biking? Outrageous!

On a different note, Happy belated Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians and a Happy Independence Day to my American family & neighbours!

bill cunningham ny

2011-07-02T16:09:00.001-05:00

it seems simple enough

2011-06-29T16:06:00.002-05:00

Everybody loves a good BLT sandwich, especially in summer, let's be real.

When I stumbled across this version of it on a blog, I knew I had to try it. I'm not exactly Julia Childs in the kitchen- but I'm pretty sure I might be able to handle a recipe comme ça.

If I attempt this at any given point in the near future, I'll let you know how it turns out (last time I experimented cooking for my boyfriend, it turned out to be has this already been in the fridge for awhile..?).

This seems difficult to screw up. *knock on wood*

xo Happy Birthday Dad! ox

canada street style

2011-06-27T12:37:00.000-05:00

Look out for me on canadastreetstyle.com as I have been confirmed as an official contributor to the site! The site, similar to the famous Satorialist, documents the amazing style that we as Canadians are fully capable of coming up with. Get your fash-on as I might be scouting you out on my future perusing of the city streets!

what's to come??

2011-06-22T21:17:00.000-05:00

It has come to my attention as of today, that there's been a countdown to a major announcement to be made by J.K. Rowling about Potter...

What?!

How could I not have known! There are only mere hours left until the announcement is made and I feel it is my utter duty to have you know about it as well.

Another book perhaps??....

fathah

2011-06-19T13:56:00.002-05:00

To my dad on Father's Day.

Thanks for making me learn how to change the oil in my car, how to throw a baseball, making me mow the lawn and sharing a beer with me after, and for calling me pretty at the same time.

I love you!

seeing some fame

2011-06-13T20:10:00.002-05:00

So, my mom calls me up one day and asks what I'm doing on June 16th...

She's got two tickets to see The Beach Boys featuring John Stamos (you know, Uncle Jesse) in my hometown!! That's right, I'll be going to hear some good ol' classics from pretty much everybody's childhood (Kokomo, Good Vibrations, Barbara Ann, & Surfin' USA to name a few) and see for myself the man that every young girl (and young mother, I'm sure) had a crush on in the 90's.

Are you jealous?!

esperanza spalding

2011-06-10T13:09:00.004-05:00

Esperanza Spalding (a trained jazz artist) beat out Justin Bieber this year for Best New Artist at the Grammy's. Know why that pumps me up? Because she's actually an artist. This girl received so much bashing from Bieber fans. I read an interview with her though and she took it like a champ. One comment on this music video made me actually laugh out loud:

"She has a nice voice but I do think Justin deserved that Grammy. He worked really hard to get it."

Clearly someone who was a concertmaster at age 15, plays a diverse range of instruments (oboe, violin, clarinet, cello, bass, etc.), went to Berklee College of Music (with a full ride scholarship) and ended up becoming a professor there at age 20 (all this on top of coming from a single parent family in the ghetto) doesn't qualify as working "really hard" to get where they are....

It's tough putting a youtube video up and getting famous from all the young hormornal girls that're easily enticed by a cute boy. Totally. You're right, what am I saying? Life's hard for Bieber.

there it was

2011-06-08T21:23:00.003-05:00

I have succumbed: you can now access me on tumblr at-

there-it-was.tumblr.com

I created it today for what reason? No idea, possibly because I was bored.

Now that I think about it more, I'll more than likely use it to showcase all of the amazing pictures I stumble upon on all the blogs I read or if I feel like my own photos will look cool with the minimalistic layout...

Social media has a way of weeding its way into peoples lives now whether they want it to or not (I still refuse to get a twitter account). Considering I have a Media degree, you'd think I'd be really immersing myself into the realms of social media (this blog started because of a class)...but I don't really have valid reasons for a lot of things I do or don't do.

So, moral of the story- please look at my tumblr page & tell me how cool it is to make me feel like this social media experiment is worth it.

*(Don't worry, I'll still be here on Here It Is)*

fall down the rabbit hole

2011-06-08T12:06:00.002-05:00

This is pretty much exactly what I always dreamed of having as a kid: kind of a fort-like magical cabin in the woods whenever our family ventured there (how can you not look at that picture and think of something like Peter Pan?!). I used to have quite the imagination as a child. Children in general have amazing imaginations. I often think about how much creativity my mind has lost and how I wish I had that wacky sense of make-believe again. I remember in grade 6 I wrote a short story about a magical land- and it was good! I've sat down a couple times in the past couple of years and attempted to write out some creative shorts- but I think my grown-up brain has become too, well, realistic! Maybe I should make it a summer goal to "fall down the rabbit hole" for an afternoon and see what types of tall tales I can come up with...

{photo source via julia.}

beaumont

2011-06-06T15:03:00.005-05:00

promise

2011-06-03T16:33:00.000-05:00

via {wit + delight}

may 30

2011-05-30T16:38:00.000-05:00

It's my 23rd birthday today!!

Despite some less than exciting things that have been going on the past few number of weeks, I am encouraged to know that I have the great blessing of celebrating another year of healthy life with so many amazingly wonderful people around me who's love I am reminded of by the amount of messages I have been receiving today.

I don't care what some people say about facebook birthday messages being lame or impersonal, the fact is, they took the time to wish you a happy birthday and let you know they were thinking of you for at least a brief moment of their day in a well-wishing way no matter how much or little contact you have with them on a regular basis. It's a great way to wake up in the morning and see the generous amount of love in your inbox and on your cell phone.

Here's to health, life, love, & happiness!

Cheers!

the unofficial bucket list

2011-05-29T21:35:00.001-05:00

Know what would be fun? Cycling around a foreign city...like Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, or Switzerland. I've been seeing a lot of pictures of cyclists all over blogs I read, but for some reason today made me really want to do some bike tours in the spring in Northern Europe particularly.

I don't really bike here in Winnipeg even though I have a fully functional bike. It's just European cities actually have streets devoted to cyclists and you can even just rent a bike. Here in Winnipeg there are pathways, but not like there. I just don't feel very safe biking here...

(Of course we all know I want to go to Europe, it's the idea of cycling that's significantly appealing all of a sudden. I mean, my favourite way of getting cardio in a workout is on the bikes...).

I've never made a bucket list, but perhaps this'll be on it.

Fun Fact of the day: It's my Michael Jordan birthday tomorrow!

twin cities

2011-05-25T23:16:00.002-05:00

Now that it's already Wednesday, I suppose a quick synopsis of my long weekend should suffice.

I'll tell you this: it was so great to be together as a whole family again. A weekend isn't long enough to be with loved ones when you have no idea what-so-ever when you'll see them again. It was great to just be together despite the miserable rainy weather that stopped us from doing any elaborate perusing of the city.

Naturally, we shopped a la Mall of America (camped out in H&M for awhile) & IKEA. We ate out at some amazing restaurants (all in an affordable price range). We hot tubbed. We lounged in the hotel bar. And we evaded getting pummelled by the 3 tornados that hit Northern Minneapolis while we were there...the tornado sirens and nasty clouds did enough damage to my nerves.

Here's a random collections of pictures from my weekend-

My first glass of wine since having mono at my early birthday family dinner

Attempting my first "zoom burst"

An organic restaurant called The Good Earth that was soooo good.
Recommended Minneapolis visit every time. Waiter Tyler was delightful too.

Tiramisu

Andrea and her espresso

Crepes at the MOA

Last two of Nonna Rosa's

Reimer girls keep it classy with a tailgate party

le weekend

2011-05-20T09:51:00.001-05:00

Went on a date with my favourite guy yesterday- dinner at my favourite restaurant Stella's and a movie where we went to the cheap seats and saw Arthur. We came back to my place for ice-cream...it was free with no lineups that way. It was a nice send off for the long weekend as I head to Minneapolis with my family for the much anticipated reunion!

Happy long weekendings lovelies!

Smith No. 15

2011-05-18T22:15:00.001-05:00

Amazing weather called for me sitting outside on the front steps to read this afternoon. It was a perfect day: warm (not hot) with a breeze.

Would have been a good day for something like this (cool vintage packaging too):

A friend and I were saying today that it felt more like July than May...not sure why. We were out for dinner at Deseo Bistro on Albert St in the Exchange District with a few people for a friends birthday. I had one of the specials that consisted of rice, arugula, sweet potatoes, & goat cheese mixed in some sort of sauce (didn't have a name- it was that 'special'). It was pretty good; not phenomenal, but better than alright.

Friday I'll be headed to Minneapolis with my family to see my sister and brother-in-law who are coming out from Alaska! I am so excited to see them and get away for awhile.

Shopping is a given...

if the world had no cancer

2011-05-17T15:18:00.001-05:00

In memory of a hometown friend who passed away on Sunday...

Reba Dookhie Tillyer 1988-2011

FUCK CANCER

bell bottoms

2011-05-13T23:49:00.003-05:00

I was headed to bed, when I suddenly stumbled upon a blog post from A Cup of Jo about my past. Actually, it was a post about Do-It-Yourself Bell Bottoms. I clicked the link and memories of my early years flooded my brain!

My oldest sister, Andrea, was an avid clothing-alterer (which my other sister Meag followed suit in. I wasn't so skilled with the sewing machine at that point) and was never one to really stay within the lines of your typical trend (I wanted to be just like her, the pre-teen that I was...too bad that by the time I always got the hand-me-downs, my sisters were both over that phase and I was definitely not rocking it like they were...ha!).

The "DIY bell bottom jean" was a specialty of hers...

How interesting is it how now, in 2011, this has become fashionable as opposed to the grungy, hipster vibe she was displaying in the late 90's/early 00's!

Andrea, you trend-setter you! Pat on the back.

clean house

2011-05-11T22:19:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you all know the feeling. A wave of inspiration/motivation suddenly takes you over and you stop what you were doing, despite how into it you might have been, and commence a completely new project with that drive...you don't know how long it'll last, so go with it while it's there!

In particular, I'm talking about cleaning.

Being at home almost every day can get a little boring, especially if you're not sick enough to be bed-ridden all day anymore, but not quite brisk enough to be back at work.

Today I had the urge to clean house. Literally. With both of the roommates out for the day (actually one's jetted off to Sweden temporarily- cue jealousy), I had the house to myself (and the desire) to straighten up the place that had gotten a little depressing over the winter months... They don't call it spring cleaning for nothing!

I ain't no cleaning freak, but I do appreciate a clean, tidy place that makes me feel at home. Besides, it's nice to bring some freshness from outside indoors.

Goodness, now I sound like some domestic freak...I am not. Cleaning a house usually isn't a big blogbuster (get it? BLOCKbuster...? You can use that if you want), but considering I've literally done lots of nothing lately, this is the most motivated I've been in the past few weeks so I'm pumped.

i'll be dropping their names in the future

2011-05-09T15:18:00.000-05:00

My friend Jennie has always been one for the fashions- check out her official fashion blog HERE. My friend Kris (aka Saint Kris) is an up and comer local hip-hop artist. My friend Cam is probably going to make some big moneys with his video skills someday (Cam, we started our blogs on the same day in class...you now have almost thrice the followers as me!).

Here's a collaboration of their skills:

J. Lofthouse: Saint Kris Photoshoot from Nice! Productions on Vimeo.

to my mum

2011-05-08T13:52:00.000-05:00

To my mum on Mother's Day:

I love you!

"My mother's love for me was so great, I have worked hard to justify it."

-Marc Chagall

picture thursday

2011-05-05T21:55:00.002-05:00

1. I'm just a sucker for cute pictures of fluffy animals... Although I've never really wanted a bunny as a pet. They're mean. 2. Super awesome portrait of Amy Poehler; I'd like to take one of someone like this. 3. Suitable for the amazing spring temperatures we're experiencing this week. 4. I thought that was a deer for the longest time. Turns out it's a dog. Who knew? 5. Currently my desktop picture- I'm dreaming of the UK countryside. *sigh* 6. How cool does that cake look?! I love cake...

Now, I didn't take any of these pics and I'm horrible with crediting where I got them, but they're more than likely from one of the blogs I've linked down the right of my blog under "Daily's"! -->

o, to have been there...

2011-04-29T16:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I did it. I woke up at 3am to watch the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton who are now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Both of my sisters were online with me so we 3-way chatted as we watched the whole event and I also had my mom on the line via text. Here are some photos of the event and fun facts:

The most amazing dress. Designed by Sarah Burton for the House of Alexander McQueen. I actually couldn't get over how beautiful she looked and how perfect that dress is. I'm such a lace fan and this was absolutely stunning. The tiara she wore was actually the one given to the Queen Mum by King George VI (The King's Speech anyone?).

One of the sexiest cars in the world. Hello Rolls Royce! If I could have one, I would. This is a classic style one, they also had some more modern ones which were equally as sexy.

The Royal family on the balcony; a famous and epic scene.

Almost every woman donned a hat and the men all wore "morning suits"....so dapper! Most the fashions were incredible...but I was a little thrown by the "Gaga" inspired hats of Princess Beatrice and Princess Euginie (cousins to Prince William and Harry). They kind of reminded me of the evil step sisters from Cinderella; I'm sure they're very nice girls though... :)

As Kate came down the aisle, Will had his back to her and could not see her. Harry peeked back and leaned over and whispered something to William. Turns out he whispered "Wait til you see her..." How cute is that!? When Kate arrived next to Will (in the arm of her very proud looking dad), William leaned over and whispered "I love you. You look beautiful." *Swoon!* These phrases were both not audible on the tele, but hearing impaired people who can lip read were on the ball with letting us all know what was being said!

They're married!!!

The long awaited SNOG, a tradition started by Prince Charles and Lady Di. William stole two kisses. (Ha- check out the little munchkin on the bottom left...what a trooper).

Anyway, I was so excited to have watched history in the making. Seriously, they're going to be in the textbooks of kids in the far future!!

a night to remember

2011-04-28T15:47:00.002-05:00

I dunno about you, but I find anything to do with the Royals and their lifestyle so fascinating. I am by all means waking up at 3am tonight to watch Prince William and Kate Middleton tie the knot! Ooooo boy, I'm pumped!
What's your opinion?

i do wish these were real

2011-04-26T14:42:00.002-05:00

As a lot of you know, I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I mentioned on a previous post that I was re-reading the series in preparation for the final film installment. I didn't quite finish all of them in time for the first part of the final movie (no matter, I still know what happens), but I am currently finishing up in time for the second part in June (about halfway through The Half Blood Prince right now). So it's no wonder that considering I have all the time in the world right now to browse the great wide web (see previous post for reason why), this is one of my favourite blog posts I stumbled upon recently:

{via wit + delight}

on the third day

2011-04-24T09:28:00.002-05:00

He is risen!

Happy Easter to you all! Today is a good day.

On a less exciting note, I've spent/been spending my Easter with, not tonsillitis, but with Mono. Yup- got a blood test on Wednesday and it's official. I think I picked it up from a past roommate who had it and it stayed dormant in my system until now (which is typical).

Despite this, I don't let it ruin my Easter! Bring on the festivities (with a few naps in between)!

via dolorosa

2011-04-20T16:24:00.003-05:00

Sick, once again. This time, tonsillitis. The perk of being unemployed at the present time: I don't have to worry about calling in sick. I love sleeping on and off all day when I'm not feeling good. But thanks to Advil Cold & Sinus, I've been feeling slightly on the uprise since yesterday. I've abandoned the darkness of my room and had the window open all day; love the fresh air. Not better, but getting better!

And not a moment too soon...

It's almost Easter! I love Easter. I enjoy the family gatherings with all kinds of goodness for my taste buds and tummy to discover, including Easter Bread (aka Paska). I think, just like many other of our religious holidays, we tend to become lax in the reason for it. Guilty. I know we hear this all the time ("the reason for the season"), but it really is true. Despite the fact that I love paska and Mini-Eggs, I want to be impacted by Christ beating death. Death, people. I know it's still quite Hollywood and Mr Gibson isn't exactly riding at the top right now, but his movie The Passion of the Christ kind of helped make some of what Jesus went through more realistic; it was horrible! I bawled my eyes out when I saw it in theatres- not just because it's theatrical effects made it good, but for its ability to make me realize the Truth in it. I don't want it to have to take a movie to make me appreciative of my blessings. I don't mean to get all preachy, but this blog should be more than a bunch of pretty pictures if I'm to reveal myself through it.

That's just a piece of my brain I've placed in your hands...so, there it is...

Shalom!

(Nap time)

hanna

2011-04-14T16:34:00.001-05:00

Went to see the movie Hanna yesterday. It hasn't been incredibly publicized, but it should have been! I loved the young actress Saoirse Ronan ever since I saw her in Atonement; she was incredible in job in this movie as well. Not to mention the all-stars Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana who starred along side her. You should really all go see this great story about humanity:

On a different note, I actually finally bit the bullet and got that membership at the gym like I mentioned. I can't believe I dropped that money when I'm already poor as it is. However, I always find that I work out longer and/or harder, or just more productively, when I have a gym to motivate me. Plus, I'm happier when I feel fit & healthy! Maybe keep me accountable that the money was well spent....

the smell of old books

2011-04-12T23:21:00.001-05:00

I was bored and needed to get out, so I went for a walk (after a lunch of salad and homemade bread courtesy of my sister). Went through the Assiniboine Park then across Portage to an antique shop then over to Joe Black's Coffee Bar for smoothies and latté's (and a break from the dusty wind).

hiatus

2011-04-06T23:59:00.000-05:00

I'm back! Apologies for the unannounced hiatus I took from my blog. Sometimes you need a break, comes with the territory of being human.

I'll share some pictures with you that have been camping in my "Pics I like" folder. I'm horrible at crediting where I get pictures, but when I see something that catches my eye, I just gotta SAVE it, ya know?!

1. A bit of an inside joke with a certain boyfriend of mine makes me really want this tshirt from etsy.com. 2. When I had a desk, I found myself doing that a lot. There's just something about sitting on the desk... 3. I dunno, it's cool. Plus it's spring and flowers are just around the corner. 4. Just been thinking about cinnamon buns a lot lately and how good they are (am I right?). Maybe I'll stop at the bakery down the street soon... Although 'tis the season for paska... 5. Hah.

Considering it's a new season, perhaps a new template is in order soon. I guess you'll have to stay tuned!

Cheers.

weekendings

2011-03-27T00:12:00.001-05:00

I'm in Wink-town visiting my parents with my sister and brother-in-law for the weekend. I ended up going for a nice walk by myself this evening since the weather is taking a turn for the better! I love going for walks in spring; everything starts smelling so fresh and despite the air still being a bit chilly, it's invigorating (<--quite the choice word, ah?).

When I got back, my bro-in-law ended up teaching me how to slide guitar! (well, just to Amazing Grace). He jammed on his guitar while I attempted some sliding on my parents'. I'm pretty poor, but it sure does make me want to actually learn how to do it well. I'm terrible at chording (I really don't have the patience to gain calluses...), but sliding- I like the blues and it requires zero calluses!

vintage ballers

2011-03-23T18:59:00.004-05:00

I love basketball. And I love women's basketball (naturally- being of the womanhood category). While I was reading one of my regular blog reads, Wolf Eyebrows, I came across a post of some vintage pictures of women's basketball teams from the early 1900's! And check out even more photos of them here.

We all know basketball was a lot different back then (personally, I think it'd be hell trying to play ball in garbs like them), so it's super cool to see. It's interesting to think of the societal changes since then; it's crazy!

On another note, my last post was actually my 200th post! I don't know if that's bad or good considering how long I've had this blog, but hey- it's still a decent number.

asparagus risotto success

2011-03-22T09:17:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I came across a recipe for asparagus risotto that I immediately sent my sister. We ended up making this dish for supper along with some Boursin chicken that she had discovered a few weeks ago. It turned out deliciously! It was also incredibly filling. I wished I had my camera to document this, but I did manage to get a few with my phone.

Here's the one from the blog:

They look pretty similar, no?

That same blog now has a post up for an easy chocolate cake. Perhaps the next kitchen adventure?

it's time for the wellies

2011-03-21T12:33:00.003-05:00

Today is the first day of spring. It sure doesn't look pretty yet, but we can never have high hopes for pretty springs in Winnipeg until about the end of May. Am I right? I'm right.

At least I have something like this to look forward to with the changing of the season!:

Actually, I'm more than likely to not see mountains in the near future or sleep in a giant tin trailer...however, it's the camping aspect I wanted to draw attention to. Okay- so no formal plans have been made, but that is something that I intend on doing this summer. Give me a lake, a tent, and pancakes over the fire, please. Bannock anyone?

Right- one step at a time: give me melted snow, sand bags galore, and some serious rubber boots.

friday photos

2011-03-18T20:52:00.003-05:00

1. Mmmmmmm :) 2. I like the braid, I like the gramophone, I like the windows, I like the grainy quality. 3. Foxes are beautiful creatures. Such a great moment captured! Sorry mousey... 4. I'd like to go to the beach and bundle in a blanket...perhaps around a fire. 5. Puke it's so cute! ("It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!")

Not to steal a Life Lesson moment or anything, but: be kind, thoughtful, & generous to strangers... Let's just say the city and working in customer service has made me realize I shouldn't give people the benefit of the doubt as much as I have...

TGIF

the bod

2011-03-15T22:18:00.000-05:00

Let's face it, motivating yourself to workout on your own is difficult when you're constantly on the go and want to savour those days off...especially during the dreary winter months. I've been horrible in keeping up my healthy active side since being done competitive college sports. I mean, I play volleyball once a week- but really, that's not going to cut it (especially with some of the competition we face...). I always seem to find some excuse to not do something workout related.

However- today, with the snow melting, the sun shining, and that fresh smell in the air (perhaps the smell of bikini's being pulled out of stock), I found some sliver of motivation and did my own set of circuits. I always find myself more prone to working out hard on my own during these spring seasons. Again- perhaps the nearness of beach season looming.

I've been telling myself I'd get a gym membership for the last couple months. I always just think I can't afford it. I think I'll bite the bullet for April and do one month at Shapes and perhaps it'll get me on track to do more on my own.

I'm not obsessed with becoming one of those Fitness Magazine cover girls (clearly not going to happen)- I just want to feel healthy like I did back at Prov during my athletic days...and not outgrow my jeans!

she's over a quarter

2011-03-12T20:06:00.001-06:00

Today is my sister Meagan's birthday! I just want to wish it to be a very HAPPY one (even though the day is almost done)! I went and visited her at her new job at Forever 21 in the mall. Normally I wouldn't go to a store's grand opening because I simply hate being around that many people, but it was her birthday and I love her so much.

Happy Birthday Meaggie!!

xoxoxo

hurr

2011-03-11T23:30:00.002-06:00

This kind of looks like my hair if I let it air-dry after a shower. Maybe I can get away with it more than I thought...(with less effort than her).

that's not a nap, that's a coma

2011-03-10T17:02:00.000-06:00

We all know the feeling of teetering on the edge of being sick. That's me right now. I've heard strep is going around and I'm praying it doesn't hit me full blown. I slept almost my entire day away yesterday. If only I could have some mom-made chicken noodle soup...

boon burger

2011-03-08T20:29:00.004-06:00

Can't believe I've never written about this before. I had never heard of it until the day I went a number of months ago with my sister and bro-in-law, but it turns out that Boon Burger in Wolseley is currently one of my favourite joints to eat! You may or may not have heard about this place, but it's completely vegan. No, I'm not vegan or even vegetarian for that matter, but I sure do like what vegans whip up sometimes (I linked those words to wiki 'cause some people might be unfamiliar with the difference). Eating meat is amazing, but seriously sometimes your body needs a good cleanse...and Boon Burger is just perfect for that...if you know what I mean...

Don't judge it too quickly by the word vegan, it tastes amazing; I've gotten my manager hooked on it ("Seriously, I think of Boon Burger when I look at you now") and I've gotten a few other friends itching to go as well. In fact, I'm headed there tomorrow with a couple of high school friends for supper for their first time. It could definitely be an acquired taste (trust me, when I was younger you wouldn't have caught me eating there what-so-ever), but it's absolutely worth a shot, you never know! They even make vegan poutine and chili "cheese" fries!

Hmm, what do I try this time!...

trends

2011-03-05T10:41:00.001-06:00

{via Size Too Small}

I'm not a huge fan of trends. I like to keep things timeless because a) it saves you money from having to update your look/home all the time and b) I'm not a big "showy" person. There is a trend in right now that I do really like though, and that's the rustic/nature trend with home decor and clothing. To be honest, I really like it. However, it's not because I want to be up-to-date with what's in right now, but, conveniently, it fits in with what I already like: comfortable and natural with some flair. After all, I am a small town Canadian girl at heart.

I just think that people can have a tendency to really overdo trends (like that living room pictured above...needs a little more of the "lived in" touch). Why not takes things that are neat, cool, and trendy and set them up/style them in a timeless manner?

I dunno, I just get irked with people who try too hard...

pipes & soul

2011-03-01T20:26:00.002-06:00

When I first heard her song Price Tag, I really liked it. But after seeing this video, it's nice to know that this girl actually has got some real pipes and soul. London just produces amazing chops...

Boombox Series // Jessie J from Arcade44.tv on Vimeo.

harry?

2011-02-26T11:35:00.000-06:00

Paul Smith A/W 2011

dreaming of my sweater in a far away place

2011-02-24T18:50:00.002-06:00

Just going to start off by asking: is it weird that I really like guys clothes? The other day at work, I wanted to try clothes on during a really slow portion of the day. I absentmindedly grabbed a men's sweater off the rack in an XL just for the heck of it. Turns out, I loved it! If that wasn't enough, it was 70% off. It is mine now. There's just something about a big, over-sized sweater that appeals to me. You may think I'm crazy, but I wore it to work the next day (in a stylish, feminine fashion of course) and got many compliments on it.

The one above (Oliver Rayn) is what I got, only in a pale gray.

It seems that everyone is going away on some sort of holiday. It's actually ridiculous; I've never encountered so many people in the span of these last couple of months who have not/are not going on a holiday to some place warm and sunny. Now I'm not saying I want warm and sunny (but I'm not arguing against it either), but I really have a healthy hankering for a vacay of some description. I'm headed down to Minneapolis in May to see my sister and bro-in-law when they come out from Alaska which I'm incredibly excited about. However- I don't think that counts as a vacay: 8 hours away....woo, daring!

My cousin is getting married in September out in Nova Scotia, so I'm really hoping that something works out there. Can you imagine the coast in fall? Ocean plus my favourite season?! Better start saving my money....

Oh wait...my life motto seems to be "Let's break even!"....terrific.

Until then, I'll keep moisturizing my fair, Manitoba skin.

zero visibility

2011-02-18T22:44:00.001-06:00

Last night I drove out to Providence to watch a volleyball game. The weather wasn't the best causing traffic to stick to about 80-90 km/hr. But by the time I heard on the radio that highway travel was not advised, it was too late to turn around. So committed and focused, I made it to my destination in an hour rather than the normal 45 min.

Unfortunately, conditions didn't seem to get any better throughout the evening. In fact, they went as bad as it could get. As we were getting prepared to leave, people were coming back into the gym saying that they had already tried driving out and turned around. In fact, there was one caravan of cars being led by a group of people running along in front to see the lines to direct the cars (um, dangerous??). My group and I waited it out for a few hours in hopes of it dying down. Eventually, by midnight, we decided to caravan it out in order to not have to sleep on couches all night.

Zero visibility. I couldn't believe how blind we were. We didn't seem to break 25 km/hr. I had my eyes peeled on the line directly outside of my window giving directions. The tricky part came when the gravel road became our final stretch: no lines to follow. Again, the eyes were parked on the road directly below my window...except this time on the drifts that usually indicate the sides of gravel roads. Again, I indicated the nearness to the ditch with my directions...except a little more severely: "Get left! Get left!... OTHER LEFT!"

Finally we arrived at our destination in one piece (and we weren't one of the hundred cars that littered the ditch). What normally would have taken 10 minutes rounded out to a solid hour trip.

I camped out for the night despite me having to work the next day (I gave my manager a heads up, don't worry), but I did end up able to leave in the morning in time to get to my afternoon shift (although I was a bit late...).

But not before a midnight bowl of chicken noodle soup to warm and sooth the situation (I didn't have a glass of milk with it though........).

cinnamon hearts & beer

2011-02-15T12:22:00.001-06:00

My mom is the cutest and sent me this photo!:

I was busy all day yesterday so I never got a chance to wish you, my blogosphere people, a Happy Valentine's Day! I went out for dinner with my "Valentine" on Sunday night and saved yesterday night for a dinner of about 6 of us where we topped the meal off with dessert of cinnamon hearts and my friend Carissa (<--shoutout) and I shared a beer (while the boys drank tea...).

I just want to say to you all, my family and friends who see this, that I love you so dearly much. I may not see some of you very often and may not keep in touch as well as I should, but know that you are forever loved by moi and I value you in my life so much (especially when you leave comments.... ;)! Jokes aside, I hope you all felt love from someone (friend, family member, or significant other) on the designated day. Never forget to take the time to tell someone how much they mean to you (and sometimes it takes an official day to remind us of that).

xoxo

tea time to come

2011-02-12T01:56:00.000-06:00

{via The City Sage}

Okay, so take a look at the first collage of books. Top right corner there's a book called Honey Bunch. Pretty sure my mom used to read a book to me called Honey Bunch that used to be hers. Loved it. Next, look at the second collage. Bottom left corner is a Kodak Brownie camera. I definitely have one of those sitting on my bedroom shelf! This is all really encouraging to me: I'm discovering great decorative stuff I have sitting around my house! Okay, so maybe not "discovering", I knew it's been there all along. It's just difficult to decorate a house that is a "students" house, if you feel me. A mish-mash of whatever you can afford or what is free (and not necessarily the good kind of vintage feel...). But I am thankful for the fact that I probably pay less rent for such a decent place compared to anyone else in the city.

On another topic, I found this blog that has requested people to submit photos of their tea-times. When you sit back with a spot of tea, it's always a relaxing and reflective time; needless to say, the artsy-ness of people can tend to come out. So, why not document these creative/relaxing times in people's days. How cool! Check it out for yourself here. I already had my London Fog for the day, but I think I may start documenting my tea-times to come!

hello?

2011-02-09T19:21:00.000-06:00

For Pete's sake! Have I been busy? YUP. I'm sorry to all my avid readers (Meg!) that I have been slack in keeping you involved with what I've been up to.

Really, all I've been doing is working and hanging out with people every evening. I had some good eats on Sunday with my family where one of my favourite cheeses (Boursin) was shmushed into a chicken breast (compliments of my sister). I had coffee with my cousin who's like my little sister (she's married and I hardly see her anymore so it was a much needed catch-up). I went to an evening of bands at the West End Cultural Centre. This and that really! And tonight, like every Wednesday night, is my volleyball league evening.

And with that, I have to cut this post short since I have to get my busy body self a-movin' to watch a basketball game! Look for me again on Friday :)

on a monday evening in

2011-01-31T21:46:00.002-06:00

1. Definitely did that as a kid at grandma's. 2. How can burlap look so cool!? 3. Far too cute for it's own good. Reminds me of my favourite pet cat growing up, Sammy. Aww. (Step off cat haters). 4. A presentable way to wear sweat pants! I really dig this whole get up. 5. I just bought a toque in this style (except in green). Boys sections always have better toques. Why? 6. Must keep up with my journaling! Hand written journaling over blogging is way more intimate and memorable (by no means a diss on blogging, though).

Check out the latest on tarts-n-arts!

Café Dario

2011-01-27T22:28:00.001-06:00

Last night was my very belated holiday staff party. Six of us co-workers, our boss & his wife, and the founder of the store headed out for a fine wine & dine evening at Café Dario on Erin Street. I had never heard of this place before, but it sure did sound appealing when I found we were to be having a 5 course meal....with the boss paying!

I ordered myself a glass of wine, baguettes were served, and then it began with your choice of 5 appetizers. I went with a creamy chipotle duck and apple salad served on a leaf of lettuce (I don't have any idea what else was in it). It was pretty spicy! Which made me nervous for my entrée choice...stay tuned.

Following that came the soup. It was a carrot ginger soup (pre-determined by the chef). It was absolutely amazing, I could have had that as my meal ha! It was almost like a combination between pumpkin and butternut squash soup....but not.

Then came the pallet cleanser: the salad (also pre-determined by the chef). A simple plate of leafy greens with a minty lemon vinaigrette. It was delicious (one of my co-workers went to extreme lengths in calling it "diviiiiiine"...).

Now, for the entrée; your choice of 7 options. Bosses wife and I decided to brave the SPICY (yes, the menu had that word in all caps) lemon chilli pork tenderloin with pineapples within and a mango honey glaze. The platter also came with a "dollop" of parmesan mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini & carrots. I asked the server on a scale of 1-5, how hot to expect. She rather made it into a scale of 1-10, placing it at about a 7 or 7.5. It was hot. Actually quite very hot. I indeed asked the waitress to bring more baguettes for my dear mouth. That being said, it was so good! It was so flavourful. I don't normally like zucchini, but when i added it to my fork of taters and citrusy pork, it just completed it.

With that being finished came the final phase. Dessert. Coming out in small, low bowls was a square of some sort of almond brownie with a (again) "dollop" of whipped cream. Normal Jill could have eaten it in two bites, but seeing as it would ruin the whole idea of the 5 courser, I savoured every tiny bite. A good finish.

Portions came in the perfect size leaving me completely satisfied at the end. Just a tad full (as I'd eaten an extra baguette & pounded some water among the ordeal), but not sick. It was so much fun trying these new foods and being surrounded by some rather nice company. Considering it's a workplace full of an array of women (head-butting could happen), we all get along which made for a lot of laughter and good conversation.

Thanks moulitas!

tarts 'n' arts

2011-01-26T00:12:00.000-06:00

Len and I are always bouncing ideas off one another. Some good, some iffy (never "bad"...). But, considering we have a lot of fun while doing so, we just want to involve the rest of you into our Tarty little world. Get a peak at behind the scenes of some of our crazy escapades, and maybe get ourselves doing or trying things that we haven't done before! So follow our TARTS-N-ARTS blog for some classy fun!

hold me accountable

2011-01-21T23:53:00.000-06:00

Found this hilarious-ness on a blog. Proooobably going to try this and see what happens. Please hold me accountable. Seriously.

the tourist

2011-01-18T23:48:00.007-06:00

Alright, so I ended up watching The Tourist tonight with my sister (I really am getting my film fill these days). It's too bad that it has to be this way, but for every few amazing movies you see, there has to be a flop in there somewhere....I have to say that The Tourist was said flop.

I'm really sorry to those who enjoyed it, but it really didn't cut it for me. As advised, I did my best to forget about observing the chemistry of Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, but it was just too weird of a pair to not notice. So, chemistry - not so awesome. Plot - pretty predictable, and felt like they were trying to make a super complicated plot but was under developed. Pace - too slow. Plus, Jolie's hot and all, but really how many over-the-shoulder-peak-out-from-under-my-(fake)-luscious-eyelashes shots do we really need of her to get her sultriness across? (Don't answer that, boys). It just de-credited their attempt at making a twisted plot.

How the heck did it get nominated for Best Picture - Comedy/Musical at the Golden Globes!?...Depp was the only slice of comical relief, and even then it wasn't enough for a nomination nod, I think (there was only one part that I actually found quite hilarious). Sad, because they're two great actors (I love you Depp, you handsome devil, but please don't ever do that again...).

It's just a harsh reality after seeing two really damn good movies prior. Plus I'm not the only one giving "ravaging" reviews...

Next on the film docket: TBD

the king's speech

2011-01-16T18:37:00.003-06:00

Last night I saw The King's Speech. Plain and simple: it was absolutely incredible.

Best actor should go to Colin Firth and Best Supporting Actor should go to Geoffrey Rush. I knew it was going to be a great movie simply because I love these types of period films, I love Colin Firth, I'm very interested in the royal history, and the trailers just looked fantastic. It blew me away. Purely artistic shots. Gorgeous costuming. All-star BBC actors (get this, BBC Pride & Prejudice's Mr. Darcy, Ms. Elizabeth Bennett, and Mr. Collin's all reunited!). It made me tear up a little bit and also made me laugh hysterically; they just found such a perfect balance of everything.

If you happen to see this movie after my ravings and don't find it awesome, that's too bad. But everyone should really see it. I love seeing great films.

Next up on the film docket: The Tourist. Curious about Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie's chemistry...

it snowed a lot today

2011-01-14T20:38:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday. Enjoy these pics from browsing excursions. Tonight I relax after a busy week. Oh, and I finally got my hair did like I'd hoped (didn't happen like I had hoped last week). Highlights!

black swan

2011-01-11T22:20:00.004-06:00

I saw Black Swan today with my sister. There's all this raving about it (and Natalie Portman's performance), and we wanted to see for ourselves.

I loved it.

Natalie Portman does a fantastic job (she trained for a year in ballet for the role and lost almost 20 pounds from her already petite figure...ridiculous!). But aside from her, it was overall a well done film. I thought it was great to see a movie that was different. You don't see too many films based on ballet, and the trails of immersing oneself in the arts in general (Method Acting anyone?). A great psychological thriller. It was cool to see. The costuming was incredible (fashion designers Rodarte designed all of the ballet costumes....gorgeous!), and even the casual outfits were great (I'm a big fan of the 'dancer' style).

Yup, definitely not for the faint of heart though, this film. It was pretty mature content, but I'm over it. It was a very well done movie, right down to the use of the Swan Lake music for a majority of the soundtrack.

Next up on the film list: The King's Speech with none other than the great Colin Firth.

tgif

2011-01-07T22:56:00.000-06:00

It's been a long week.

So Thank God It's Friday! Roommate and I settled on watching Scott Pilgrim vs. The World tonight. It was one of those movies that I would not recommend anyone watching while high, drunk, or extremely over-tired. Trippy.

Sometimes long weeks/days call for a soothing drink. I think sometime I will be trying this drink recipe:

Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in your drink glass

Add to it 1 Tablespoon of dark brown sugar

Bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil and pour it over the butter and sugar

Add 2 ounces of dark rum to the mix

Finish with a pinch of nutmeg (preferably freshly ground)

{via Hither and Thither}

Imagine the treadmill speed needed to work that off... Mmmmm. Have a good weekend all.

3rd day's a charm

2011-01-04T00:09:00.004-06:00

Today my car wouldn't start. It was an eventful day (technically yesterday since it's past 12) of trying to get it started again, having to take 3 busses to work making me an hour late, and the cumulative time of me being outside today is greater than my whole of winter combined so far...not really, but maybe. Not to mention having to bail on plans. At least I got pizza, tea, & a (disappointing) movie with my sister!

I just didn't have the best of luck today. But I finished my day off with a late night drive around town to keep my car from dying after being boosted; one of my favourite things to do, such great thinking time.

Tomorrow will look like this:

Oh for sure.

Maybe.

2011 looms

2010-12-31T20:29:00.002-06:00

We say good-bye to another decade with 2010 and welcome in the beginning of a new decade in 2011! Happy festivities and remember- resolutions are overrated. See you in the new year!

a year in the movies

2010-12-28T22:23:00.001-06:00

Whether you've kept up with all of the films of 2010 or not, here's a montage of all of the movies from throughout this past year. I haven't seen nearly all of these, but it sure does make me crave some extra buttery popcorn and surround sound...

boxing day

2010-12-26T21:04:00.006-06:00

'Tis boxing day. I came back to the city from a 3 day holiday last night in order to get up before the sun this morning in time for a crazy day in retail. Absolutely exhausting day, what- with 50% sales on all clothes at a pricey boutique, of course you can expect people to be utterly seduced into the store.

After work, I decided to wean myself back into the hustle of work/non-holidays by simply watching a movie that I got from my sister from Alaska for Christmas: Eat Pray Love (thanks sis!). I'd seen it before in theatres, so I allowed myself to curl up on the couch and snooze throughout most of it. Just nice to have the hum of it on.

Since my roommates and I are switching over to Shaw from MTS, our internet is out until tomorrow. I figured I should at least check the email before I turn in (and maybe post a blog), so I headed on over to my neighbourhood Starbucks for a cup of tea. So here I sit almost ready to head home to bed.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and if it's not quite over with family gatherings etc, I hope you continue to savour it! I am going for a sleigh ride with my extended family on January 2 (haven't done that since childhood!).

via {wit + delight}

Fun Fact of the day: I've never actually been shopping on boxing day. I don't mind.

merry christmas

2010-12-24T12:08:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas Eve today and an early MERRY CHRISTMAS since I will be busy celebrating with family all day tomorrow. Blessings to all of you and enjoy what you have of the holidays.

Cheers!

a night in

2010-12-18T22:00:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to the dazzlers Ms. Ella Fitzgerald and Ms. Billie Holiday while editing pictures from last nights Girls With Pearls event my girl Jenner put on in honour of the holiday dresses hanging in all of our closets waiting to be donned.

No posts for most of the week since I've literally had something up every night- from wings to crafts to spending 4.5 hours in a Second Cup by a fireplace. Retail at Christmas also seems to really drain a person. That flu bug going around better not hit me...

ONE WEEK UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

just one of those mondays

2010-12-13T11:29:00.001-06:00

(photos via { wit + delight })

arts & crafts

2010-12-11T22:19:00.001-06:00

1. Meghan came over to be styled yesterday for a Christmas banquet (not that she needs a lot of help, that trendy little girl!). I need to feature her on my blog more. What a creative person! 2. The beginning of my arts 'n crafts escapade where I will attempt to make Christmas cards for everyone. 3. After the process began. Sorry to my dear sister and brother in Alaska for being my first card (it usually only goes uphill from attempt one...). I hope you still like it! 4. Comfy knit socks with pom-poms I purchased for evenings in like this. Clearly I have this paired with my huge oversized knit sweater (both from Joe Fresh!).

making a list and checking it twice

2010-12-09T22:12:00.004-06:00

Excerpt from my previous blog: "shopping to do, movies to see, curry to make, and Bodies to view."

Well, I have completed almost all of those items listed.

Shopping to do: Now I can't tell you about that, after all Christmas presents are supposed to be a surprise, aren't they?

Movies to see: Tuesday is cheap night at Cheap Seats. For a mere $1.50, my sister and I were able to see the movie Never Let Me Go that I mentioned in a past post. My sister and I both shed a few tears; it was a sad story but also incredibly thought-provoking. It was also simply beautiful, aesthetically, psychologically, & emotionally.

Curry to make: I hung out with my friend Stacey yesterday and her dear little 6 month old babe. She taught me how to make authentic Moroccan curry (I enjoyed watching rather than participating, with her having gone through culinary school and all...). It was absolutely delicious. A tip I remember: alternate "hot" and "cold" ingredients while adding them.

Bodies to view: I just got back tonight from seeing the Bodies Exhibit put on at the MTS Centre. I actually saw the Body World exhibit a couple of years ago while it was in Minneapolis. The latter is actually from a Germany company whereas Bodies (the one in Wpg) is from China. It was interesting to compare the differences between the two exhibits. I realize that there was a controversy with this Bodies exhibit where there is debate that the bodies were taken from prisons as unclaimed prisoners (the Body World exhibit's bodies come from donors specifically for this exhibit/research). Despite the controversy, it was very interesting and it's always nice to rebuff the old educational parts of the brain.

(I say this list is "almost" complete because there is still some Christmas shopping left to do!)

Tomorrow is my day off and I get to go for brunch with my girl Meg-o, make a pit stop at Michael's for some arts and crafty things, and then the party-party for Mr. Saint in the evening.
Cheers!

hometown glory

2010-12-05T22:39:00.004-06:00

I spent this weekend in Winkler-town. My first full weekend off in awhile. Main reason for visit?: my 8th and final wedding of 2010! 'Twas for my old friend since junior high and one time housemate (aka "Spouse"), Heidi. It was lovely with a classic theme of black, white, & red. Decorated with Christmasy touches, it felt very festive and wedding-ly at the same time. It was an almost flawless evening, save for one detail....

Two minutes before I was to jet out the door to meet my ride, I heard a heart stopping rrrriiipppp. My skirt had split thoroughly down the seam in the back. Oh no....no no no no no. This only happens in movies!!! I looked at my mum with a look that combined absolute horror, yet a hint of hilarity. A dash was made to the sewing machine and the seam was mended in a matter of tops 3 minutes. Thank goodness for sewing machines. Thanks mum.

It was also a wonderful time being able to set up the Christmas tree with my mum. Like for many families growing up, it had always been something that we looked forward to. Having been absent from the home due to school/sports around the time that it went up over the last couple of years, it was nice to finally be the one to do it.

Now it's back to a full, busy week in the Peg with a schedule of shopping to do, movies to see, curry to make, & Bodies to view.

a home in a nook on a hill

2010-11-30T21:53:00.002-06:00

Some super photos that I found on some blogs I follow.

The first is a home layout that I love. If I had my own way, I'd follow some of that homeowners tips and tricks. Can't even handle the amazing wall art...I'll try my hand at it.

I used to build forts all the time when I was younger. Not even lying, I was hardcore; I even went to the lengths of fun-tacking one of my favourite childhood blankies to the wall to make it work (residue still remains to this day). Hence, I thoroughly enjoyed this second picture of the new, adult version of a fort. I want!

The third is just plain cool. Time to go to Belgium.

Fun Fact of the day: I watched Love Actually again with my sister on Sunday...that's twice in less than a week.

Benjamin

2010-11-28T00:08:00.001-06:00

My November Brain:

1. Owls are super neat; I'm seriously drawn to their mystery

2. Grandpa sweaters

3. Harry Potter
4. White Zinfandels (interesting)
5. Copenhagen
6. Stockholm
7. Big, comfy, fluffy blankets
8. The new facebook chat noise is soothing- no more irritating pop
9. Where is all my money going?!
10. I need some wooly socks
11. I want to go skating this winter
12. When people continue to write "Dear _____," in their status or on someone's wall, it makes me want to punch something hard and ditch facebook forever
13. Bake chocolate chip banana muffins (seriously, I've been meaning to all month...)
14. Need to quit trying to figure out the next step in life, it makes me feel dumb...and poor
15. I'd like to buffer up my sketching skills
16. Maybe paint a picture
17. I need a bigger closet...or an external rack...or a bigger room
18. I want a cat...so bad
19. Forgot how much I love rice soup
20. Someone get me Motivation for Christmas

he saw it

2010-11-24T19:01:00.002-06:00

“Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, “Dear Jim: I loved your card.” Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.”

- Maurice Sendak (illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are)
[Found on http://lost.net.au/vic/]