the cat's out of the bag ...

I keep seeing cats everywhere today. When I left home, there was a cat darting on the lawn across the street. On my way back from church was another black cat running across a driveway. And it made me think of the expression: the cat's out of the bag. Which made me think of Fab Brunette's post on looking inside her bag. So, I decided to do the same! Warning: the bag of a university student is usually messy and full of random things.

There's my bag on the left -- I use it for classes, for going shopping, for sleepovers, you name it. It's pretty basic, but I love it for the fact that it can fit my laptop and my battery for it, plus a whole bunch of random things I need. I used to have an H&M bag that served the same purpose, but then my pen exploded in it, leaving ink over everything. 

Anyhoos, you probably want to know what's inside it, don't you?

 

Just a note: I got rid of about 10 smushed chocolates in my purse before I took this ;)

1) My wallet, a Marc by Marc Jacobs that I got from my sister a few years ago and love!

2) My notebook that I use for my classes. It's so colourful and makes me want to write in it.

3) A pack of gum. Always. And it's sugar-free, which Chandler Bing would like (at 2:44).

4) Gotta have some pens. Although I'm pretty sure the bottom one is dead.

5) My glasses. Without their glasses case. I take care of them ... well. *cough*

6) My cell phone with a pretty charm from Japan my friend got for me!

7) My USB key where I store essays and not one, but 3 lip glosses/chapstick.

8) Some anti-bacterial moisturizing hand lotion in Warm Vanilla Sugar. Smells so good.

Oh, and a random napkin. Because you never know when you might need one?

9) Oprah kinda sticks out, doesn't she? My Professor lent me an issue of her magazine since I have to write a paper on her magazine in two weeks. This issue is from 2003 ... wowsers.

10) Some tinted lip conditioner from Mac. Smells yummy and makes my teeth look whiter, which is a plus.

11) And finally, my agenda. Without it, everything would be handed in even later than it already is, hehe. 

 

If you feel like showing off what's in your bag, definitely go for it! Next, I got this award from the amazingly adorable Krissy! Thanks so much :) It's theYou're A Doll award! The gals on that picture scare me, but getting an award doesn't, hehe.

The rules are:

1. Remember to link back to the person who awarded you!

2. Select 5 more bloggers that you think are dolls and link them at the bottom.

3. Tell about a character from a book/ movie/ drama that you like most.

Now the third rule took the longest for me. There's so many characters I adore (especially Sara and Selene, characters Kate Beckinsale plays in two amazing movies). But from what I've seen, most of the dolls who have been rewarded this try to make the character relate to them in some way ... so in that case, I choose:

Georgia Nicolson. The first book from the series (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson written by Louise Rennison) was given to me by my sister and had me literally rolling on the floor laughing. I was ROFL-ing hardcore. She's a British teenager who writes in her diary about all the random things that happen in her life, her crazy family, her friends, and her mishaps and relationships with boys. Her aspiration is to be a back-up singer, which shows how cool she really is.

I like her because she's not perfect. She's written as a normal, albeit kooky, teenage girl who makes up words with her friends and does crazy dances in public (something I did a lot in my teenage years). She has her grievances about her body parts (huge nose and huge boobs), but by the end of the series she learns to love herself. And she has her crazy times with a multitude of boys, but finally learns to be with the one who likes her for her. Her character has been with me since 1999, so in a way, I felt I kind of grew up with her. The series came to an end last year, but I can re-read them over and over again.

Plus, they made the first three books into a movie which really brought her to life. She's funny, she's selfish, but caring and ... yes, I like her. And hope someone else has read the series/watched the movie!

I award Margarita, Andhari, Manju, Little Tiara, Adele, Sarah, and Nicole!

And now I ask:

How have your weekends been? What did you do? :)

Mine was pretty lowkey, so I want to live vicariously through you all, haha.

Have a great rest of the day!

therapeutic thursdays: what is beauty?

People find beauty all over the place. And many mistake beauty for 'perfection', that something needs to be (what our society thinks) is perfect in order to have any beauty whatsoever. Back in first year, I had a Multimedia class where we had to take scans from magazines and create something new out of it. As I was flipping through my magazines (issues of Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, Seventeen) I realized that so many images of "beauty" are presented that can really skew us. And this is what I came up with:

Kind of terrifying, isn't it? And the lady on the left completely reminds me of Heidi Montag -- the girl who turned into a plastic blow-up doll after getting ten surgery procedures done in one day.

There's nothing wrong with being skinny or being sexy, but I think society promotes it to a point where we only think of our shortcomings -- what's "wrong" with us, and, how can we solve it? Usually it involves spending our money on some promise that we can be beautiful in someone's eyes.

But first, we need to work on being beautiful in our own eyes. Not be self-absorbed, but realize that we are beautiful.

When I was a child, I got a third-degree burn on my thigh that I still have to this day. I've always been so self-conscious of it, covering myself up on the beach because people would look at it otherwise.

Until I realized -- imperfections don't have to be classified as 'ugly.' Since meeting The Boy, I've finally worn an actual bikini bottom instead of shorts or a skirt on top, my scar still on display. But for once, I don't mind.

And looking outside ourselves, beauty can really be found everywhere. Looking at a garden of flowers, watching a sunset, seeing two friends bearhugging each other because they haven't seen each other in so long. Waking up in the morning and seeing the person you love right next to you. Seeing someone smile.

We all have different definitions of beauty. 

What is yours? 

Which column matters more to you?

This scene from Love Actually is a classic.

To be loved by someone -- just the way you are.

*sigh*

{Let's just ignore that whole part where he's in love with a married woman, mmkay?}

Now, I don't want to be cliche and say:

Because, of course, most people are attracted to

someone physically before the emotional aspect sets in.

What I'm trying to say is: don't let society define what beauty is for you,

or let it determine if you're beautiful or not.

Find it for yourself :)

Today, Andhari talks about it being "Lingerie Day" in the twitter-verse ... another way of exploiting boobs and butts. Why not cover yourself in some pink fabric for Project Barbie instead? And of course, that doesn't mean we have to become Barbie, because her dimensions are psychotic. It's just a way to dress up and unleash your beauty.

But yes. I know this is a bit of a deeper topic, but questions of what beauty really is seems to pop up almost daily. And Heidi's recent surgery scared the crap outta me (if you haven't seen the pictures yet ... don't, hehe). Just something to think about, and hopefully something that will relax you -- you don't have to be what everyone wants you to be. Be your own beauty, be yourself. :)

And join my giveaway? (oh, shameless plugs.)

Hope you'll all have a great start to your weekend!

P.S. If you want a more lighthearted Thursday after reading this, definitely check out LivitLuvit's TMI Thursdays (though some of them are pretty serious, too)!

100th post + giveaway!

Well, I have finally hit the milestone. After nearly a year of blogging, I've hit 100 posts! (I almost wrote pots. Blame my lack of caffeine, tee-hee.) I honestly never thought it'd get this far where I'd have such amazing friendships with so many bloggers from all over, and being able to read heartwarming, hysterical, and honestly just inspiring blog posts. You all are so amazing, and I want to thank you for all for accepting my weirdness and for giving me something to smile about. So in the spirit of sharing, I'm having a giveaway!

I decided to give away two separate prizes this time and then for my 1 year blog-a-versary in two weeks, I'll hold another giveaway~ Yay for giving! (Sidenote: if you feel like giving, visit Love Harder; if you haven't seen LivitLuvit's post about it, go here!)

This giveaway's theme is: Stuff You'll Hopefully Use Everyday :) I went on a hunt for items that were handy but had a little flair to them. So now, onto what you could win!

This eco-friendly bag from Envirosax is inspired by the romanticism of Bohemia (which is why this bag is called La Boheme). When I first saw this, all rolled up, I honestly thought it was an umbrella. In reality, once you unbutton it and unroll it, it's a 19.5" x 16.5" eco-friendly bag ... in other words, big! And the kicker? It can hold up to 44 lbs (and it's waterproof, which is always cool). There were so many cute designs that it was so hard to choose just one, but I thought this design was classic and hopefully something you can use everyday!

If you want to enter this giveaway: be a follower + write in the comments "La Boheme, please!"

For an extra entry: Blog or tweet about it & leave an extra comment so I know!

For another extra entry: Leave another comment & tell me your favourite product/design from Envirosax!

This adorable memo mousepad from Origami Lane contains 60 sheets on a matching mousepad. From what I can see in the packaging (since I don't want to open it!), you can detach the memo cards easily from the mousepad and keep them side by side for a pop on your computer desk! Et voila. A mousepad you can use everyday and 60 sheets you can use ... up until you use them all, hehe.

If you want to enter this giveaway: be a follower + write in the comments, "Mousepad me!"

For an extra entry: Blog or tweet about it & leave an extra comment so I know!

For another extra entry: Tell me what kind of things you would write down on your memo sheets!

Open to international readers!

You can enter both giveaways, just make sure to leave separate comments!

Comment by February 8th!

I really hope you'll enjoy this giveaway and thanks everyone for your support, for your comments, and for being such amazing people :) And thanks to your response, Ask Nikolett will continue (next month)!

Hope you've been having a good week so far!

therapeutic thursdays: ask nikolett

It's almost the weekend, and all I'm thinking about is schoolwork and stress and just wanting to see Leap Year already. But I'm also thinking about your questions! About half of them had to do with advice, while the other half were personal questions about me. So I'm going to divide it into two sections, whoopah!

Welcome to the first edition of Ask Nikolett!

I'm no Oprah or an advice columnist, but I do have a whole lot of coffee in my system and I am taking an Oprah seminar, so I'm slowing learning her ways (bwahaahaha). But here goes with your questions :) Hopefully you find the answers therapeutic and if not then, umm ... ...

So in your opinion after a bad break up, how do you get your heart back in line with your head? - Witty

It's hard, that's for sure. Everyone around you keeps telling you so many different things (there's plenty of fish in the sea, 'he/she was a jerk anyways') until there's so much going on in your head. Your heart, on the other hand, is still damaged. According to Sex and the City (I think), it takes you twice as long as your relationship to get over someone. I don't think it's necessarily true, but it does take a while to sort through the thoughts in your head before you can even begin to fix the heart.

In my opinion, it all came down to realizing what went wrong, what caused the break-up. Instead of focusing on all the great things (oh, but he/she was so good to me!) I thought about what we did, on both our parts, to cause the relationship to go sour. Then, I try to work on the heart. It's hurt, because of all the things you've put it through ... but once you realize that you're most likely better off without this person, your heart can begin to mend. Tell yourself you deserve better (because you do!), and you'll believe it. And then, your heart can start to believe it.

Assuming that time (lots of time) isn't healing this particular wound, how do you get over a great lost love? -notthatkindofgirlblog

OK, so I put these two questions next to each other for a reason. Because I don't believe you can ever really get over a lost love. You can realize that maybe you weren't great for each other, and maybe you'll find that next person who makes you so much happier, but there will always be wounds there from previous lost loves. I don't think it's necessarily a matter of trying to heal the wound, but to get to that point where you don't mind that it's there. It's a battle scar, something you got through that hopefully made you stronger in the end.

Instead of focusing on how much time has gone by or about the person who caused that wound, though, just think about how much your life has changed since you got that wound. Our minds always tend to go back to the people in our past to the point where it can be hard to completely forget that person, but just remember that things happened for a reason, and be happier today about where you are.

My question is... well, my boyfriend is flushing out the gophers from the yard, but I think gophers are so adorable, how do I stop him from doing that? And if I do stop him from flushing out the gophers, how do I make the gophers leave? - Cheryl

I simultaneously laughed out loud and went "aww" at this question. And then it reminded me of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when the Weasley brothers flung out gnomes from their backyard by whipping them over the fence. But yes. Apparently, you can pour some undiluted liquid Lysol concentrate into their tunnels they go away...they don't like that smell at all. As well, fencing in the area is the best way to get rid of gophers (according to this site). And on the single comment on that site, the girl recommends getting a pet to poop in gopher holes. But if you don't have a pet, I'd suggest getting your boyfriend to poop in the holes as a payback for him flushing them out like that. Karma is a biatch? But yes, I just spend the last 15 minutes researching gophers, and I hoped that helped somewhat. Good luck!

You forget you have a date with a real hot guy, in 5 minutes. You haven't showered, brushed your teeth, shaved ( LOL) and prepared clothes to wear, what do you do?- Andhari

Instead of having a major panic attack and/or cancelling the date (which I think would be the most common answer to this), I would say -- make sure you brush your teeth (that way, even if you don't look your nicest, at least you have amazing breath and can impress him with your hot make-out skills). Next, I'd suggest buying dry shampoo, that way your hair can at least look a little less greasy. Next: wear pants and a shirt that won't reveal your armpit hairs. To find this, I'd say either go into your closet and look for your favourite go-to outfit or run to the laundry room (if you have one) and grab whatever is clean (and dry!). Finally, wear deodorant and spritz on your favourite perfume to mask any odour. If you still have a few extra seconds and you happen to have a bare face, I'd say just put on some moisturizer and your favourite lipgloss. Et voila! ... hopefully that takes 5 minutes.

TWO OTHER OPTIONS: You can be a girl who makes the guy wait half an hour for you. But he might be more impressed that you got ready in less than five minutes. Or, you can make sure your date is in a dark area with lots of smelly candles (ooh la la).

-- Okay, I just rambled hardcore. Now onto the 'personal' questions, which were pretty random and I love them.

As for my question, this is cliche, but I want to know where you see yourself 10 years from now :) - krissy

Hopefully alive and still enjoying my coffee addiction, haha. It's so weird trying to picture myself as a 31-year old ... not because it's old, but because so much can happen in your 20s, methinks. Hopefully I'll be with someone who I love and who loves me, and maybe enjoying a steady, happy career and having a wee little one running around in my backyard full of an amazing garden and a gazebo (I love gazebos). Might be a cliche answer, but it's true :)

What are some qualities about yourself that you really love....and how do you think you attained them? {...experience..just in your nature...or someone gave you huge words of wisdom once that you took to heart}- Iva

Oh wow ... umm, I guess I like the idea that I've able to do so many things at once. I don't mean multi-task, but just that I try to do so many hobbies (graphics design, writing, playing instruments, etc). I think I've gotten that from my mom, who can be knitting, cooking, and playing video games all in one day. And I've started to appreciate how sensitive I can be ... my friend told me that it's not bad that I'm sensitive to things in life, because it makes me more understanding, plus I can try to help others out. Hence ... ask Nikolett? Haha.  

If your boyfriend asks you to buy a lingerie and surprise him, what kind will you buy? Explain. - Andhari

So-so-so scandalous! (5 points to whoever knows that song.) Interestingly enough, when The Boy went away for a month for vacation, he missed my birthday. When he came back, he had a present for me: my first set of lingerie. Since then, I've just bought myself slips that are comfy. But if I were to go on a lingerieque shopping spree, I'd choose anything with lace, a little femininity (and absolutely no leather), and nothing with a thong. I'm sorry, I know the guys love it, but it just hurts my bum-oley. 

I find that something on the left breaks the stereotype of black-and-red lingerie, plus it shows off the cleavage while still leaving a little to the imagination. Plus, it'd be comfy while still giving off a sexy flair.

And I've found that looking at lingerie websites in a student center is probably not the best idea -- LOTS of stares from people walking by. And on that note ...

How long have you and the boy been dating? - Nicole

One year and 8 months. It'll be two years in May, though it feels like it's been longer (and I mean that in a good way!).

Do you think that life exists on other planets?- Manju

I adore you, Manju. I do believe that at least one person lives on each planet. For example, I think Sailor Saturn lives on Saturn until she came to earth because she realized it was too cold on her home planet. And Sailor Pluto came because well ... her living area is no longer declared a 'planet' (poor thing).

In all honesty, I'd like to think there would be some other species (whether it's human or otherwise) on other planets in some distant galaxy. I've watched too much sci-fi TV shows and movies to not have some suspcision that there might be. 

What is your absolute favorite activity? - Ocean Dreams

This. Is. So. Hard. My absolute favourite? Would probably be ... being with people. Not necessarily physically, but in any aspect. That's not to say I don't cherish my alone time, because I do. But I like having relationships with people. Talking with people on the blogosphere has been amazing, talking on the phone with The Boy is always a favourite time of day, and being with friends makes me happy. I love having that connection, so any time I get to be with someone is a favourite activity.

You could pick 3 celebrities to have sexy times with and your boyfriend isn't allowed to complain, who would you choose? - Andhari {I'll answer your other ones next time!}

When I read this question to my boyfriend, he replied with, "Please don't tell me who you choose" (since I know he'll secretly compare himself to them). But he didn't complain about me choosing, so here goes:

Henry Cavill, Matthew Goode, and Jensen Ackles/Tom Welling.

Henry for: his accent, his smirk, and his body (unf at that first Tudors episode)!

Matthew for: his charm, his accent, and his goofy expressions.

Jensen/Tom: for their shirtlessness. And being super(natural) and super(man).

Thanks for asking all these questions! Please let me know if you like this little installment -- I'll probably be doing it once a month if you do ... or umm, once a year if you don't.

Hope you've found these answers either therapeutic or laugh-worthy (because laughing is therapy, haha).

And be happy: the weekend is almost here!

visiting indonesia...

Today, you can find me over here at Insomniac Lolita. The amazing Andhari asked me to guestblog while she's off in Bali, so I stayed up until 1:30am (1:30pm her time) so I could post. Hence my 'visiting' Indonesia, teehee.

And on another note, the sweet and heartwarming Aubrey gave me an award! Thank you so much! I didn't end up winning the Newbie award @ 20sb, but getting a personal award is just as awesome. And hello to all you new followers and commenters!

The award is:

The Best Blog Award, where we're to award blogs that we've recently discovered. So here goes!

- I am Krissy - The Juicy Courtship - Martinis Or Diaper Genies - Curls And Coffee - One Long Road - Class And Coffee - Ocean Dreams AND Lovely Little Life! Make sure to check them out!

Hope you've all had a great day ... my entire 18th Century British Lit class agreed that this Wednesday felt like a Monday. But tomorrow's a therapeutic Thursday and I'm just itching (wait, that sounds wrong) to answer all your questions!

a case of the mondays

I almost peed myself on the bus when a woman came and sat next to me in the two-seater and it sunk so low that I swear I thought it would break. Thankfully, it didn't. My simple smile of the week (that I didn't pee myself)? LOL. My simple smile actually comes in the form of this weekend - I had an amazing sleepover with The Boy followed by a nice walk the next day where he bought me an Islands calendar, featuring various islands from all over the world -- which will only feed my daydreaming.

After that, me and my friends meant to see Leap Year, and even bought tickets 2 hours in advance. And then spent the next 1 1/2 hours at Wendy's, eating and laughing. But once we got to the theatre half an hour in advance, we realized they gave our movie the tiniest theatre that fit maybe 75 people, whereas the bigger theatre got Avatar (which of course was sold out. AGAIN). So there was no room for us 4 to sit together unless we went in the very front row and craned our necks. We didn't want neck problems (and I already have them), so we returned our tickets, opted to go next weekend, and instead played pool ... where I got my ass kicked. But it was such a fun weekend.

I wish reading my textbooks would make me fly like that.
{image found via Tumblr}

Now, I've got a case of the Mondays. So many group presentations, meetings, a thesis proposal, papers, readings, and all of it is taking over my life. But, I'm trying to remain relaxed and therapeutic (teehee).

So, on that note:

Ask your questions!

Whether it's about relationships, friendships, school, exercise, problems, what have you.
 I'm no Agony Aunt, but I'll try my best to answer your questions :)

By the way ... it can either be questions about yourself, as in advice questions,
Or you can ask questions about me ... whatever floats your boat!

You could ask your questions in the comments below, or if it's a bit more personal/you want it anonymous, you can ask at betterthancoffee@gmail.com. Whatever questions I get, I'll answer 'em on Thursday! And ... if no one participates then umm ... I shall make up questions to make myself feel better ;)

And after you ask me any questions, could you answer this one:

What's your cure for a case of the Mondays? (besides sleeping until Tuesday)

Hope you all had a great weekend! :)

much-needed therapy ...

When I think of being 'therapeutic', I picture those movies where people blast some Enya while doing impossible yoga positions. Instead, for this first week of therapeutic Thursdays, I'm going to think about the steps to being in that relaxed state. If you follow me on Twitter, you'll see that my tweets today have been less than positive (pretty much just ranting about university). Whether you're in university, have a job, or just wondering what's next ... the one thing that seems to come to mind are worries.

Well, my advice is:

Forget about it! ... at least for now.

Worrying tends to produce anxiety, negativity, self-criticism, and puts yourself off from making any of your dreams come true. It might be hard to think of any kind of dream or goal coming true -- so many obstacles, so many risks, so much debt or lack of money. It's enough to make you want to rip off all of your fingernails (or whatever bad habit you might have). But try to be a half-cup-full kind of person.**

Society tells us that in order to have any kind of mark on the world, we have to be productive. It turns us into these fast-paced machines that feel like all of our worth comes out of doing something. And then we worry about not doing enough. It's this endless cycle of self-destruction.

Are you a Nietzsche, a Kant, or a Sinatra?

Regardless -- just give yourself time to relax.

We're so hard on ourselves all the time, constantly beating ourselves up for what we can't accomplish -- and sometimes beating ourselves up for things we have accomplished. Instead, just think about your life now. You've gotten to where you are for a reason. You've made a series of choices, and you will continue to. But instead of worrying about it, just focus on the things you want. It will inspire you, it will motivate you. Surround yourself with the people you love. They will comfort you. They will give you hugs when you need them most (except for when you're sick, then they might avoid you like the plague. Sorry).

No matter how busy you are right now -- and you can't be too busy since you're reading this novel  (teehee) -- I want you to just close your eyes, and picture yourself in your ideal place. That place that makes you feel comfy, that makes you feel at home. A place where you can totally be yourself. And your goal? To try to be at that place at least once a month, once a week, even once a day. A place where you can just relax, without worry. A place where it doesn't matter how busy your day might be ... because, at that moment, you're happy.

For some, it could just be lying in bed (I don't blame you!) ...

Or playing/listening to your favourite music at any place ...

 

Maybe it's lying on a comfy couch with your lover ...

Or your favourite pet by your side to comfort you while you watch TV ...

Maybe it could be spending time with friends that mean most to you ...

Or being able to just talk to someone you love ...

Maybe it's anywhere with coffee (mmm) or yummy food ...

Or any place you can curl up with a good book ...

Or maybe it's wandering around a forest in a gorgeous dress with Smurf/Avatar people ...

Umm, I mean, maybe it could be using your imagination! Hehe.

So your 'mission' for today: 

Picture that ideal place.

Tell me what it is in the comments.

And then try to make it happen.

And enjoy some soothing relaxation :)

 In a few days, I'll be asking for questions for next week's Therapeutic Thursdays, so keep those in mind, too! No pressure, though :) Have a beautiful start to your weekend!

** I meant for that to say 'cup-half-full' person ... but it came out this way, and Aubrey liked it, so I am keeping it that way! Haha :)

{All pictures found via Tumblr and Weheartit.com}

simple sick sniffles ... I mean, smiles.

I planned this weekend to be one full of pictures. What I didn't count on was Avatar being sold out yet again when me and The Boy wanted to go see it (instead we watched Sorority Row at home with the pizza we planned on sneaking in to the theatres, whoop whoop). I also didn't plan on getting massively sick. Boo-urns. But in the spirit of feeling loopy on all drugs not containing acetaminophen (I'm allergic), I'm going to recap my weekend, backwards!

First off, if you haven't already, wish the happiest of birthdays to my amazing and wiser (that sounds nicer than 'older', methinks) sister, Margarita -- or, a Fab Brunette. Her daughter, Princess (my niece!), is also celebrating her birthday tomorrow ... ahh, how time flies! HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The majority of Monday and Sunday was spent trying to battle this sickness while filming a movie. Say what? you might be asking. Don't worry, it won't be hitting your local movie theatre anytime soon. In the fourth year of our multimedia degree, we have to do a thesis project. Me and my close friend are doing an advertising/web campaign on HIV/AIDS, but my schoolfriend decided to take a more fun approach and create a trailer/website for a movie based on a book series called Pawn of Prophecy.


A couple of months ago she came up to me and asked, "Would you like to act in this? You would be a 7, 000 year old sorceress." As soon as she said that, I was in! (I'm so easy ... (that's what she said.)) After getting all of our make-up/hair done by the schoolfriend's sister (who's a professional make-up artist, so I felt pretty glammed up!), we headed outside for photography and then drove off to a farm in ridiculously cold weather. The horses were adorable ... I grew fond of Jenny, a 29-year old who was blind in one eye, but so soft and gentle. The rest of the time was spent trying to cozy up to the tiny heater while the kind owner of the farm provided us with hot cocoa. Still didn't stop the cough (can't stop the cough, can't stop the cough ...).

Regardless of being sick now, it still was some fun times and I rocked a blonde/silver extension for my character which was pretty neat-o!

There's me in my costume (and me acting goofy), a behind-the-scenes look at the filming,
a picture of Jenny the amazing horse, and a full look at the medieval cast!

Filming on a Sunday meant getting up ridiculously early ... but the night before, I was at an Irish pub celebrating my friend's birthday. I've known her since I was 7 and she was 8, so we go way back! Me and The Boy braved cold weather to wish her a happy birthday. It was a nice excuse to dress up since I got a few sequin tops around the holidays (yes, I a sucker for sequins). Plus, it was just nice to catch up :)

 

Probably not the smartest idea to wear this in -9°C (or 15°F) weather -

I promise I had a warm cardigan and a winter jacket overtop, though!

Annnd Friday I already explained :) Arrived 45 minutes early to the theatre, only to find Avatar sold out. But we made the most of our night! And now ... well, now I have tissues shoved up my nostrils.  So the weekend was my simple smile, but the illness is not. I feel like I've been fun over by a bulldozer ... and it doesn't help that my calves are strained from too much exercise. But I'm very excited for Bon Bon Rose's week of giveaways (and sorry Kristin for the comment, you're fabulous at any age! haha) and I'm excited for Therapeutic Thursdays! Glad so many of you liked it ... I'll be taking it low-key this week, but I'm gonna be asking you for some questions soon! So keep those ready, por favore.

In the meantime, would anyone like to send some soup my way?

Hope you've been having a healthier week!

P.S. I'm a little overdue in catching up with your blogs, I hope you understand ... once I feel better, I'll be more likely to make comments that make sense hehe. Still love you all!

therapeutic thursdays...?

At last, it's come to the end of my first week of my last term! This week has seemed so long, though daydreaming about Antigua certainly made a little more relaxing (and I'm happy a lot of you wanted to come with, or at least see me there ... let's hope I can make it happen, cap'n)! Today was a long day that started off with a seminar on Oprah Winfrey (oh yes, should be interesting), followed by a large break. I figured during this time I could blog and fill up the time, but with what?

I have the simple smiles on Monday that I try to do, and then every other week I'm going to do Wednesday wishes about places I'd love to travel to -- I'm trying to give this blog a little bit more organization, though you get bet your bottom (erm, awkward) that I'll still be filling it with randomness.

I know LiLu has the amazing TMI Thursdays, though usually all my TMI moments are just my dirty mind coming up with something revolting for an innocent situation. So while I might have a TMI story to share from time to time, it might stress me out to come up with one each week. So then I thought, Hmm, what do I desire most right now? The answer: less stress, more relaxation. And so, how about:

Therapeutic Thursdays?

The title of it just shows how weirdly obsessed I am with alliteration. But yes! This would be a Thursday filled with:

1) Inspiring or relaxing quotes; 

2) Nice stories to soothe the soul; 

and/or 3) Answering your questions!

Now I'm not a therapist by any means, but I figured it could be a way to get to know a lot more of you better -- and who knows, maybe a question you have could be something a lot of people can relate to. It could be something personal, or something general (about shopping, coffee, exercise, music, whatever you've got).

It'll give me the chance to pretend I'm some agony aunt, writing to her readers in a posh coffee shop or something. Although in reality, I'll be at school in some chair, sipping my Kool-Aid Jammer. Wouldn't you want advice from someone like that? *cough*

This is just something I came up with on the bus ride home, so it's really just a thought. Let me know what you'd like, though! I put a poll at the bottom of the right column sidebar asking what you'd like to see on Thursdays. If you want some therapy, or TMI, or randomness, just hit the button! And if you have any other opinions of what you'd like to see on this blog, then comment below! I'm up for just about anything (except taking nude pictures ... *cough*).

And if you haven't already and you're between the ages of 20-30 (sorry Kristin!), then I'd love it if you could vote for me here, por favore. And that is all I shall ask of you. Oh wait, no. One more thing. Wish a HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO IVA! She's such an amazing blogger who deserves lots of birthday wishes!

I'm thinking up ideas for a giveaway soon, so look forward to that, too!

Now, I have 2 questions:

1) Therapeutic Thursdays - yay or nay?

2) What are you looking forward to this weekend?

For me, it would have been sleep except I have stuff planned everyday so ... I guess it's lots of picture-taking for me! Have a great start to your weekend, everybody!

wednesday wishes #8

It's been a while since I've wished on a Wednesday. But with dreary January here, I can't help but dream about places beyond my city. Opportunities to explore, for spontaneity, and to just be. I'm getting sad because two of my favourite people are celebrating their birthdays this month, and I can't be there with them (my sister and my niece). I'm happy that snow is finally coming with the cold weather, but I'm sad because I can't enjoy it much due to school. I feel like I'm on some bizarre rollercoaster, going through a tunnel with all my dreams in sight -- if only the rollercoaster could go faster.

At the end of this tunnel? Antigua. Me and The Boy were daydreaming while on the phone, and started looking up deals for all-inclusive vacations as a little trip -- either instead of Europe, or before Europe. Now, I've never really gone anywhere tropical. My extent of traveling has been bits of Canada, Detroit (yes, that's the only city I've gone to in the U.S.), and then Poland. I can feel the palm trees swaying. The hot sand is waiting to burn my feet. And I want to go to Antigua. Although in recent years there's been some news in rising crimes, in my wishes we would have a safe vacation :)

Found in the eastern Caribbean, Antigua Barbuda boasts a number of beaches, plenty of sights to see, and several all inclusive resorts (which are calling my name). As of 2006, it has a population of 69,000 people -- not exactly a deserted island by any means. But I'm sure I'd feel at peace with my feet in the sand and The Boy by my side, looking out on the horizon as if we're the only two people there.

I'd love to explore and take a look at numerous bays and beaches, rather than just the one I happen to be on. With everything about 30mins or less from each other, I'd love to just explore the island in its entirety. Apparently, though, there's 365 beaches - one for every day of the year? Hah, I wish. The picture above shows off Mamora Bay, located in the south-west corner of Antigua.I'd love to relax on one of those blue chairs, getting a tan (after applying tons of SPF, of course) and miraculously trim after the holiday weight, bwahahaa.

Given that there's so many hotels, it could be hard to choose the perfect resort (although in reality, I'd probably just choose whichever one is cheap but still has a 4 star+ rating). One such resort could be the Hermitage Bay, which has only twenty-five suites (in other words, pricy). Still, lounging in this pool while looking out at the ocean would be heavenly. And it wouldn't hurt to get a full-body massage after that!

But I wouldn't want to go to just to relax, even if that is the primary objective. My secondary objective would be adventure with my camera. With a great history and so many sights to see, you can guarantee that I'd spend half of my days out of the hotel resort.

One such place would be Shirley Heights. This high ground has remains of old gun emplacements and military structures can be seen around the area. So, in other words, it'd be one hell of a climb with good exercise, but you could see some amazing sights and history all around you. And once you reach the peak, your legs trembling from the walk, you can look off and be rewarded by beautiful views of the English harbour and Nelson's Dockyard, seen in the picture above.

And if we really want to be risky, we could take a gander to a park which holds the Devil's Bridge. It's a large, natural limestone arch on the shoreline, which holds a dark past of slaves throwing themselves off of there. At high tide, the waves crash through, making for a spectacular sight.

I'd also love to visit Dickenson Bay, St. John's Cathedral, and so much more ... if there's time after all the relaxing, the climbing, and the picture-taking! Ah, what a wish ... although I seem to have just made a travel guide for anyone who wants to go there, haha.

Who wants to come along?

And what do you wish for this Wednesday?

(or Thursday if you're in a different time zone)

{all pictures found via Flickr, information found via here and here}

lush products look like candy.

Lately, I've been bombarded by Lush hauls. Not to say this is a bad thing ... I'm just subscribed to a lot of people on Youtube who happen to like Lush, I guess! But ever since Cheryl's entry about baths, it reminded me how much of a bath person I am not. (That sentence is phrased awkwardly.) I used to take baths all the time as a kid, but due to lack of time I became used to showers. I take a bath maybe 2-3 times a year if I'm really mentally or physically exhausted.

But one main reason I don't bathe? Because I feel like I'm lying in my own filth. I just lie there, trying to cleanse myself but then all I think is -- I'm going to be lying in whatever I'm ridding my body of, so will I really be clean? When I was at the mall with my friends in Toronto last week, we walked by the Lush store (a store that specializes in bath-and-shower type things) and my friend complained of the strong smell. I told her my oddball thinking of lying in your own filth and she went, "If I told that to my mom, it would ruin her life." Meep, my apologies if I just ruined yours with this rambling.

I'd love to try out Lush, if only to give the appearance that I'm lying in lovely bubbles or in a pool of gold. But there are two reasons why I don't think I'd ever be able to purchase Lush. 1) the girls who work there shove the pieces in my face which; 2) has made me realize that almost every single item there looks like candy. When they shove something in my face and go, "This smells so good!" all I think is, "Nom nom nom."

To me, that just looks like yummy, ginormous jawbreakers. And this is proof that I am probably insane -- me wanting to eat products meant for the bath.

The fact that my last term of uni has started has also made me feel insane. Thanks everyone for the encouragement, but things like people YELLING in the student centre about reviewing notes (wtf, mate?) and seeing a courseware full of newspaper articles priced at $78.98, well it just makes me want to rip my hair out. That's why I cannot wait until tomorrow to renew my Wednesday Wishes segment -- I've been wishing a lot lately. Wishing about visiting my sister in Vancouver, wishing about having that diploma in my hand with teacher's college offers, and wishing about finding that perfect pink dress. Err, yes.

I'm going to a charity ball my university's holding a month from now -- it's The Boy and mine's Valentine's Day present to each other. Get dressed up, eat some yummy food, and dance the night away~ Andhari wrote on Twitter about getting a new dress, to which me and Shirley talked about 'never having enough dresses' and me saying that she could always give one to me, since I need a dress for the ball. This, in turn, spawned a whole Twitter conversation that led to: you ladies are the cutest. We should have a matching mini dress. No joke. :) pink or something. Thus, this was born:

Project Barbie, or Lovedress, is a mission to acquire a pink dress and take pictures wearing it, posting it on February 3rd. Now, I don't think I'm gonna wear a pink dress to the ball on the 5th, and I don't think I even own a pink dress (I suggested red, haha) but it's a fun, neat little challenge! If you want to join, just comment here, and if you want any more info, go see Andhari's entry about it! Embrace the pink side of life and promote it if you'd like!

Hope you've been having better luck getting 'back into business'!

And if you're still on vacation time ... I envy you :)

 This has probably been one of the most random posts I've made in a while.

{picture found via wehearit.com + Andhari's Project Barbie image}

a new decade & a piece of me!

Happy New Year!

It's 2010 -- are you going to pronounce it two thousand and ten or twenty-ten? I'm trying to figure out this lingo for the 2000s and it's boggling my mind. Nevertheless, it's a new decade, a time for 'fresh starts' and all that jazz. Thanks for all of your 'happy new year!' wishes in the last post ... let's hope it will be full of happiness, health, and ... hot dogs (alliteration fail). Before I do a small recap on my New Year's festivities, I wanted to take part in a 'Piece of Me', a little thing to do at the start of the month by Notes from the Toothfairy. If you want to take part, just go to her blog!

This month....

I like: that there are so many birthdays (even though that means lots of gift-finding!), that I might finally go see Avatar, and that my new computer speakers from The Boy no longer pick up an oldies' radio station.

I don't like: that it's officially the start of my last term in uni, EVER. Might seem exciting, but in reality it scares the bejeesus outta me.

I want you to know: that I'm kind of glad to be graduating in a few months, but I'm terrified about my teacher's college acceptances (or lack thereof).

I've planned: to exercise, exercise, exercise ... and try to stay on top of schoolwork, while also consistently blogging so I don't leave long gaps of silence here.

I want to say to someone special: I'm so grateful for you and want to thank you for accepting my weirdness. And thank you to anyone who happens to vote for me here ... I'm happy you enjoy my newb ways.

It feels like things are already 'back to business' - I start classes in two days, and the holiday festivities are officially over. But that doesn't stop me from recapping my New Years'! It was a ton of fun, plus pretty low-key despite invites to go elsewhere. Me and The Boy decided to just go out for dinner and celebrate at home, and afterward my close friend and her boyfriend came over and we talked, drank some more champagne, and watched Stardust until 4 in the morning. Good times :) Warning: the flash here makes me look albino. I promise I'm a few shades darker, haha.

1) Our feast at the restaurant -- and The Boy attempting to stab me with a fork. Egad! The food was so delicious, and I tried goat cheese for the first time!
2) There were a bunch of balloons tied to tables and booths there, and The Boy asked if I wanted a balloon. We stealthily (is that a word? is now!) took them out of the restaurant and took a photoshoot with them while waiting for the bus (free transportation on New Years', woop). When we got onto the bus the bus driver said, "The buses are free tonight ... you didn't have to get me anything!" To which I replied like a five-year old, "These balloons are mine."
3) Happy New Year! Our kiss at midnight before we popped open the champagne :) We kept making toasts that night that were so sentimental, and I loved 'em.
4) Only one of the balloons had helium in it, and after midnight we decided to let it go from his rooftop. At first we thought it was just going to fall straight down but then it just wizzed out of the sky -- if it had a voice, I could picture it going weeeee! as it zoomed away.
5) My close friend and I :) We took this before Stardust and then took a whole bunch of pics afterward on her camera that make me smile. So glad I got to see her :)

How was your New Year's?

Are you excited for 2010?

Or could you really just not care?

Either way: here's to more coffee, more blogging, more craziness, and more good times ahead!


Hope you all have a great weekend!