the last post of this decade...

I make it sound so ominous, don't I? I still remember, a decade ago, when the clock hit midnight and a bunch of people around the world sighed a sigh of relief that the computers didn't go haywire. That's one thing I find interesting about these "end of the world" things that are supposed to happen at midnight -- what about time zones, people? Which midnight will this happen on?

Speaking of time zones, several people are already in 2010! Hello, people in the futue year! Meanwhile, it's still the afternoon of the last day of 2009. One in which I'll be exercising (oy vey), getting ready, getting dressed up, and having fun with The Boy and anyone else ... it's expected to be a pretty random night, but altogether this has been a pretty random year!

This year I cross-dressed as a man for a Shakespeare assignment, celebrated my 21st birthday, made really great friendships, applied to teacher's college, grew in happiness with The Boy, and have missed my sister and niece so much. I also never expected to make such amazing blogger friends with this blog. It was created mostly just to keep in touch with my sister, especially now that she's moved to Vancouver, and yet it grew and grew and I'm so thankful for all of you :)

Soooo: HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

I hope 2010 is amazing!

My resolution goal (resolutions always seem to be broken) is to be happy ... and lose 3lbs. That's all. (Ahh, Mean Girls reference right there, by the way). What are your goals/wishes for the upcoming year/decade?

And here's a picture from my trip yesterday to Toronto to see some friends!

I believe it's one of my first non-crouching pictures. I am proud.

And maybe this weekend I'll have a 2009 recap/2010 survey type thing. For now, have a happy new year, be safe, drink some bubbly if you'd like, and don't fret about getting a kiss at midnight .. just be happy!

Love you all :)

simple smile #last one of 2009!

Well, the Christmas/holiday festivities are pretty much coming to a close. Jeans are feeling a little more snug, people are enjoying gifts (The Boy got me computer speakers with an mp3 dock which unleashed my inner, inner geek), and snow has finally fallen to make it feel a bit more like a winter wonderland instead of a "freeze your arse off area." I had a bit of a random weekend full of parentals and The Boy, plus times with friends!

My adorable dog Shadow ... and moi.

First was the Christmas meals (both on Eve and Day), complete with wrapping a bow around my dog's neck and making him all festive-like. Plus, my bangs have been cut so short that I can drag them across my forehead for 'full-on bangs' (even though they're meant to be sideswept) so I rocked that look on the 25th/26th. And now looking at the picture above, it looks like one of those dogs who looks like their owners type of ads ... do you see it? I think I need a beard to make that work.

On the 26th -- Canada's Boxing Day -- I avoided every single store except for Shopper's Drug Mart to get new hair dye. I can't stand all the shoppers, all the craziness and hecticness and people tackling others to get that last (insert item you want here). Instead, I went out to dinner with a close friend and across the street from East Side's, we see this lovely sign:

Han is buff. Ja ja, vary good, Han buff, dis good.

By day, it is Chan's Buffet. But by night, it is HAN'S BUFF! It made us laugh so hard. Good ol' Chinese and Thai buffet. Instead we downed yummy bread and Caesar salad while we left our main meals to the side (gotta love the all-you-can-eat salad deal at East Side's). Oh, and we watched the first episode of Jersey Shore and I'm afraid I might be hooked. Save me now!

Yesterday, I went to a nearby city with my parents to see friends that I've known since I was about three years old. We re-discovered a song/video we made up in 2007, which I'll maybe share here (add that to the list of things I need to share with you all). After eating more yummy food and playing old-school Zelda, we decided to go to the local theatre to see Avatar. My friend Tom put it: "It's not a movie, it's an experience." I was prepared to have my mind BLOWN. Instead, the parking lots were jammed pack, there were lines out of the theatre doors, and the movie was sold out. *insert image of me crying here and repeatedly saying, 'WTF, it's Sunday!'*

We decided to check out the local cheap $5 theatre (which made me wish my city had one) and I saw the poster for Ninja Assassin and was like, "YES! I want to see that." As we went inside, we didn't see it listed on the showtimes, so we settled on Fantastic Mr. Fox instead. When we were buying the tickets, we asked whether Ninja Assassin was playing.

GUY: Oh, we were playing it for a week, but not anymore.

FRIEND: But, the the poster's still out there.

GUY: Is it?

FRIEND: Can we have it?

ME & OTHER FRIEND: (stare)

GUY: Hmm, lemme check. Usually the employees have dibs on it, I'll check if there's any left.

*goes on walkie-talkie*

GUY: Yup, there's one left! Just hold on a sec.

*girl comes out and hands us rolled-up poster*

US: Sweet!

It was so random. We still had a bit of a wait before the film started, so I delighted myself (that's what she said!) with a Peppermint White Mocha ... and then my friend wanted to go to Tim Horton's, so I brought my Starbucks into another coffee shop. And I think the Australian national anthem is playing on my Windows Media Player and I'm not too sure how that got there. That's so random (it's the future I can see).

Anyhoos, long story short: Fantastic Mr. Fox IS fantastic. I didn't know what quite to expect and I loved it. Such a clustercuss. And hopefully I will see Avatar soon and rock the 3D shades.

And now, I have a request! You can consider it a late Christmas present to me, if you'd like (teehee). The lovely Andhari (who is also nominated!) told me that I've been nominated for the Newbie Award at 20 Something Bloggers! I honestly didn't expect it ... what a newb, eh? (Oh boy.) If you want to vote, I'd be much obliged and very happy if you could for me! Thanks in advance, and good luck to everyone else who got nominated (I know LivitLuvit will take a bunch, deservingly so!). This weekend, plus being nominated, definitely merits the simple smile of the week.

Hope you've all had a good start to your week!

Can you believe 2010 is only a few days away?

P.S. The Boy made us dinner tonight complete with cabbage rolls (recipe of the week!) and yummy cakes; I'm pretty sure the sugar affected the outcome of this blog entry. If reading this caused any sort of temporary insanity, my apologies.

P.S.S. Smart Ass Sara asked what the heck the belt buckle on my skirt was about from the last post (the picture from me as a kid). Well, to be honest, I have no clue! It came with the skirt and it was a 'P' and I had no clue what it stood for. Sooo ... I dubbed it the 'Posh Spice' skirt and everytime I'd wear it I'd feel like Posh Spice. Yes'm. Take care, all!

bah hum ... happy christmas!

No bah humbugs here, even if it is raining. I just wanted to wish you all the Merriest of Christmases and the Happiest of Holidays! I hope you have plenty of nice, warm and non-nagging company around you this day (and always), with lots of yummy food. And for those who might not have anyone nearby, I hope there are plenty of people online or elsewhere who are able to comfort you! Including me! (INSERT HUGE VIRTUAL HUG HERE WITH MILK + COOKIES)

And while I'll be celebrating the true 'reason for the season', ya also gotta love presents. Here's a flashback of me when I was around 9 or 10, as well as my lovely sister. We decided to don all of our presents (including bows, bathrobe, skirt, and holding our Spice Girls dolls) and it makes for a real good Christmas memory:

You could see my coolness already ;)

Today I'm celebrating with my parents and The Boy for a festive, delicious dinner ... with probably no Spice Girls dolls present I hope you all have a beautiful day, no matter if you celebrate or not :)

Feel the love, share the joy :)

And in true better than coffee fashion, I wish you all had one of these:

Merry Christmas everyone! :)

a very harry christmas!

I've been getting into the spirit lately ... you know that, "Where the heck is the snow? It's Christmas-time!" kind of spirit. Does anyone else get extremely irritated when it's -7°C/18°F, yet there's no snow on the ground? I expect some sort of compensation for freezing my bum-oley off. I want to go sledding, have snowball fights, make snowmen and the like! (I know a lot of others have gotten some snowfall - not here, sadly.) But this post is about a lot more than frostbite without the white stuff, trust me.

A few days ago I painted my nails a festive green (which The Boy says, "Is different and cool ... like a goblin!") and we've finally put up our Christmas tree! Me and my mom sang the Christmas classics ("My Only Wish (This Year)" hehe) while we decorated our tree and I think it looks b-e-a-utiful. And though I had to fight to put my Harry Potter ornament up, it looks like it'll be a very Harry Christmas after all!

Yep, I am cool with my Potter-on-a-broom ornament.

Then, just a couple of days ago me and my close friends had our annual Christmas party -- this time it was just with us girls, and it was so nice being able to catch up after months of ... life ... just getting in the way. We had a potluck dinner so I made some mashed potatoes and brownies (I burned my hand trying to get them out of the oven ... FAIL!), though we of course had to have our Secret Santa presents exchanged before we even ate, haha. My amazing friend replaced my Serendipity DVD (yay!) and got me two Utada Hikaru CDs, which helps feed into my Japanese-music obsession (again, I am cool).

We then ate some scrumptious dinner and I completely failed at making hot chocolate - I made the hostess one and it seemed warm enough so I made three more for my friends and they all stirred it and waited for the marshmellows to melt ... but I made it too cold. Whoopsies! At least the food was good? haha.

After busting out the Photobooth and watching numerous Youtube vids (I'd suggest listening to the voicemails of Dimitri the Stud ... guaranteed to provide lots of funny lines!), we decided to watch Paranormal Activity. Y'know, the most festive movie of the season (cough, cough). We all huddled together under one ginormous blanket and one friend ended up leaving half-way through, leaving the rest of us to sit there in suspense. I think it's the ending we got (since there's three or four, methinks) that left us going, "Huh, that wasn't as scary as we though it would be." But of course, we watched an episode of GLEE afterwards to ward off the heebie-jeebies. I think it's been five years since I used that phrase, wow.

The night winded down and there was just me and a friend left to leave ... but then, after a few questions about life (not just school/jobs), we ended up sitting on the hostess' couch and just ... talking, talking, talking. About our fears, our lives, the messes and the problems, the few things that make us smile, and how much we've grown yet not grown at the same time. We've all been friends since high school and now we've all gone through so much that is the polar opposite of a 'high school life', and I'm so glad that we do have these friendships.

I didn't get home until 4:30am, and to me that's a mark of a great Christmas potluck night the girls. I'm so thankful for that group of friends and how close we can still be and how normal (yet crazy) we can all be when we reunite. They are my simple smile of the week.

Since then I've spent some time with The Boy and, of course, watched Serendipity. I hope you're all ready for your holiday festivities and that you're having some good relaxing times, too. I'm definitely thankful for all you bloggers out there, too.

And would anyone like to send some snow my way?

It'd be an amazing Christmas present! Take care everyone :)

'tis the season ...

I've finally started my Christmas gift-shopping ... and finished in two days! I've mailed out the Christmas cards, am going to start wrapping the presents, and have allowed myself to listen to Christmas music (I'm sorry, but I can't stand when it's playing in the middle of November).

But our tree isn't up yet.

That lovely tree is from the mall I did about half of my Christmas shopping at. I would love to have that tree in my house ... but I think my ceiling is too low (hehe). Still, I cannot wait to decorate the halls with boughs of ... holly? Does anyone ever do that anymore?

But to get myself more into the Christmas cheer, I'm doing a meme from Ramblings of a Fab Brunette! I've also been tagged by Manju (who is having an amazing giveaway here) and I promise I'll do hers soon!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? 
Hmm, both. With gift bags it makes things a little easier but ... wrapping paper is ridiculously pretty.

2. Real tree or Artificial? 
We've always had an artifical tree, just because it's easier to haul it out of the basement then go choose one. I went once to a tree farm and helped cut down a tree, but my family's all about the artifical ... erm, that sounds wrong.
 
3. When do you put up the tree?
Hopefully today! Can't believe we're waiting for less than a week.

4. When do you take the tree down? 
We take it down January 6th -- tradition, since that's apparently when the Wise Man left the manger.

5. Do you like eggnog? 
YES! And apple cider. Mmm.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Probably anything to do with Polly Pocket or little teeny racecars. Yep.

7. Hardest person to buy for? 
My parents -- my Mom always asks for "peace on earth" while my Dad says, "for you to move out." Um, Merry Christmas to you too.

8. Easiest person to buy for? 
Any of my friends, since we usually do Secret Santa :)
 
9. Do you have a nativity scene?
At the Church we go to, yes.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? 
I prefer mail, and then for those friends I see more often, I say it in person or through e-mail.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Hmm, really don't know. I try not to think of them that way, I guess!
 
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? 
101 Dalmatians, Home Alone (1&2), The Nightmare Before Christmas, Serendipity, Anastasia (okay so those last two technically aren't Christmas movies but they are set in wintertime, so ... there).

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? 
Umm, the week before Christmas? I am terrible.
 
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? 
Maybe if it was food and then I recycle the packaging? Hehe.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? 
Every single thing my Mom makes ... and strawbery-kiwi candy canes (ohhhh yeah).

16. Lights on the tree?
Always. Doesn't feel the same without them!

17. Favorite Christmas song?
"Let It Snow", "Jingle Bell Rock", "Christmas Tree" (Lady Gaga, haha), "O Come Emmanuel", "Last Christmas" (WHAM!).

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
I almost always stay at home -- last year I went to Niagara Falls with The Boy, but this year we're exchanging presents. So home I shall be!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Ummm ... Rudolph?

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? 
Hmm, I think a star. Our angel keeps tipping over like she's suicidal or something.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? 
On Christmas Eve ... ever since I was a kid.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? 
The lines, the "oh this is the perfect gift for you!" and then you go to the store and they've all sold out, and how people make the holiday into more of a commercial holiday rather than what it really should be about.

23. Favorite ornament, theme, or color? 
Hmm ... gold and red? Anything really, though. And my favourite ornament is my Harry Potter one (I will show it to you once the tree is decorated)!

24. Favorite for Christmas Dinner?
All the Polish specialties and delicous cakes.

25. What do you want to do for Christmas this year?
Having an amazing potluck dinner with my closest friends, have a great time exchanging with The Boy, and no arguments with my family.

26. Favorite Christmas tradition growing up? 
Waiting to eat our dinner until the first star shone in the sky.

27. Favorite tradition now?
Listening to Christmas music while putting up the tree -- complete with hot cocoa.

28. Favorite Christmas Memory?
I have a picture (I'll try to find it and I'll post it up!) of me and my sister after we opened our Christmas presents ... I guess we decided to wear/hold all of our Christmas presents at once and I have two big gift-bows in my hair as I'm wearing a skirt and a bathrobe and holding a Spice Girls doll (from what I can remember)! That picture/memory always makes me smile.


Feel free to do this tag if you'd like! On another note, I want to thank you all ... I've hit 100 followers! This is a milestone for me -- I never expected to interact with so many amazing people and to know you don't mind reading my ramblings -- well, it means a lot to me :) Thanks to each and every one of you ... and I'll have a giveaway sometime in the early new year to celebrate you and 2010? Yes, that sounds good hehe.

What are your plans for the weekend/next week?

Hope you all have a great weekend!

dear body ...

After being a hermit for the last little while, I was finally a little social with The Boy and my close friend. First was watching Law Abiding Citizen and cuddling/munching on pizza. He still has a bunch of exams to go, so I'm glad for every moment we can be together. After that, I went with my friend to Starbucks for our first Peppermint Mochas of the season (yay!) and while spending some much-needed catch-up time with her, she finally introduced me to the first episode of GLEE. Consider me hooked!

Yummy!

But now I want to steer somewhere different. Another 'social' moment I had yesterday was with my parents -- where my Dad asked me if I worked out my butt, because it's (quote) "out of proportion with your body. It's too big." (unquote) I've always had a pretty big bum (even getting nicknames like ghetto booty) but to hear from my own Dad that there was something wrong with my body ... well,  it hit me. Surprisingly, it made me want to praise my body instead of being self-conscious of it. So, while this might seem like I'm tooting my own horn or something ... I think you should try this out. Each body part is special in its own way (oo-er), so why not thank it?

Dear Body ...

Dear Legs ... You're pretty long, and that's cool. But knees, please stop cracking. You make me sound like I'm forty years old.

Dear Hands ... You're attached to orangutan arms, but you're pretty handy (oh boy). I have an odd relationship with you, left hand -- thanks for helping me write, but you make it really hard to find lecture seats. By the way, I'm sorry I keep nibbling on your fingernails. I promise I'll get rid of that habit one day.

Dear Chest ... Thank you for finally growing.

Dear Butt ... Please stop growing. But I like your size, no matter what anyone else says.

Dear Heart ... Thank you for not breaking after all those silly mishaps with the same guy over and over again. Thank you for hanging in there, and thank you for pounding with joy every single time I see The Boy.

Dear Mouth ... Thank you for allowing me to taste so many delicious things. Oh, and thanks for pretty darn good teeth. But I beg you, please don't let my wisdom teeth grow in.

Dear Eyes ... You allow me to see so many things, even though I'm stubborn and refuse to wear my glasses half the time. Please don't take it too hard. Oh, and thanks for changing colours throughout the years -- I like you hazel.

Dear Stomach ... We have the biggest love-hate relationship, and you're probably the most sensitive part of my body. But thank you for allowing so many foods inside of you.

Dear Brain ... You have the weirdest memory ever -- I don't think knowing the lyrics to ten thousand songs will ever help me out unless I'm on a game show. But I love you nonetheless.

Dear Hair ... you have really annoying bangs. But you're pretty nice and you keep my ears nice and warm.

Dear Body ... Thank you for still going after all these years.

P.S. Sorry I neglected you nose, and ears, and anything else I missed ... you know I love ya.

Love, 

Me

I welcome anyone else to do this -- just let me know if you do, I'd love to read them. Hope you didn't mind me ranting on about my body, haha. I hope you all have an amazing rest of the weekend -- I'm going to be finishing up the Christmas cards, playing The Sims, catching up on blogs, and hopefully have a few more social moments while gift-shopping.

What do you have planned for the weekend? :) 

festive cheer and freedom

I'm feeling a little festive, so I had to change my little header above. Reasons for such festivity?

i) I got my first Christmas card in the mail today from Nicole and it made my day :)

ii) I'm finished all my exams and projects! It feels so great to have a few weeks off from school.

iii) I'm looking forward to catching up with friends I haven't seen in ages.

iv) A few overdue awards from Carla and Sara! I got the Kreativ Blogger award from Sara and this lovely award on the left. Both involve sharing 7-10 facts about yourself and then passing it along. I'd like to award Manju, Margarita, Amanda, and Krissy! I decided to put a little spin on things and instead share ten things I can't wait to experience  and do in the next few weeks -- hope you gals don't mind!

1) Reading

I have the biggest pile of books waiting for me to just tackle them with hungry fingers (makes it sound like it's a feast, meep). Sometimes it feels good to just read for pleasure instead of reading something that's on a course outline. I've already read the last book in the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series called "Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?" My sister got me into these books way back when the first one came out -- I feel like a bit of my childhood is gone now it's over (the same feeling I felt when I finished reading the Harry Potter series haha).

2) Catching Up With Friends

It's going to be so good to hug those friends I haven't seen in a while and avoid all topics regarding school and work. I can't wait to catch up with the friends I can just talk to about anything and everything. As you get older, it seems harder to hold onto friendships, mostly because life just gets in the way. I love the friends I have where we understand life is busy, but what we have is important. Ah, I'm a cheeseball.  

3) Apple Cider (Cocktails)
Me and my closest friends are bringing back our Secret Santa tradition and exchanging our gifts at a potluck-dinner Christmas party that I can not wait for. Hopefully on the menu is apple cider cocktails, which is the recipe of the week. I've never actually tried them, but just the thought of them makes me thirsty. This list is making me both hungry and thirsty now (my stomach just grumbled).   


4) Snow!

And I don't mean that nasty, gnarly snow -- that's only good when you have chestnuts roasting on an open fire (and I don't have a fireplace). But I love the feeling of seeing a good few inches of powder snow on the ground, and seeing it glisten as the sun hits it. So pretty. Today's been a combination of a little snow and rain (not cool).

5) Making Things

That sounds so ominous ... what will I be making? BABIES! (just kidding!) But I hope to tackle some form of home-made crafts, either to give as gifts or just to admire.  Catching my eye are making frosted glass, an exploding box of photos, or this snowglobe that I found via weheartit which led me to this blog entry about de-cluttering your kitchen and making snowglobes. I thought it was adorably cute and would love to try it out ... maybe with a little plastic coffee cup? And, as you can tell, I've been doing a lot of discovering via the world wide web ... that's because I'm a lazy bum who spent the first day of freedom on the computer, yipee.

6) Cards & Presents

Over the next few days I'm going to be writing and sending a bunch of cards and I can't wait. My mom's been grumbling and saying she hates writing cards out to our relatives, but I love to send things (paying for postage? not so much love there). On top of that, I'm going to be braving the mall with its overcrowdedness and try to get some nice items to give to the parentals/the friends/The Boy/the dog (yup, he gets a present)! Wish me luck that I don't get trampled? :)

7) Getting Out Of Town

The past few months have all been a routine, with not much room for adventure. I would love to go on a road trip (with clear roads) to a nearby town and explore while getting yummy samples of fudge. Or maybe go to an outdoor skating rink in another city.

Now, The Boy's never been skating, so I'm sure we would be as paralyzed as the couple in that picture (but hopefully we'd look just as fancy, haha). I get so happy at the thought that I don't have to see my school for the next few weeks ... makes it sound like I hate school (ironic, since my whole life is going to be school), but it's just overwhelmed me. I just want to get outta town.

8) Sleeping

I need to catch up with my pillow -- projects have made me abandon it far too early in the morning, so I can't wait to sleep some more.

9) The Holidays

Christmas and New Year's are right around the corner -- it's going to be a bit different this year with my sister on the other side of the country (plus the fact that my family's kind of given out presents early ... oops), but I know it's about more than just that. And while plans for New Year's are still up in the air, hopefully it'll involve more catching up with friends and a new year's kiss? (Ever since that episode of Friends where none of them get kissed at midnight, it's kind of stuck with me. I am cool.)

10) Drinking LOTS of coffee and getting a holiday drink from Starbucks/catching up on blogs/playing The Sims and/or Final Fantasy/watching a ton of movies/experimenting in the kitchen/drinking yummy hot chocolate/cleaning my room/making graphics/just relaxing.

Yeah, that's about it in a nutshell.

Thanks to you all for always being so amazing, I'm sending lots of hugs your way.

If you'd like a Christmas card, drop me an e-mail :)

And now I have to ask:

What's made your week better?

the clumsy & weird side of nikolett

After a week of more hectic deadlines and teacher's college applications, I finally get to unwind! Me and The Boy took a road trip to scenic St. Catharines (about an hour away) and though our mission was to hand in our teacher's college forms personally in case the mail sucked, it was fun driving through winding roads and taking a look at the countryside and the vineyards. Today also involved some clumsiness as I knocked things over, ripped my jeans, and almost collided with about five people while running around on campus. All in a day ... ay yi yi.

Fortunately, I also got a mid-week break in the form of my dearest classmate that I love to hang out with. We bond over our love for video games and just being plain weird. We had a Christmas party that our Multimedia program was having that night -- which involved a) a really drunk classmate who kept getting me to dance, and I told him I wouldn't dance with him until he bought me a drink (which of course, he never did and I'm glad he didn't!); b) lots of yummy chicken wings and Irish nacho fries (nom nom nom); and c) lots of cheese, but no wine for me (it gives me headaches).

But before that par-tay, me and my friend indulged ourselves in our new obsession -- Photo Booth on Mac. It's one of most twisted programs ever, and I love it. So here's a little photoshoot of our pics (we took about 50 altogether!). You'll see my friend's wearing a pretty white scarf - me (with a lot of help from my mom) knit that for her as an early Christmas present! She loved it and I'm so happy :) I'd love to give one ito everyone f I had the time/patience haha. But if you'll settle for a Christmas card, make sure you check out this post here.

Now onto the pictures. And umm, I warn you, this may scare you away from this blog completely:

There is one picture that we took that is honestly horrifying and that I don't think I could ever share here -- unless enough of you ask me, hehe (I'm easy, shh! ... that came out wrong). All in all, I'm trying to relax and try not to let the stress get to me. It helps when you have a lot of people around you to give you hugs. Lots and lots of hugs. And a yummy cup of hot chocolate doesn't hurt, either!

I really hope you've all been having a great week!

What do you have planned for the weekend?

*I wish you all have amazingly spontaneous moments, too!

For me, it's watch Serendipity tonight (this one's for you, Girl With The Golden Touch!), catch-up on blogs tomorrow, miss my sister some more, browse Nicole's new Etsy shop(!), and work on my final assignments plus study for my exam on Tuesday! But after that, fun times!

And thanks everyone for your sweet comments about getting me out of the funk. It's helped, trust me :)

P.S. I have some long overdue awards to talk about and give away, so look forward to that and perhaps some Christmas wishlisting next time. Have a beautiful weekend, everybody!

simple smile of the week

There are those moments where you feel like the whole weight of the world is on your shoulders. You figure, what's the point in celebrating making this deadline when there's another deadline on the way? Essay topics start to mingle together, teacher's college applications seem repetitive and redunant, and you just lie in your bed for the whole day, waiting for the day when life will get easier. Unfortunately, it doesn't get any easier. But you can surround yourself with those people who will make the burden a little more easier to bear, who will make life worth living, who will give you reasons to smile.

{found via weheartit.com}

This week, my simple smile is all of you. Each and every one of you who did a guest blog for me -- thank you for keeping this place from becoming a wasteland and for sharing great tips and stories and important lessons about life. To every single one the Caffeine Addicts -- the new ones that have just popped up, and the ones that have followed me for a while. I would love to have a coffee date with all of you.

I've been in such a severe funk lately. But thinking about interacting with all of you again and finally catching up on all your blogs made me smile, because it does make life better, as cheesy as that may sound.

So ... I want to give back! No matter what you celebrate this December, I would love to give you a card for the holidays in the mail :) Just a way to say a big thank you to all of you awesome people in the blog-o-sphere.

If you'd like a holiday card, e-mail me your address at betterthancoffee[at]gmail.com!

All of your addresses will be complete confidential & you'll get a beautiful card :)

I'll send them out by December 15th, so let me know by then!

And once I hit 100 followers + finish the last contest winner's prize = a giveaway, yay! Hope you've all been having a good November and I can't wait to catch up on everyone's blogs!

What are you looking forward to in December? 

For me? It's December 9th -- a month off from school, whoohoo!

P.S. How weird is it to see a blog entry that doesn't start with "guest blog"? Haha :)

guest blog #6: better than coffee?

Note from Nikolett: I was seriously waiting for the day where a guest blogger would make a post like this, and so I give major props and love to the talented and amazing Rhianne for doing this! As of right now, this'll be the last of the guest blogs for a bit, so I'm coming back! The next two weeks will still be busy but I'll be here in all my ... glory? Ahem, yes. In the meantime, enjoy this post that takes my blog title and spins it into the things in life we all love! 

I was really struggling for ideas for this post until I thought abut Nikolett's blog properly :) So here are a few things I think are better than coffee!

10 more minutes in bed...

{by -noisette-}

reading a good book...
{by m00nbugg}

Holding hands...
{found here}

dancing in the street...
{by Melodishqiptare}

puppy kisses...
{by Flphotonut}

What would you say is better than coffee?
Rhianne

So true that there is so much out there better than coffee ... so I love this post. For me personally, it's puppy kisses and holding hands/snuggling in bed that do it for me! Plus, seeing New Moon tonight will hopefully be better than a dose of caffeine, haha. Hope you all have a great rest of the weekend! :)

guest blog #5: the importance of girlfriends

Note from Nikolett: This week has been brutality. Today alone I missed buses, showed up just in the knick of time for a presentation that I blubbered though, didn't eat a decent meal until 3pm, and then there was the event to top it all off. While in tutorial, I sat down in a chair and when I got up, a classmate tapped me on the shoulder and told me there was something odd on the back of my pants. Turned out that the chair was 1/2 covered in a sticky/melted cheese that stuck onto my dress pants and jacket. I felt like crying but instead I complained to my girlfriend through text who immediately offered to meet up and have dinner. You gotta love girlfriends, like Andhari who gave me some blog lovin', and the amazing Adele, who graciously did a guest post for me about girlfriends! Enjoy!

{picture found via weheartit.com}

Friends come in all shapes and sizes. And if you happen to be a relatively decent human being with some likability and an ounce of EQ, chances are you've had one of those in your lifetime.

There are friends you've known since you could crawl, and will probably still know on your deathbed. They are the lifelong ones. There are some that have for some reason or another, because of the theory of 6 degrees of separation, or mutual friendships, have become a permanent fixture in your life, even without you purposefully maintaining the relationship. Sometimes we make seasonal friends, they appear during a particular period of your life, make a huge difference, then disappear as the season passes.

And then there are those that you've build a bond with so strong that even despite losing touch for years, a chance encounter sparks off a reunion so genuine, that you remember fondly till the next time.

I've had my fair share of all kinds of friends, but the ones that I know I'll literally spend my whole life with, happen to come in 4 pint-sized girls whom I like to call second-generation friends or "friends-by-default" (;. You see, our parents have been friends since their younger days, and as far as I can recall we've spent quite a few birthdays/holidays/gatherings/sleepovers together. It's funny how despite having different personalities, giftings, interests and beauty regiments, taste in boys, and currently living in different parts of the world, our like-mindedness in values and beliefs and the simple fact that we love regardless makes us perfect for one another.

Girlfriends are indeed important - and sometimes (dare I say) even more than boyfriends.

Afterall, boys can't really help you in a crap-i-need-a-tampon situation (:

xoxo
Adele
 

So true ... I would be pretty boggled if I found a guy carrying tampons haha. Though it's sweet to see guys go out the local grocery/pharmacy to get a girl what she needs during those dire times haha. But yes, ya gotta love your gal-pals :) Thanks for the post! I have about 1-2 guest blogs still planned and then I'll be back and (hopefully) not letting school drag me down. Thanks everyone so much for your understanding :)

guest blog #4: one life lesson

Note from Nikolett: Well, this weekend has been dedicated to my teacher's college applications and my multimedia portfolio (maybe I'll show it off to you all if enough people want to see it!) as well as movie-watching to prevent insanity and to keep me happy. And today's guest blog is definitely motivation to be happy -- it makes me happy because it comes from Ramblings of a Fab Brunette, aka Margarita, aka my older sister! Thank you for guest blogging, and enjoy this heartwarming and true message about getting by in life - happily.

If I Can Pass on One Life Lesson

 

{image found via weheartit.com}

 

Growing up I was always eager to get on with the next part of my life. I was never content with where I was, I had dreams - huge dreams of being famous or rich or living in Paris eating macarons or partying in Manhattan or becoming an author. My dreams always were carefree, money was never a worry nor a want, in my dreams my world exists of happy people, no one out to get anyone, everyone living in harmony, supporting everyone's dreams and accomplishments. There would be sadness, but the sadness would easily be converted into a creative outlet - art, writing, music - everything would be inspirational. I might even be a muse to a rock star in my dreams.

 

But then reality hits, and you're in a part-time job, never saving money, and none of these dreams would most likely come true. So I started making my dreams more realistic, shoving my luxurious dreams in a back corner in my mind only to come out when fantasizing about certain vampires who are also rock stars in my dreams - my realistic dreams are not as far-fetched. Get married. Buy a car. Travel. Get a good job. All proper goals that your parents will be proud of, but they seem a little, well, soul-less to me. Dreams should come from the heart, right? And no matter how insane they might be, it's what matters to you, it's something you strive to be, and if you put that away for a 'normal' goal, you're no longer making yourself happy, you're trying to make those around you happy.

 

You will never be happy making others happy. Maybe at first, but after you will feel empty, like you did everything you could do for someone else, and not for yourself.

 

We are lucky we live in a day and age that we can do things on the side, art or writing or website layouts, and have a place to sell them (etsy, your own site), and someone from halfway around the world can see your talent and you can make money doing what you love. It is such a good feeling to be getting paid for baking, painting or creating logos. It really is. And if that's something you love, then do it. You will doubt yourself, you will fail, you will be lazy, you will try again, and you will succeed, although not always in that precise order.

 

If I can pass on a life lesson or two, it would be to always make yourself happy. Let every choice be made with the outcome of your happiness in mind. It's great to help friends and family, it's awesome to support others, but when you decide to do something that you know in your heart is not for you, just to appease others, then you are destroying your own will. You will not be happy. And that is the truth.

 

Never let your dreams die, fantasize as often as you can, and one day your fantasies will become reality.

 

Enjoy your life. It's the only one you have, and you deserve to have a happy one.

 

xoxo

Fab Brunette

Too true ... when I think about all this homework and how much it weighs me down, all I have to do is remind myself that I want to be a teacher -- it's for me, and to help whatever future students I have. And of course, I have my crazy dreams of going all the way around the world and publishing novels. Never afraid to have dreams :) Thanks for the reminder, big sis! And here's a quote that I love just for some more inspiration. Hope you've all had a great weekend!

guest blog #3: How not to suck as a patient!

Note from Nikolett: I've been taken to a state where I don't even have time to log in to blogger to put up a new guest blog! Can't wait until these next two weeks are over (though hopefully by late next week I'll be back and ready for action)! First guest blog was about witty quotes about coffee and conquering dragons; second guest blog was a key on how to be like Lady Gaga with some very fashionable pieces; and now we have a tidbit post from *Notes From The Toothfairy*, who is adorable and always a pleasure to read. Since she is a dentist, she though she'd share ways on how not to suck as a patient at the dentist! Thank you (I think I do most of these haha).

BOOH!
Hey, it's Shirley aka The Toothfairy from *Notes from the Toothfairy*! I'm guest posting for our lovely Nikolett, because she needs times to focus on school. We all know how not cool, but yet important school is, so send her some luck, everyone!

After reading this post, you'll know how to act or not act as a patient at the dentist.
This knowledge is all gathered from my own experience, working as a dentist for almost 2 years.

Read on, and learn!

Try to brush your teeth before the appointment

Not a must, but absolutely a pre. Even if you don't brush your teeht on a regular base (yes, these people exist), please try to do so when you have to attend to a dental appointment. I don't think I have to explain how disgusting it is, working in a mouth that is not clean.

Try to come on time

Appointments are made for a reason. Dentists work on quite a strict schedule. IF all patients come one time, there's a lower chance for us to be behind this schedule. Meaning you don't have to wait so long. True, most of the time, we do run behind time, but there's always a reason for that, we don't like it either. It's really giving us more pressure and stress. So please, bear with us.

Do not bring cookies or candy

No brainer you might think. Well, apparently not to all human beings out there, because I've seen it many many times. Patients even let their kids eat them in the examination room, while I'm watching them... Just to remind you.

Do not bring McDonalds either

No brainer as well. Like I said before, this is all based on my own experiences. The times (is 2) I've caught a patient eating McD in the waiting room, I had my assistent to ask them to brush their teeth. Not being rude, but I'm just not a fan of picking meat and fries between the teeth.

Do try to spit in the spittoon
This means not on the wall, not on the floor, and not in the garbage can either. I know, it's hard sometimes, because your mouth is numb. But please, please try to spit properly. It's no fun for the assistents to wipe your spit of the wall. My assistent is darling enough to do so, but I know other collegues, who will give you a tissue and ask you politely to clean the wall yourself. LOL
I'm not brave enough for that...

Pay your bills

You work for your money, we work for our money. You don't work for free, well, we don't like to work for free either. You might think, it's easy money, working as a dentist. Big money, doing some check ups and all.
I can tell you this is not the case. The job is both physically and mentally heavy. My back, neck and shoulders are hurting, and my left hand might need operation due to overburdening.
 

So, do not ignore your bills, it's not cool. If you can't pay, just try to get some arrangement, so that you can pay in smaller parts. But please, pay the bills!

Remember, we're not here to hurt you

Last but not least! Dentists are scary people. I understand that, I'm scared of them too. Therefore, we (or at least, I) will always try my very very best to comfort you and put you at ease. Try to trust us! It will work out just fine. Smile..

Hope you've learned something from this... Haha!
Love my job, a lot of dentists do too. So don't be afraid to go come see us, we're here to help you!

Good luck to Nikolett on her school things!

Loves,
Shirley
*Notes from the Toothfairy*


pic credit: weheartit

Can't believe people bring McDonald's to the dentist, haha! But thank you for the lucky Shirley, and everyone make sure to check out her blog for amazing pictures and personal stories! Hope you've all had a great and more relaxing week than I have :)

guest blog #2: being gaga

Note from Nikolett: This next week is going to be hectic for sure, so another round of applause goes to all the lovely guest bloggers you'll see this week! I have two 2,000 word papers, a presentation about a flash project, and a portfolio due just in the next five days alone. Meep! And now I have to assign some homework to you, lovelies: watch Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" video before reading this amazing post from Erika. I've been a follower of hers for as long as I can remember blogging and adore her fashion tidbits and incredible finds. She's going to teach us a few things about Being Gaga.

“J’adore Vivienne, habillez-moi

Gucci, Fendi, and Prada.

Valentino, Armani too

Merde, I love them Jimmy Choo.”

Lady Gaga, Fashion

Lady Gaga may have dropped countless names of fabulous designers within the opening bars of her runway-dedicated Fashion; but darlings, regardless of such a doing, I was unsure of just how into “fashion” the gorgeous Gaga truly was, until I saw her walk in Alexander McQueen’s hoof-inspired 10-inch stilettos – shoes which look far more futuristic than functional – in the music video for Bad Romance. But I digress; that’s beside the point. The fact that Miss Gaga-licious herself was even able to don such a fantastic bit of footwear only made it clear in my mind that oui; she was a fashion lover of the most remarkable kind. Her voguish style strides also made me come to the conclusion that, deep within my soul, I long to be Gaga – as I’m sure many of you do.

Hush kittens. Don’t say a word. Your silence speaks volumes. I see the way your eyes are dancing about like the flame atop a candle. Face it, you may be as preppy and polished as Blair Waldorf; but underneath that shy, oftentimes snarky façade, I see it lurking…a craving to let loose and be as bonkers and maniacal as Gaga herself – at least in terms of appearance. So do it! I am not telling you to deck yourself out in bubbles or wear bows atop your head fashioned out of human hair; one does not have to go completely wild to mimic Gaga’s look. All you truly need are a few key pieces to subtly channel the bombastic seductress.

The Eyes – If you want to feel like Gaga, the one thing you can never be without is a pair of killer sunglasses. Please keep in mind that:

a) The sun does not have to be shining to wear these.

b) Feel free to wear them indoors.

c) The more outrageous…the better!

Sunglasses are one of those accessories that you can have fun and be playful with, just as Gaga does. Don’t feel intimidated by pieces that sparkle and shimmer like champagne, these only serve to make you feel more Paparazzi-ready. For the amateur Gaga wannabe, sunglasses are the preemptive piece to kick off your style tribute, as they are easily removed should you feel intimidated while donning them. Jeremy Scott for Linda Farrow Vintage are the true goggles Gaga accouters herself in; but should the $300 price tag be out of your budget, H2W’s  Poker Face Just Dance Sunglasses are ideal for that stunna style at an absolute steal!

The Hair – Teeny tiny bows hardly visible to the naked eye gracing headbands are so last season. Okay, so maybe that’s going slightly too far; but if Marc by Marc Jacobs showed us anything during Fashion Week, it was that big hair bows are haute! Lucky for you, they’re also a trademark of Gaga, and incredibly simple to incorporate into your daily wardrobe. Just remember, it’s all about the attitude. Don’t feel insecure while donning such a large hairpiece – it’s not juvenile in any way, shape, or form; quite the opposite, in fact. A big hair bow is loud and ostentatious, two things that will make you come across as boisterous and full of life – the two things which make Gaga so appealing. Bebe’s Big Bow Headband in either Fuchsia or Black, or Nasty Gal’s Just Say Bow Headband in Ivory, Black, or Fuchsia are unbeatable choices – pair them with a flirty black frock for a girls night out; the perfect time to play dress up, if I do say so myself.

The Hands – Cocktail rings may sometimes speckle the petite digits of the Lady in question, but even more prevalent about her hands are gloves. Not any pair of gloves will do, of course. Cut-out, fingerless, motorcycle gloves are the object of the hour – accessories that are just as blingin’ as a bauble; while retaining a classy, understated appeal which is both sophisticated and seductive. The key is locating a pair that is fitted to the contours of your hand, as opposed to embracing it in the form of a mitt and/or the protective gear our parents forced us to wear as children when we were simply going for a short bike ride down the street. Three pairs that will instantly transform your fingers into Gaga are Kiki de Montparnasse’s Driving Gloves, Nasty Gal’s Cyndi Fingerless Gloves, and Free People’s Chain Zip Fingerless Glove. Allow your fingers to flirt like that of a superstar’s, darlings!

The Shoulders – Now ladies, please don’t go all eighties on me here. I am not reinforcing the big, teased hair seen on Dynasty; I am, however, allowing you to be over the top with big shoulders. Balmain brought big, brawny shoulders to the runways; but Gaga has been embracing them via blazers and blouses since she first emerged on the scene, and giving them a great big bear hug yourselves is bound to assist you in tapping into your inner Gaga – if only by a hair. Start small in the beginning with a design such as Torn by Ronny Kobo’s Jayne Long Sleeve T-Shirt with Shoulder Pads, a piece in which shoulder pads are present, but certainly not overbearing. If you’re more comfortable with the look go a bit bolder with Alice + Olivia’s Short Sleeve Tee with Shoulder Pads. While the style is ever so slightly masculine, Gaga and Balmain have made it daringly – and oh so divinely – feminine.

The Legs – Playing it safe is always a cinch, but it most definitely doesn’t allow us to step out of our comfort zones; thus, do like Gaga. Ditch the standard smoky shades of leggings and allow your gams to devour the sweet taste of design. Gaga is known for wearing many outlandish pieces about her legs; your mission is to take those looks and transform them into easy to wear bits that will showcase your style without making you stick out like a sore thumb. Slip on Sass & Bide’ Beast Rats Leggings in Bronze Print with a flowy black tank that hits at the hip; pair David Lerner’ Ripped Leggings in Black with an ebony-hued cardigan that stops just below the derriere to add a little punk to your prep; top Velvet’s Kaela Leggings with a skintight LBD. Be creative, be wild, be willing to take chances – your legs will thank you!

The moral of the story? Gaga-fy yourselves, dolls!

Fashionably yours!

Thank you so much Erika! Definitely in the mood to dress a little gaga now (oh boy, I'm terrible with puns). Make sure to check out her blog Café Fashionista for more fashionable posts! And I hope everyone has a great weekend :)