the start of a weekend...

Today marked my last day working at the high school summer school (I've always had troubles accurately describing where I work!), and it was incredibly bittersweet. After seeing these people five days a week, from 7am-2pm, they become like family. After today, all I have to worry about is my Shakespeare paper and exam and then I'm free, free at last, to enjoy my summer vacation ... or what's left of it. So my apologies for being away these past couple of weeks.

To fill you in, here's a list of what I've been up to today that's already made this long weekend of mine pretty darn good:

• My two lovely co-workers and myself played at the staff mass today -- which meant me rocking out on the guitar during the last song, which stunned/impressed the teachers! But we had crazy nerves earlier in the day, so I almost heaved :( That wasn't too fun but...

• Getting an Iced Caramel Carretto from Second Cup to calm my nerves and make me hyper definitely was fun! Mmmm ... it wasn't too bad playing guitar/pretending to be a choir!

• After the mass was a staff luncheon that we set up. There, I found out that the good-lookin' teacher, who also happens to be Polish, also went to the same Polish school I did, and that our fathers work at the same place. Small world, constantly getting smaller.

• My boss/principal gave me a letter of reference for my teacher's colleges as well as a personal card saying that I'd be a bright light in any classroom and she can't wait to see me as a teacher. I rarely get any encouragement in the teaching department and I appreciated it so much.

• As soon as I got home today, I ate my pierogies (wow, typical Polish gal) and then watched 10 Things I Hate About You, which is a classic and almost made me cry when Heath Ledger broke out into song. *le sigh*

• I'm also putting the final touches on a parcel I'm sending out to Sapporo Sarah really shortly! She's an amazing gal and I can't wait to swap things and learn more about each other :)

• Later on, while The Boy and I were making plans to hang out tonight, he mentioned how sometimes we make plans for me to go home, but then he wishes I could sleep over instead since we're both so tired. So then he asked, "What's holding you back from sleeping over during those times?" and I answered, "A toothbrush and PJ's." To which he replied, "Then how about tonight, you bring an extra toothbrush and leave it here for those instances?"
  
  
  
  I was secretly smiling but went, "Wow, y'know, when you start leaving toothbrushes at your significant other's house, that's a big step. Are you ready to take that step?" And I think I made him all nervous. Whoops!

I'll let you know if I leave that toothbrush there tonight or not! :)
I'm going to make sure to catch up on all your lovely blogs by tomorrow!


Pictures found here.

I hope you all have an amazing weekend, full of things that make you happy, great weather that won't ruin your plans, and with people who make you smile!

simple smiles #8

Oh wows, it's been a week since I've posted -- it's been full of busy times, both good and not-so-good, but I think it's all those moments in general that make up my crazy life that provide my simple smile of the week.

For instance, Thursday was spent cross-dressing as Demetrius from A Midsummer's Night Dream, complete with chest hair:

It was amazing, one of my classmates' friends who tagged along actually THOUGHT I WAS A GUY. A bit scary, but it was all worth it -- our little group of four gals got 100% on the presentation!

After that, Friday was spent relaxing to prepare for an awesome day in T.O. with my sister, running around in the rain and enjoying Gerard Butler in poster-size and movie theatre-size:



The movie was "The Ugly Truth" and was very adorable (I can so relate to her 'spazzy dance' when something great happens) though it was definitely your typical rom-com. We also enjoyed some shopping and some yummy food (a pulled-pork sandwich that inspired this recipe of the week) and peach(!) beer:



And then, going out for a house party later that night, which turned into drama central, though it was fun being with The Boy after not seeing him all week.

Then Sunday, my street turned into a lovely river flooded area because of all the heavy rainfalls. What a nice way to end off the weekend! Haha.



And you have to help me wish some very warm wishes for two gals with very similar names! First is Kimberly from My Wooden Heart who is on a road trip right now to live in L.A from Canada! I think that's amazing and I hope you have a safe drive and an awesome time settling in :) And a very very happy belated birthday to the beloved Kym from Bee Creative who just celebrated her birthday! Give 'em lots of love!

Now, you know I gotta ask:
What made your weekend memorable?

Sorry for the lack of updates, but I hope you're all doing amazingly well! :) Expect more from me as soon as this week is over, haha.

simple smiles #7

The whole day at work I was wracking my brain trying to figure out what made me simply smile. Though I had a great, relaxing weekend complete with a pizza box and The Boy at the beach watching not one, but two rainbows, I needed something a little more recent.

Fast forward to me getting home, exhausted from work and finding -- a package for me! Courtesy of Aubrey's amazing giveaway and the incredibly talented Kate from Eyelet, I now have a beautiful metallic-cork mousepad!

I pretty much destroyed the lovely purple tissue-paper due to my excitement. Woops!


Such a cute note :)


Posing and being fierce a tired dork, while my happy mouse is happy on its new mousepad!

Thank you so much! In the spirit of giving, I have to give a shout-out to Nicole's lovely giveaway, Iva's giveaway with only one day left, and this gracious giveaway from BonBon Rose. I'm still coming up with ideas for my own 50th blog post coming up so I can give back to you all who have brought me simple smiles just with your words!



There's something inherently beautiful about the act of giving, whether it be a simple hug or smile to someone who needs it. You don't have to go out and spend hundreds of dollars to show someone you care -- it can be meaningful in the words "you mean so much to me."

Definitely going to keep all this in mind! This week is going to be brutal, what with work and performing ten minutes from A Midsummer's Night Dream in my Shakespeare class this week (I'm dressing up as a man!), as well as very uncertain plans for the weekend. But I'm going to keep my mind on giving to others, and being grateful for everything I've been given. I'm off to admire my mousepad some more, but here's some questions for you: What is a spontaneous or unexpected gift you've received? What do you find beautiful about giving?

Cheesy post is cheesy :)

the wheels on the bus ...

Last night, there was a huge accident on the highway nearby my university, forcing all the traffic to go through my city. In two words: TRAFFIC JAM, yo! (Okay, the 'yo' makes it three.) After my Shakespeare practice with my classmates, I decided to skip the actual night class in favour of being/sleeping at home earlier ... instead, a 15 minute bus ride turned into an HOUR bus ride to get to the heart of downtown, crawling along.

And, I met two new friends -- Lauren and Jeannette -- who were supposed to go to Toronto but had missed all their buses. We laughed, we made jokes (with me saying that I wish I could pop a Mento's and start directing traffic so they could get to Toronto). And it reminded me of another time I met someone quite special on the bus.

The amazingly awesome Sarah recently asked how me and The Boy met. The truth: We met on a bus.

It was March 2008 after an English class I had in the evening. I hopped onto the bus and noticed, about three feet away, a handsome guy with a light brown jacket, fiddling with car keys. I had gotten out of a three-year relationship with a Nameless Douchebag only a month before, and had more of a "let's take a year to discover myself!" mode rather than a "let's find a rebound!" kind of mood.

Nevertheless, we both caught each other's eye and smiled. And then he got off the bus at a stop where students usually park their cars for free.

During that week, I kept wondering if I'd see him again, and was more or less really proud of myself for smiling at a new guy for the first time in a long time. Then, during my evening class the following week, I realized he was IN MY CLASS. He was sitting about ten rows ahead of me ... with that in mind, I left class early since my laptop was dying.

I got on at the first bus stop on campus -- and he was the very last person who got on at the last stop on campus, having made a run for it and SLIPPING on the pavement. I saw his head in the crowd of people standing, as I sat in the middle of the bus listening to my mp3 player. I could see him coming closer and then hoped I would catch his eye again -- I did. Then, I took out my earphones.



It was then that the girl sitting next to me got off ... so I gestured for him to come by me (where this bravery/foolery came from, I don't know). He smiled, walked over and introduced himself ... we talked, the conversation flowed mysteriously well, and then he asked for my number and to go for coffee the next day (I said 'yes!').

Of course, I thought he had to get off at the same stop as last time and he said that he didn't have his car with him. HE LIED -- his car was there, he just wanted to get know me better and so he stayed on the bus with me and took another bus back to get his car. And he didn't tell me this until four months later, haha.

We met for coffee next day and the rest, they say, is presently happening. :)

So even though bus rides come with creepy moments, they can also be magical and bubbly.

Any interesting transportation/meeting people for the first time stories?
I'd love to hear them :)

wednesday wishes #4

Yesterday, I worked from 7am-2pm, practiced with classmates from 4pm-7pm, went to my night class from 7pm-9pm, waited in line with my buds at the movie theatres from 9:30pm-11:30pm [where we sang this a bunch of times, with my role being Harry Potter], and then at midnight watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which I thought was amazing considering they never get book-to-movie adaptations right. It was humorous, it was dark, it was scary, it was action-packed, and I found myself on the edge of my seat. In other words -- loved it!

Of course, I got home at 3am and then had to wake up just three hours later to go to work again so ... I'm sorry, but my Wednesday Wishes of this week is to wish to be in bed! However, I'm going to share some beds I wish I could sleep in ...

If anyone would like to lend me ten grand in order to sleep in this enchanted bed, I would love them forever, haha. I love four-poster beds, and though this may not have the curtains, I love the detailing. Such a magical bed, reminds me of a midsummer's night dream.


Or maybe it's better to have something small to float upon, at the edge of a beach on some paradise island, hoping that the wind won't carry you to water ... though really, would that be so bad in this bed? (As long as you don't sink, of course!)


And then, on a completely ridiculous note, I'd love to try out a hamburger bed ... or maybe those racecar beds that little kids have (if only I could fit inside one). People come up with some pretty ridiculous concepts for beds, but as long as it's comfy, it works for me!

Also, I wish a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! to Nicole from my teacups in peony. Not sure how old she's turning, but she is amazing no matter what age she is :)

Now, I turn the tables to Y-O-U. Where do you wish you could be today?
[If anyone answers, "Right where I am for it is the most beautiful place" I will both sigh with joy and simultaneously envy you, haha.]

To sleep, perchance to dream ...
My regular Wednesday Wishes will resume, just gotta catch up on sleep! :)

simple smiles #6 & meme!

You know when you blow your nose a ridiculous amount of times and then you get a red raw nose and then skin starts to flake off? Yeah, I hate that and I have it right now. (Way to start off your 'simple smile' blog entry with some positivy, Nikolett)! It's yet another workweek for me, but my simple smile for this week comes from 1) you lovely people who told me about my comments messing up (I made it pop-up, I hope it works now!); and 2) from this weekend and the times that I spend with The Boy. He really cheered me up from a week of sickness and school.

First off, I love our random conversations:
HIM: So I was going pretty fast, just like the Transporter --
ME: Unf, he's so hot.
HIM: B-but ... he's bald!
ME: But he's got the swagger, and the accent, and the muscles --
HIM: But he's bald!
ME: That's ok with me!
HIM: Would you like it if I said Britney Spears was hot?
ME: But ... she's not anymore. She's past her prime.
HIM: What about Catherine Zeta-Jones?
ME: But she's an older woman!
HIM: But she's hot.
ME: Yeah. She is. I'll give you that.
HIM: *can't think of a comeback*
ME: Don't worry, you're hotter than the Transporter.
HIM: *beams with joy*

Second, I love our simple joys. Tickling each other on my front lawn like 5-year old kids, and then going on a road trip to a lake for some fishing. There we got caught in a rainstorm while the sun was still shining, which was beautiful.

Such bizarre weather ... followed by cuddling!


Delish!

Plus, we had a yummy picnic complete with macaroons, so I had to incorporate that into the recipe of the week, fool! ... Um, sorry. :D

In other news, the lovely Chere tagged me in a MeMe! The rules: the rules: Share 7 things about me and then pass this award on to 7 bloggers! Here goes!

1) I'm left-handed ... my Father, to this day, keeps reminiscing about the fact that I refused to switch over to being right-handed, but I'm sticking with my original writing hand even though there aren't many perks associated with it -- except being more creative? Yay, me!

2) I've read the Harry Potter series at least 15 times, save for the last two books (4 times each). On another note, I love re-watching and re-reading things, looking for all those little details I missed the first eighteen times around, haha.

3) By the way, I'm seeing "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" tomorrow at midnight, after a day of work from 7am-2pm, practicing Shakespeare from 4pm-7pm, and night class from 7pm-9pm. Craziness tomorrow!

4) I think I swallowed a cold/flu-preventative pill incorrectly and now I keep feeling like it's caught in my throat and I keep feeling as though I have to burp. Appetizing!

5) I officially have $0.10 on my cell phone right now -- which, incidentally, is pretty much the worse cell phone ever, haha.

6) When I was little, I used to hop onto the top of my couch and pretend it was a balance beam and do 'gymnastics', and spin around on my tiled floor pretending I was a figure skater. In reality, I am no athlete!

7) I'm so thankful for all of you that I've met through this blog. I never imagined I'd meet such amazing people out there, that I love to read on a daily basis :)

Random, cheesy, and very 'me' facts; I'm sharing this with Aubrey; josie(bean); Notes From The Tooth Fairy; Girl With The Golden Touch; bananas.; Sarah; Kym, and Y-O-U if you haven't done it already!

Now I've gotta ask:
- What made your weekend? and
- Who is that special someone who is always able to make you smile?

Hope you've had a fabulous start to the week -- if not, there's a few more days to make it better!r

nothing sexier than having a bit of tissue shoved up your nostril ... right?

This past Monday, I started working at a high school's summer school (try saying that five times fast!) for the third year in a row. I'm considered an office/student tutor -- filing files, verifying marks, writing out late slips, and assisting teachers with various things.

It's an amazing job that's pretty much solidified my dream of becoming a high school teacher. But of course, every job comes with its pros & cons. I love my co-workers, two other girls around my age who love to talk and joke around while we work, and my superiors who treat us with respect. I love Mr. Gorgeous [err, not real name!], an English teacher with an accent that we can't quite place but he's so pleasant.

Not so cool? Having to wake up at 6am every morning. I'm used to going to sleep at 1:30am and then waking up at 9:30am. A lovely eight hours of rest. Now, I go to bed at 11:30pm (SO EARLY!) and wake up at 6am. Combine that with rather chilly mornings and having to walk around doing tasks in portables & you've got ...

Me -- horribly ill. I woke up this morning with a stuffed nose and plugged ears. Not fun. I've sneezed about 128 times today, and the whole office looked at me like I was crazy as I ran to the washroom with a tissue smothering my nose (they thought I had a nosebleed). On the bright side -- since I'm not the type who lies when someone asks how I am -- I told Mr. Gorgeous that I was feeling a little under the weather, to which he replied, "Oh, well that's not good at all! I do hope that you feel better." Ah, swoon. I am not gonna tell The Boy about my little teacher-crush haha. But yeah, it's just not normal having a cold in JULY!

At this job I've dealt with learning how to make coffee for 40 people, dealing with students whose last names are Sithole (teehee) and verifying whether they're in the correct class, and running around as teachers ask, "Oh, I thought YOU were getting the attendance for me." Dude, no.

I've missed blogging and catching up on blogs so much, it's not cool haha. At least I have Friday nights to Sunday off, but I am sorry that I haven't caught up lately. Being sick doesn't suit me. And now I have to go to Shakespeare class in an hour. The fun never ends!

It's hard staying positive with 6am wake-up times ... any advice for the sick girl who has to consistently wake up early? :)

simple smiles #5

I've never been much of a napper. I'm the type who wakes up instantly, turning off the alarm right away, and going through the whole day until it hits midnight.

But after getting used to 2 months of waking up at 9:30 every morning, today's 5:30am wake-up call left me drowsy and dazed. Of course, I had to keep going since I started my first day of work (at a high school's summer school as an office tutor) today at 7am. I skipped breakfast (save for three cookies) and skipped coffee (*sob*) to catch the bus. I was the first one there at 6:50am, and the office was still locked. I was pretty much ready to crawl into bed!

So today's power nap was a joy and left me with a simple smile. I only slept for an hour, but it was beautiful. I curled up in a ball, threw a pillow over my head, and felt a surge of energy return to me to last until the evening. And then I made myself an iced coffee, which inspired this recipe of the week, German Style Eiskaffee, which I personally cannot wait to try out!

Another little moment of happiness was winning Aubrey's giveaway for a metallic cork mousepad -- she's so sweet, and I can't wait to have an amazing piece of decor on my desk! -- as well as stumbling upon this quote.

So many people strive for perfection, getting surgery to fix the tip of a nose that was beautiful to begin with, always thinking that what they have is never enough, will never get them what they want. I think the trick is, using what you have to accomplish what you can, rather than trying to fix yourself to attain some sort of happiness. Just my 2 cents on the matter! :) Everyone's beautiful, and there is that somehow out there that will love you for your flaws and for everything you are.

Also, I have a little ways to go until I hit 50 posts, but once I do, I'm planning a giveaway as a big thank you to those who have followed and the many friendships and blogs that I've added to my life daily! Yay for simple smiles all around!

What made your day today?

fireworks & tags galore!

I call this my last weekend of independence (haha, it's the 4th of July, get it? -I'm lame!-) before I start work next Monday at 7am sharp. Ahh, lovely. On the bright side, I did manage to see three sets of fireworks simultaneously on Canada's Day -- watching them on the mountain/escarpment brow which was pretty darn romantique -- and this weekend is shaping out to be not too shabby, either!

After sleeping over at The Boy's and being home for two hours, I'm heading off soon to hang out with friends so I'm going to make this short, sweet, and full of tags/awards!

Firstly is a Kreativ Blogger Award from Jessica, which is really sweet of you! Thanks so much! The rules are to share seven things you love, and to tag others to do it!

I'm following suit with a little collage:

1) Coffee: If you couldn't guess by the name of this blog, coffee/cappuccino/anything with caffeine will automatically be loved by me. It's delicious, and it keeps me awake!
2) Photography: I'm not so much a camera whore as a picture-taking whore. I love having hundreds of pictures per month in my folders. It captures memories and I love looking back on them and thinking, "Wow, good times." /dork
3) Strawberries & Kiwis: If you give me a meal, even if it's the most disgusting thing, and you tell me it has strawberries and kiwis with it, I WILL EAT IT. It started with loving Del Monte strawberry kiwi juice and has since grown exponentially. I've yet to have strawberry kiwi ice cream, but once I do, life will be complete. /major dork
4) Traveling/Road Trips: Going to Poland last May was my first real trip, and daydreaming about Europe 2010 is definitely keeping in key with that. But I also love traveling throughout the country, whether it's a road trip for the day or camping. Packing things up makes me happy and excited for adventure.
5) Being Intimate: Whether it's a hug, a kiss, a cuddle, or something between the sheets (I'll leave that up to your imagination, haha), I love being with The Boy in all ways. There's something special about showing the one you love how you feel through physical touch. Makes me happy, that's for sure!
6) Being With Friends: I have a group of friends that I've known since high school, making us friends for 6+ years, and one of them I've known since I was 7. This is a group that, despite our ups and downs, have been there for each other. So many inside jokes and random hangouts, and I love 'em.
7) Amber Jewelry: Poland is known for having amber-jewelry stands all throughout their country. I ended up picking up a gorgeous green amber bracelet that I always wear, and love the way it sparkles in the sunlight. Anything silver or with amber will get me sold!

I tag becks, My Wooden Heart, Archana, Sarah, Adele (: and anyone else who'd like to do it!

Speaking of becks, she tagged everyone so I decided to take part in:
1. Open your "My Photos" folder and select the 6th folder
2. Select the 6th photo in that folder
3. Post the photo along with the story behind it
4. Tag some of your friends to do the same thing

Having confessed my picture-taking whoreness, I do have a TON of photo folders on my computer, so I had no clue what would come up. Thankfully, nothing too embarrassing (save for my fashion sense from 2007):



There's a picture of me and my dog Shadow lazing around in my backyard back in August 2007. I remember my close friend taking it, and then we launched into a full-out photoshoot with the two of us. It was an amazing summer day. My dog loves to follow certain family members around depending on how much we spoil him -- I'm guessing on that day, it was me! I love him to pieces.

I tag Margarita, Notes From The Tooth Fairy, and YOU if you're reading this and haven't done it yet!

Hope everyone in America is celebrating an amazing 4th of July -- I think I'm off to the bayfront to get some coffee (an ideal evening for me) followed by some movies at my house. I still have one more tag I want to tackle but for now, HAVE AN AMAZING WEEKEND! :)

wednesday wishes #3

This week calls for some serious celebrations throughout North America. So, although I want to keep wishing and dreaming about Europe in 2010, I also want to focus on the parts of Canada I haven't seen, or parts of Canada I'd love to revisit -- and what's a more perfect occasion than Canada's Day itself? Happy 142 years, homeland!

Starting off in the west coast, it'd be amazing to visit Victoria, British Columbia (and Vancouver too, of course)! Anything to do with gorgeous buildings right near the waterfront will immediately draw me in. I'd be a major tourist here, as well as driving through to Edmonton and seeing the enormous West Edmonton Mall. [All pictures courtesy of Flickr.]


I'm from Ontario originally (born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days, chilling out maxing relaxing all ... *cough*) and Toronto is only an hour away from me ... but I've only been on the CN Tower once as a child. I'm terrified of heights, but have resolved to go sometime in the near future! Toronto is full of things to do, from Yonge & Dundas to the zoo, Ontario Place, ahh ... I love amusement parks.


Instead of heading to Niagara Falls, which I go to about once a year, I'd go to Niagara-On-The-Lake instead. It introduced me to my love of gazebos, thanks to this beautiful white one right alongside the lake. This quaint town is full of culture, cute shops with delicious fudge and keepsakes, and beautiful trails to bike along. Love it.


But after relaxing there, I'd party it up hard in Montreal, Quebec. I've been to Quebec City itself, but I've only ever driven through Montreal. I'd love to explore the nightlife and the tourist attractions by day!


Finally, I'd take either a ferry or drive over the bridge to Prince Edward Island. I went there as a child and immediately fell in love -- but don't remember what it was like to watch the sunset at the ocean. Anyone care to join me?

As much as I want to travel, having 'staycations' seems like the way to go ... and I'm sure there's so much to explore in your own home country, state, city, town, etc. What places do you wish to visit nearby where you live?

Unfortunately it's supposed to rain all day today, so I doubt there'll be fireworks in store for me and The Boy tonight. But I hope everyone in Canada enjoys a day off (unless of course, you have a job that doesn't give you a day off, in which case, I am sorry)! I have a bunch of tags in store for my next entry, but for now, I'm going to wish away about Canada!