giveaway time: a scarf to snuggle with

Today was a random weekend of sledding like I was a 12-year old with The Boy, spending some quality time with my close friend (grabbing a bite to eat and then watching a gazillion awesome YouTube videos) and today I'm all geared up for the Canada VS U.S.A. hockey game ... although I most likely won't be watching it since I'm going to Starbucks to catch-up with a friend and then ... doing homework. Wah wah ... 

But on the bright side, I'm holding another giveaway! It's a bit of a smaller one, but it's still exciting on my part. The reason? Well, this piece of lovely fuzziness is going to be part of a little company that my mother and I are making together: Misiu Knits. The Etsy shop will probably be opening probably within a couple of months.The word misiu is literally translated from Polish into teddy bear which is hopefully how these knits (scarves, bags, perhaps hats and sweaters) will make you feel ... cuddly and snuggly like a teddy bear. What could you win?

 

{yes, I use a teddy bear to model it with ... I am cool (:}
DISCLAIMER: Bear is like 3 years old and I've been sleeping with it... not a prize LOL.

This scarf! I know what you might be thinking -- spring is a mere few weeks away! And in a lot of others places, it's summer. But knowing how some climates are, it'll likely be chilly for the next couple of months. Plus, if there's just a cold day or you're feeling sick and chilly, just wrap this lovely light gray scarf, with blue-ish undertones, around your  neck and feel ... warm :) It's truly an adorable scarf that I love wearing, and hopefully one of you will, too!

The scarf in the pictures is actually my own; the one sent to you will be similar with the same wool and pattern, just slightly shorter (I'll have the full dimensions listed by Tuesday).

So how could you win? 

1) Be a follower of this blog and leave a comment!

2) For a second entry, blog or tweet about it and let me know in a separate comment!

3) For another entry, either comment with what outfit you'd wear this scarf with or what your favourite types of knits are (it'll influence what will be in our 'shop').

 
Good luck!  
Open internationally until March 10th!

 And the rest of this week-and-a-half will be full of lovely ladies guest blogging for me while I try to finish essays early to enjoy MUSE next week. So make sure to give 'em all a warm welcome :) 

Hope you've had a great weekend!
(Are you sad or relieved that the Olympics are over?)

therapeutic thursdays: ask nikolett #2

It's time for another:

 

This time, it's just a few random questions which is good since I really want to watch the women's figure skating, with only a couple of advice-related questions but I hope you enjoy 'em nevertheless. I'll probably make a permanent Ask Nikolett post so you can continuously ask questions and about once a month I'll pluck 'em out and answer them! Yahoos! And I'm going to have a small giveaway soon before all the lovely guest blogs, so stay tuned for that, too!

 

What is love? - Little Miss Tiara

Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me ... no more~ I remember in high school when I was a part of video club and we had this whole segment in our end-of-the-year video where we got people to sing that song and ... anyhoos, off-topic! I think love is probably one of the most complicated topics of our world ... so much poetry, songs, books written about love. 

To me, personally, love is something that can often get blown out of proportion, or can be severely underrated. With my relationship with The Boy, love doesn't mean being in that 'honeymoon stage', but rather finding something new to care about every day. It's about making those feelings last, getting through the hardships together because you love each other. Love is holding on even when the ship starts to sink a little, because you know it will sail again. Enough cheesy analogies, hehe. It's comfortable with just the right amount of daily excitement. And from personal experience, love is having a relationship with more happy times than sad (or as I like to put, more happy tears than sad tears). Love is a many-splendoured thing, love lifts us up where we belong, all we need is love ;)

 How do you get yourself studying when the fear of failure is too much because there are too many expectations attached to it? - Nahl

Story of my life, right now. I've felt like giving up on studying on so many occasions lately because of fear of failure but there are certain things I try to keep in mind to motivate myself, which hopefully work for you:  

1) Do it for yourself ... not doing the studying at all is guaranteed to make you fail anyway, so do it for yourself to satisfy yourself and say, yes, I got through this ... make that a reward rather than all the other expectations;  

2) Remind yourself why you're doing it ... getting through the studying/assignments/tasks ahead of you is a choice only you can make. I've found myself crying because I felt I would disappoint my parents with my results ... but again, you have to do it for yourself; 

3) Try to find fun in it. I know that might seem impossible with so many due dates and the like. Most of the time though, we're able to choose what subject we're studying, so try to remember why you like that subject so much and try to find the fun in it, rather than automatically thinking about the end result. Hope this helps!

If you could compare the boy to a movie character, which one resembles his personality the most? - Jessica

Oh man, this was a toughie. When I asked him the question, he actually said Jim Carrey (no lie) and I have no clue why ... and then I re-asked the question and he realized what I meant, haha. Together we decided on a mix of Jonathan Trager from Serendipity and Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Jonathan Trager because of the serendipitous way that me and The Boy met ... it wasn't necessarily love at first sight (since I don't believe in that), but it was new and exciting. Jonathan seems to find delight in the little things (figure-skating, drawing constellations on arms), much like The Boy does. Aragorn, on the other hand, is a bad-ass who people take for granted. Half of the first movie is spent with people underestimating him until they found out he's the true King. I find it's the same way with The Boy ... people underestimate him because he's an immigrant, but he's accomplished so much. And, like Aragorn, he has a tough exterior but a lovey-dovey side, like with Arwen.

Oh, and I'm also throwing in a touch of Borat, because The Boy is a little crazy and has an accent, haha.

What's the stupidest thing you did done when you were drunk? - Andhari

In all honesty, I've only been drunk about twice in my life ... the most recent one was the charity ball earlier this month where I apparently snorted-while-laughing a lot plus kept saying, "Ja? JA!" repeatedly (I sound like a hyperactive mess haha). 

But the stupidest thing was probably going out either The Boy's birthday or his friend's at this restaurant-entertainment place and I was really heavily tipsy. There was a hanging light from the ceiling, so I kept touching and poking it until it started swinging and went, "Whoooooa." Then, I saw another light coming into my eyes from somewhere else but I thought it was me and went, "Woooow so many liiiiights" but, it was actually the bouncer flashing his flashlight at me to get me to stop what I was doing ... ahh, so lame. A pretty tame story I know, but that's probably the stupidest thing!

What would your dream wedding be like? - Little Miss Tiara

Haha, my sister answered this perfectly in the comment below this question: "she has no idea, I'm planning it", which is pretty much true! In all honesty, I haven't given too much thought about it ... maybe because I've only attended one wedding ceremony in my life. Though I do watch a ton of wedding movies, don't get me wrong.

All I have is mind is -- hopefully an amazing groom, probably going to be at a Church, and I'd like it in the spring or summer because I just love those seasons. And, I already have a place in mind for that thingy that happens after the ceremony ... the reception? (I've never been to one LOL.) It's this beautiful garden in my city that has a quiant restaurant and outside of it is just gorgeous flowers, ponds, and the like. The Boy took me for my birthday there last year, and there's a set of steps that I told him I could see as steps that a newlywed couple would stand on for pictures (which freaked him out a little, hehe).

 

I could picture there being white and silky open tents (just in case it rains lightly, and if it rains heavily, most of it could be done inside the little restaurant). Since it would be spring/summer, the sun would set a little later and I could just picture watching the sunset while eating dinner, and having a first dance just as the sun starts to fade the stars start to shine ... and that's the extent of my imagination haha. As you can see, no real details haha. *comes back to reality*

Thanks for the questions, ladies! Now I'm off to watch some skating and massage my poor feet ... anyone want to send me some warm, durable winter boots so I don't have to walk in my heeled boots anymore? :( 

Hope you've all had a good week!

And share any wedding experiences you've had so I can feel like I've actually been to more than one! :)

 

simple smile + snowy goodness!

You know what makes a Monday morning even worse after knowing that you've just had a week off from school and you really don't feel like going back? Waking up to a crazy snowstorm and traveling in it!, with your eyes being blinded by crazy wind-snow. We've finally been hit by some overdue snow ... though I would have prefered it last week (toboganning time!). Now I just feel like giving it to Vancouver. 

I hope you all had great weekends, though! Mine consisted of Mission Cheer-Up on Friday, by going over to The Boy's place. Our recipe for cheering him up? Plenty of hugs and cuddles, a huge meal of pizza and honey garlic chicken wings (yum), and then 27 Dresses ... chick-flicks like that always cheer me up and it cheered him up, too. The Boy claims he has more than 27 dresses though ... I'd like to see that, haha.  We also watched 2012, which ... I wouldn't recommend. Oh, and I also dyed my hair a light reddish-brown, but the pictures I've taken so far are incredibly emo so I'll show that some other time. Then Saturday consisted of a random bubble tea outing with two close friends and then meeting up,  even morerandomly, with the drift-away friend I've mentioned before. It wasn't as awkward as I was expecting, but I could tell that our friendship wouldn't be as close as it was in the past. Overall, a good weekend to close off a week of relaxation.

 

   

A look at a snow-covered fire hydrant and me walking home :)

Don't lie ... you want a sip of that strawberry banana bubble tea, don't you? ;)

But yes, walking to a bus-stop while being blinded by snow isn't a fun way to spend your Monday morning, fo sho. Knowing that I'll be seeing MUSE in TWO WEEKS is my simple smile of the week, though! Another thing that makes smile are these two awards!

The cute Gingerella (who's celebrating her birthday tomorrow, give her a shout!) awarded me with the Beautiful Blogger award. Thanks so much! The rules are to give this to 15 other bloggers you deem fantastic or beautiful. I'd seriously give this to every one of you if I could, haha.

So here goes, I award this to: 1) Krissy at i am krissy; 2) Andhari at Insomniac Lolita; 3)  Amanda at Teasingly Diverse; 4) Juliana A Blonde Walks Into A Blog; 5) Tiara Little Miss Tiara; 6) Mayra at Life is Bananas; 7) Iva at Iva Messy; 8) Sarah at Sarah Does Japan; 9) Nahl at The Girl in the Blogging Department; 10) Kym at Bee Creative; 11) New England Girl; 12) Jessica at Alright, Still; 13) Nicole at My Teacups in Peony; 14) Aubrey at Made You Blush; 15) Adele at Poptart.

Then, KS from While We're Waiting awarded me with this adorable award (thank you!). There weren't any formal rules, so I'm just going to award three girls who are like the sprinkles on my cupcake: Margarita, my sis, the cupcake expert extraordinaire; Josie from Josiebean!, who has returned(!); and Steph from That Girl Is Hoisin' who has also returned to blogging! All three of you gals cheer me right up.

Whew, after all that I just have two requests:

1) If you have any Ask Nikolett questions (advice-related or find-out-more-about-me-related), ask in the comments or e-mail me!

2) Does anyone want to guest blog for me next week? The week of the aforementioned Muse concert is also the week I have 4 papers due in 4 days (GAH!), so next week I'm going to try to finish them all and I'd really appreciate your lovely voice on here while I'm sitting, highly caffeinated, in a dark room with a laptop at 4 in the morning haha.

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

therapeutic fridays: those awkward coversations

I'm a little bummed out today, which seems to heavily contrast to all the cheery entries I have to catch up on. A week off from school was desperately needed, but it turned into mixing up the days of the week, to the point where I thought I had two Wednesdays. And I burned my mouth so badly on Monday from incredibly hot coffee that I haven't drunk it since (I know, boo-hoo, I'll live, right?). I don't want to spend this entry complaining because I know I don't have it that bad. 

Instead, I wanted to focus on something that I'm sure everyone goes through at least once in their lifetime: having an uncomfortable conversation. The inspiration came from Kym, who unfortunately is going through one of those situations where an uncomfortable conversation might be necessary. It's a pain in the tush, and most of the times, we don't want to do it. 

Just last week, I dwelled on the future slipping out of my hands ... and it's because I had an uncomfortable conversation, and pretty much failed it. I have to prove to a teacher's college that what I've been studying in uni relates to computer studies, but when I asked the very unfriendly lady on the phone for help and asked multiple questions, she replied with the same things, "Well, if you take a look at our website you can see ..." (yes, I am looking at your website right now and it's not helping me) and things like "If you get a letter from your computer studies department..." (I've already told you, there is no computer studies department). Instead of being polite but assertive, I just admitted defeat, hung up the phone, and bawled for twenty minutes. Pointless, huh?

So now, let's focus on those things that will make the uncomfortable, comfortable. Whether it's personal, business, or needing-to-get-something-from-someone-and-you've-been-waiting-a-while-and-you-want-to-remind-them-without-sounding-like-you're-nagging, hopefully this will help!

1) WRITE IT OUT. 

Find a time where you're not thinking about the topic at hand emotionally but critically. Then write out what you want to say to this person. My sister always gave me this advice when it came to talking to people I didn't necessarily want to talk to: writing it out gets your thoughts in order, and it's a good reference for when you're actually talking to the person.

Just last week my friend had to have an uncomfortable conversation with someone, and wrote out a page of what she wanted to say. And writing it in an notepad like the one on the left might put a little fun into it?

2) FIND A FOCUS.

You don't want to just yell at the person -- you want to pinpoint how you can change what's going on. If you're waiting for something from someone, perhaps say, "I understand we all have busy schedules in our lives, but I was counting on having this by (insert date here) and would greatly appreciate it if you could get that to me." You might not phrase it that exact way, but the key is not to spew fire out at the person. You want to get your point across in a way that will make positive changes happen.

3) PICK A METHOD.

Try to pick a method that works best for both of you when having this conversation. If you're going to talk over the phone, make sure it's during a time where you're not rushed and have time to discuss everything.

If you have to meet in person, try to pick a place you both know, so you don't feel out of your element. Don't be afraid to bust out the notepad (even if it's on your lap), because it shows you're prepared and it's a good thing to reference to make sure you discuss everything.

Another method is definitely e-mail, and sometimes that's the only route you can go. On the down side, you don't really know when that person will respond and it  can make the conversation one-sided, but on the plus side, both parties get to reflect on what has been said and hopefully go for a good solution. Just be clear on what you're saying -- so try to avoid tons of sarcasm. 

4) DON'T BE AFRAID.

You know this conversation needs to happen. Think about why -- is it holding you back in your business/school, is it affecting your relationship with someone, etc -- and then, don't be afraid to bring it up. Chances are, either a) the other person feels some sort of tension and knows that something needs to change or b) the other person is totally unaware and therefore nothing will change unless you bring it up. If you're having second thoughts about making this conversation happen, just think what's the payoff for not having this conversation.

For the teacher's college situation (I will never think of this word the same way thanks to Jersey Shore), I eventually wrote out a 2-page statement clarifing my academic and field experience, and am crossing my fingers that it's enough. I could have given up right after that phone call, but sometimes you have to prove to them that you have what it takes to do what you want to do. Think You've Got Mail, or She's The Man. 

5) GET 'ER DONE ... AND REWARD YOURSELF.

While having this conversation, think resolve not create more tension. Think get it all out without patronizing the person. Think what can we do to change this? and not say it's all your fault (even if it is). And after getting through this conversation, reward yourself with something. Hopefully your confidence will already be boosted by having the courage to make this conversation happen.

I hope this has helped in some way, though I'm sure I've left something out. So I ask you:

Have you ever dealt with an uncomfortable conversation?

And what did you do to make it better?

I'll be answering the Ask Nikolett questions next week in case there's anymore (and I'll actually post it on a Thursday instead of being a total fail like this week, hehe). So ask away and have an amazing weekend!

a weekend of lurve...and free drinks.

What do you end up doing when you have a day off, or say, a few days off? Apparently for me, it's sleep in and play Sims 2 for half the time, while playing Bejeweled Blitz the other half of the day. I've been a little unproductive school-wise, but with a week off, I just want to cool my engines and relax. And a weekend with friends and The Boy certainly helped me to do just that.

On Friday night was one of my closest friend's birthday celebration. Since high school there's been a group of six of us that have hung on and been there for each other for so many years. This year was a little different, since one of the girls kind of drifted away, but we still managed to have fun. We were supposed to go to this new bowling alley that's been renovated to a fancy restaurant/bar/bowling place, but ... I kind of screwed up the reservations (classic me, right there). So instead, we went spontaneous :)

First, we watched the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics (well as much as we could before we left). There's something about having it on your own soil that makes you more patriotic in a sense. Although I heard that Wayne Gretzky had some technical difficulties lighting the torch or something? Ahh wells, Canada has its first gold medal, whoop! 

But yes, after that we headed to a restaurant near my Uni. That picture up there is one of my closest friends (not the birthday girl though) and her amazing new camera that I want to swipe away from her (accidentally of course, hehe). 

 

The ceiling of the restaurant and the birthday girl with her Electric Strawberry drink :)

After that, one of the gals had to leave since she had work early the next day, so we settled on a random bar that we've never been to. There was a live band that did covers, anywhere from Katy Perry to Beyonce to The Police, and everyone's voices were amazing. 

But before we went in there, me and one of my friends just walked in without the other two just to check out the place and make sure it was alright. As we walked by the main windows, this random creeper knocks on the window from the inside and smiles. 

Once we all headed inside, me and that same girl headed to the bar to get drinks (three beers, and a rum and coke for me). As my friend ordered the beers, the bartender says, "By the way, these are covered. I can't tell you who, but you don't have to pay for these." Me and my friend were like, "WTF mate?" We suspected it was that same creeper, but no one came up to us and acknowledged the drinks during the night so ... we got a couple of free drinks. Success!

At the bar, before busting out our crazy dance moves :)

And as I mentioned yesterday, my weekend was full of long overdue cuddling with The Boy. We spent Saturday munching on lots of calories at Burger King (so yummy, though~) and then catching up on Jersey Shore (yes, we love it for its pointless entertainment). 

Then Sunday, I headed over with some dinner in tupperware for a low-key Valentine's Day dinner (chicken and rice with veggies). As soon as I walked into his place, I was greeted by a big hug. Then he swerved around, went into a room and came back with an adorable bouquet of Gerbara daisies. The day before, I had told him my favourite flowers were Tiger Lilies, and to see bright orange daisies ... well it meant a lot :) I'll admit, I'm a sucker for flowers.

But that wasn't all ... I headed into his bedroom and there was a bouncy helium balloon. So much for low-key, huh? But I really appreciated it ... the rest of the night was low-key as we ate dinner and watched a movie (Avatar, which I may or may not have obtained a little illegally on DVD so it wasn't in 3D but it was still really good and Pocahontas-like), but I felt loved ... and do everyday. And I hope you do, too.

This weekend (plus this week off) is definitely my simple smile of the week :)

I really hope you all had an amazing weekend, no matter who you spent it with or what you did!

Annnd: I have a favour to ask!

Well, two actually. First, if you haven't already, wish a HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the amazing Mayra at Life is Bananas! :) Hope you've had an amazing day!

Annnd second, if you have any advice questions you want to ask (about relationships, jobs, anything of the like) or you just want to know something about me: ask away!

I'll be doing the second Ask Nikolett either this Thursday or next Thursday, just depending on the replies :) I know a few of you asked questions from before, I have those ready, not to worry!

So yes, ask away and then have a beautiful day and sweet dreams :)

happy happy ...

Well today, there is cause for two "happy" occassions: Happy Chinese New Year ( 新年快樂) and Happy Valentine's Day! And I suppose for me, it's also Happy Week Off From School! I've been filling up my weekend with a birthday celebration and long overdue cuddling with The Boy. We're having a low-key Valentine's with an at-home dinner and a movie night, and I wouldn't want it any other way. No matter what you celebrate, hopefully you'll like this video (and if you're not a cat lover, hopefully you'll still think this is cute).

Hoping you've all had a beautiful weekend :)
Fill it with good moments, with smiles, and with love.

I'll have a weekend recap tomorrow!

bags & mousepads & time, oh my!

"Every day brings a chance
for you to draw in a breath,

kick off your shoes, and dance."

One of my least favourite phrases -- that I'm guilty of saying at least once per week -- is "I don't have enough time." In reality, I have tons of time, but our society operates in such a way that we need to feel busy all the time. We multitask instead of concentrating on one thing.  The Internet is just one example: we're reading blogs, tweeting, going on Youtube, and the latest thing, Google Buzz (seriously? what is this?). We become so distracted by so many tasks that things begin to lose meaning. 

When was the last time you just read a book, on your couch, for a good couple of hours? I know, you have work, or school, or things with friends/family. But make that time to just concentrate on one thing, at least once a month, if not once a week (or, if you can manage it, once a day). For me, that moment would be turning on my music and dancing. Or sharing a good conversation with someone without looking at a cell phone. Just draw in a breath, and relaxing. 

There's some short therapeutic Thursday for you right there! And now, giveaway winners!

Thanks to making a nice hand-written list and random.org, here are the two winners! And in about one-two weeks I'll have another giveaway, just need to get something ready first!

The winner of the La Boheme bag is #10:
Jaime! Congrats!

I might do another one of these bag giveaways because it seemed like a lot of you could use one :)

And the winner of the memo mousepad is:

Krissy! Yay!

Please e-mail me at betterthancoffee@gmail.com with your address information so you can claim your prize! And don't fret, awesome followers -- more giveaways to come. I have a bit of exciting news (nothing huge, just something exciting) that I want to involve in a future giveaway, so stay tuned for that. 

Now, it's my official week off from school, so I'm off to relax.

What are you looking forward to this weekend? :)

And remember:

{image found via weheartit.com}

happy blog-a-versary

I'm not going to lie ... I'm not in the most celebratory of moods. As much as you can't predict the future, there's one part of my future that's almost in my hands, and it's slipping away. I don't want to dwell on it too much - I'd much rather focus on the here and now. But at the moment, I'm not really sure where I fit in and who will want me. With a few major exceptions, of course.

So, on that note, with this yummy-looking cake:

Happy One Year Blog-A-Versary!

(to me! to me, to me! to me...)

A year ago, I started off this blog talking about my caffeine addiction. But over time, it's become so much more than that. People like my friends, The Boy, and my family mean so much to me and keep me happy. But this space became somewhere to let everything else out and became so much more.

Things like simple smiles and Wednesday wishes allow me to appreciate the smaller things in life while daydreaming about the bigger things. That way, when I get dished a heavy dose of reality (no, not reality TV), I could find some way to deal with it and not let it get me down. 

But what's meant the most has been Y-O-U. You've helped me, with your amazing comments, with some of the most amazing friendships. You've supported my ramblings, you've given me something to think about, and you've made this blog about so much more than coffee.

This past year, I've had the pleasure of 'meeting' some incredible ladies: ones like Kym, who lives on the other side of the country and has such a creative outlook on life; or Andhari, my fellow femcee (haha) who is amazingly talented and awesome to talk with; or Aubrey, who always manages to have such positive messages despite the ups and downs of life; or Nicole, who shares all these lovely love stories and gives amazing reminders of how sweet life can be;  or Iva, who finds some of the most random funniest things and always provides questions to think about; to Cheryl, a fellow Canuck who has such a poignant outlook on life that inspires me; to Jessica, who is such a fabulous girl who I miss talking to; to Sarah, who I live vicariously through since I want to visit Japan; to Manju, a hilarious lady who I also want to visit; to Krissy, who is such a sweetheart and such a stylist lady; to Erika, the ultimate cafe fashionista who I would love to have coffee with; to Nahl, a thoughtful girl who I love talking to and who I really hope comes back to the blogging world; to the BonBon Rose girls who have always provided me with lovely deals and cute stories about their lives; to Adele, who shares such amazing photography and has a heartwarming outlook on life; to LivitLuvit, who shares the most outrageous stories that I adore reading while also showing big love for things that matter; to Shirley, who has shown me the behind the scenes of a dentist's life and shared amazing pictures; to Little Tiara, who I've seen grow in such a short time and I love talking with her; to Carla, whom I've bonded with due to our love of Serendipity; to Mayra, who is truly inspiring in the way she lives her life; to Kim, who journeyed from Canada to L.A. and has been taken amazing photographs all the way; to Margarita, my sister who inspired me to start this blog and reminds me to keep living fabulously no matter what gets in the way ... to so, so, SO MANY more of you who have touched me (that's what she said) more than you know :)

Although I'm constantly trying to find my 'voice' and my 'place' in the world, I've found that I like this place, here. So thanks for being with me for this past year, and hopefully some more years to come? :) 

P.S. Giveaway winners will be announced Thursday <3

a piece of me & a picspam!

This month....

I like: that I'm able to have some fun nights out with my friends and The Boy before school really kicks in!

I don't like: how teacher's colleges decide what your 'prerequisites' are. I really wish there was some easier way to explain that what I do does involve computer studies. I'm getting all nervous that I won't be accepted.

I want you to know: that I get a week off from school next week and I am stoked.

I've planned: to finish at least a quarter of the papers due next month so I can enjoy MUSE and Final Fantasy XIII in March without a crazy amount of deadlines!

I want to say to someone special: Please hang in there. I know how you feel about him, but give yourself time to see if he's worth it. And I love you.

If you'd like to take part, then  just take a look-see here for Shirley's A Piece of Me game!

This busy weekend definitely made up for my hermit-like weekend beforehand. Going to a charity ball on Friday was amazing. Last night was spent drinking some delicious Bubble Tea and going off to see "Dear John" with my close friend (not a great movie, but still a great night). It's nights like these that make you temporarily forget the stressful moments going on in life, and I'm so grateful for those times.

And now ... onto the picspam. I was looking forward to the charity ball my school was holding probably for the last six months or so. I haven't attended a formal since high school and figured since this is (hopefully) my last year, I'd go. Fortunately, The Boy came as my date and we met up with a bunch of close friends to eat some yummy food, dance the night away (though we mostly took pictures and sat hehe) annnd...

I got a wee itty bitty drunk. We had to buy little ticket stubs for our drinks before you actually went and got the drinks, and my friends kept giving me them. A mixture of drinks = crazy, loopy, and can't-really-walk-properly me. It was a fun night :)

And Manju wanted to see my haircut -- you can't really tell how it's cut because I asked her to curl it, but it feels a little lighter and my bangs are finally above my eyes, which is a relief. So yes, brace yourself for some random pictures.

 

Our really sad-looking dinner that I made for us since the ball didn't have a formal dinner.

I made some yummy bruschetta, breaded chicken, and butter-and-herb chicken. Plus cheesecake.

Nom nom nom.

A group photo of all the ladies & gents ... next to a palm tree!

The theme was Egyptian, which meant lots of shirtless guys pretending to be Pharaohs.

 

Climbing a pyramid (or attempting to anyway)!

And The Boy being Avada Kadavra-ed!

Me and my closest friends. I've known most of them since high school (one since we were both seven).
They mean the world to me :)

 

A look at the crazy dance floor with the blinding lights!

 

This is how I dance ... I will gladly share my techniques.

 

The casino portion of the ball. One of my friends ended up winning a whole lot! :)

And one of the last photos of the night ... priceless.

After the ball, most of us went into my close friend's Jeep. And that's where I exploded in a fit of snorts, apparently. And we kept talking about deer. It was definitely a random and fun way to end a great night :)

How were your weekends? 

Hope you've had a good one :)

P.S. Last day to enter the giveaway is tomorrow!
P.S.S. Thanks for all your additional ideas of how to avoid going psycho crazy ... definitely forgot to mention reading a book or watching a movie/TV show. Which is what I feel like doing now instead of doing homework ...

therapeutic thursday: friday edition

Yesterday, I felt the furthest thing from relaxed, the complete opposite of calm. Thoughts of the future usually puts me into hysterics, because I feel like I need to have everything in its place, everything determined. The thought that someone else's decision will impact the rest of my life ... it frightens me. But sometimes, you have to let go. By the end of the night I felt happier, more relaxed. Not necessarily carefree, but realizing I don't have to be in control of everything all the time. Because in reality, all I can control are my choices, my reactions to things. 

In the spirit of being therapeutic, here is a list of things that help me when I've got all Psycho Crazy. I call it the Things That Help Me When I'm Psycho Crazy list (very original, eh?). 

Put away the tissues, hide the box of delicious cookies, and try to find ways to relax that will make you feel better about yourself rather than wallowing in self-pity (of course, we all have those days, but this is a more positive list, y'see).

1) HUGS. When I had a bit of a breakdown yesterday on campus, I went to see The Boy after his class in need of one thing: a hug. Sometimes, just having someone show you they care is enough. And if you don't happen to have anyone nearby, virtual hugs are just as good. You might not have arms actually wrapped around you, but knowing that someone from a distance cares about you is comforting (I'm looking at you, Little Tiara and Andhari, who offered me virtual hugs from afar). Even Darth Vader needs hugs.

2) WORKING OUT ... followed by a bubble bath. I know, working out is torturous. Especially at the gym, right? So work out at home. Find some online exercise videos (ones at Exercisetv.tv and the Beach Bum series are some of my favourites). Those trainers won't judge you, they'll just do a quick 10-minute workout using your own body weight. Working out is one of my best ways to just forget about things and concentrate on being healthy. And though I'm not the biggest fans of baths, a bubble bath is a great way to just relax after all that working out you just did!

 

3) MUSIC. Followed by dancing. Music is one of those indescribeable gifts of life. To be able to put feelings into beautiful words, accompanied by tones and instruments ... whether you like listening to soft tracks that soothe the soul or screamo to shout out the pain (whatever floats your boat!), I find music to be one of the most relaxing things you can do when you're stressed out.And dancing your heart out helps, too.

4) HOT CHOCOLATE. Followed by sleeping. Instead of devouring a whole pint of ice cream/box of chocolates/(insert your food of choice here), have some hot cocoa. It's warm, so it will soothe you, and it's still got that chocolatey goodness. Alternative: some tea, either herbal or regular. Also amazing. And of course, SLEEP. It might be hard to shut out the thoughts that make you stressed, but after the first three things and realizing that tomorrow is a new day (carpe diem and all that), hopefully you'll rest easier.

Annnd, a last one, inspired by Manju: 

5) MAKING A CHANGE ... like a haircut. I'm getting a haircut today, to get rid of the split ends and hopefully look good for the ball I'm going to tonight. There's something so relaxing about having someone massage your hair and then cut it ... taking a little load off, making your head a little lighter to think about other things. It doesn't have to be a big change. It can be something like adding one cup of water to your daily routine, or deciding to cut out one Starbucks drink a week and putting that extra $5 towards something you're looking forward to if you're strapped for cash. Just try to make one change that will help you, not hurt you.

So, what helps you when you feel yourself going nutsy crazy psycho lady?

And if you never have, I salute you and want to learn your secrets.

Last but not least, I want to thank Sarah from Class and Coffee for this amazing award:

This definitely makes me feel simply fabulous, haha. Thank you!!
The rules require me to blog about a woman who I think is fabulous. This woman can be someone I know in real life, a celebrity, or a fictional character. Then, I must pass the award on to five other fabulous bloggers.

There were honestly three people who came to mind: first, one of my closest friends who has dealt with so much but still keeps strong; I admire her so much. Secondly is my Mom, who is amazing and plays video games while still keeping the house in good order, working a job, and caring for her family.

But I knew the one woman who is the most fabulous is: my sister, Margarita. The name of her blog itself shows that: Ramblings of a Fab Brunette.

Apart from being fabulous, she's one of the most generous people I know. She doesn't give herself enough credit, methinks. She'll always be the one to send an amazing card through the mail, one who will take care of a poor sister with expensive books (thank you!), and who has gone through so many changes in her life. She's gotten to experience and see so many things in life, that I could only imagine about or dream of.

She was the one who got me into webdesign and Adobe Photoshop. I was the one who loved Spice Girls before her, but we bonded over our love for Posh Spice. And now, my sister is a bit like Posh Spice herself. She has a great man, an amazing daughter (even though Posh has sons), a fabulous sense of style, and a heart of gold.

And I hope you don't mind that I just rambled about you for three paragraphs, sis (tee-hee). The pictures from the right are some of my fave recent memories including singing Aerosmith's Don't Wanna Miss A Thing for my parents' 25th anniversary. I miss you!

Now, I'd like to pass this on to some other fabulous ladies: LiLu from LivitLuvit, Carla from Girl With The Golden Touch, Mayra from Life is Bananas, Erika from Cafe Fashionista, Jessica from Alright, Still, annnd I suppose my sister, too haha.

I hope you all have an amazing weekend!

I'm headed to a ball tonight, so expect pictures soon!

Project LoveDress Barbie!

About a month ago Andhari, Shirley and myself had a conversation about having too many dresses, needing a dress for a ball I'm going to this Friday (and I have one, yipee!) and finally ... having a date in February where a bunch of bloggers would dress up together. The result became Project Barbie or Project LoveDress. And the colour theme for February? Pink. [I had suggested red, hehe.]

My head hurt trying to think of where I could find a pink dress that wouldn't be ruffly as heck or a bright hot colour until I remembered I already had one in my closet (yes!). Two years ago before my trip to Poland, me and my close friend perused a mall downtown and went into a store about twenty minutes before it closed. And  that's when I found this dress ... I thought it was adorable and loved wearing it in Poland (I wore it on my first 'Harry Potter'-esque train ride, so this piece of fabric holds many memories). So without further ado, I present: Polish Barbie, because this one here seems a little out-dated.

I wanted to do this amazing photoshoot outside (since I had a feeling others would) but the fact that it's: a) ridiculously cold outside; and b) my photographer (The Boy) has been sick for the past few days, I relied on my trusty ten-second timer (and have gotten tea and Halls for my boy who hopefully makes a good recovery!). Which means I took a bunch of random pictures all over my house, ohhh yeah.

 

  

These are my "let's practice posing!" pictures.

And, I ended up taking one full-body shot but I have to warn you, it makes this dress look more like a t-shirt. I blame long legs and the angle, hehe. And I was cuddling my dog at the time, so he makes a blurry appearance:

I promise this dress covers my bum! But yes, it was fun dressing up ... I remember doing this a few times as a teenager, dressing up just for fun and taking pictures. It's good to bring out that side of yourself, even if immediately afterwards I just piled myself into my PJ's and drank some hot cocoa.

But yes! If you happened to miss this month's edition of Project Barbie, stayed tuned to Andhari's blog; maybe it'll be something monthly, or bi-monthly? Or, if you happen to have some time today, just wear something pink -- doesn't have to be a dress -- and show your pictures! You can leave a comment to your blog if you've done it - or comment on Andhari's, since I think she's compiling all the photos!

And, surprisingly for me, this isn't the last day I'll be dressing up this week. My university's holding a ball that I'm considering my 'prom' since I never went to a formal dance in my four years here. So I guess this Saturday you can expect some pictures from there, too.

Oh, and if you haven't already, take a look at my giveaway, since it finishes in five days :)

Wednesday Wishes will be coming back with a vengeance next week. Since watching Leap Year in the theatres with my friends and re-watching P.S. I Love You with my mom on Sunday, I've been day-dreaming about one place in particular (ten points if you know what this place this).

Hope you've had a great week so far!
And if not ... hope the rest of the week makes up for it :)