therapeutic thursdays: comfort

A cupcake a day would probably bring an eternal stomachache, a few too many extra pounds, and would make you take cupcakes for granted. By having it once a week, once a month, or just once in a while it becomes something special, something that brings comfort.

And when the weather was disgustingly miserable and that time of the month kicked in with its punches to the gut (too much information?), having a banana caramelo cupcake this past Tuesday was the ultimate comfort I needed to take my mind off of pain, off of the weather, and just concentrate on something delicious.

My cupcake before and midway through, when I became sad that I only had one haha.

When times are rough, when there's too many things on your mind, I think it's so important to take a step back, shake yourself off, and emerge yourself into something you truly enjoy and brings you comfort to push you that extra mile and encourage you to keep going. Whether it's a walk in the park, being with your friends, taking out your camera and just taking pictures of what you see, reading a book, blasting your favourite song and making up a dance routine in your bedroom, taking a drive to somewhere you've never been before, or something food-related (yum). It could be something you haven't done in a while (for me, that's shaking the dust off my guitar and playing a tune). Or my ultimate favourite 'thing' that brings me comfort: bearhugs.

I've been making a list lately of what's better than coffee (something I attempted once on this blog and never did again, whoopsies) inspired by "The Book of Awesome." The first two things on that list are definitely #1) bearhugs and #2) cupcakes.

I feel like I'm cheating by putting cupcakes on the list since I was enjoying a coffee with my cupcake, but shhhh.

And #3) on that list of what's better than coffee are countdowns - it's officially sixteen days until I fly off to Vancouver! Whoopah! Having that moment to think about these things, to enjoy a yummy treat or a tight squeeze from someone you love, to have that satisfactory moment when the countdown turn from double digits to single digits, gives me comfort and happiness when the weather looks like this:

April showers I understand, but please go away fog and crazy gusts of wind.

I wish you all an abundance of cupcakes and bearhugs, and something to look forward to (maybe a countdown to the weekend or nicer weather?). Now, I have to ask:

What brings you comfort?
What's that thing you do
to make you feel better?

Hope you all have a great weekend!

what made my week

Whoop whoop, it's the weekend again! Since I haven't posted in about a week, I thought I'd give a condensed version of things I enjoyed this week (in no particular order) before moving on to a tag :)

+ PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES! Finally had my first one of the season on Friday night while catching up with a best friend. Yes'm, I do love me some Arbuck Coffee (hehe).

+ Live streaming television. I'm a hardcore X Factor fan from Canada; so grateful for online streams.

+ Talking to my sister on the phone for the first time in forever. And hearing my adorable niece talking about a boy in her preschool, too cute.

+ Sleepovers. Love cuddling, and I love being out of the house for a night.

+ Seeing Life As We Know It in the theatres. I will always be a Katherine Heigl chickflick lover, no shame! Really enjoyed that movie, especially since they reference Keanu Reeves ... which will hopefully make him happier. 

+ Amazing bloggers who give great feedback and who provide such amazing material to read.

+ SNAIL MAIL! Kym literally made my mid-week amazing with this package that had coffee candy, Engrishy wrapping, and funny cough drops ... thank you cats!

+ And what made the package even more special were two amazing buttons from her herro hachi line - she sent me a female and male neeenja! which I didn't expect, thank you again! I decided to give the male neeenja! to The Boy, who noticed half a day later that mine had a bow and thought the buttons were even more adorable, haha. My button is now adorned on my favourite school bag.

+ Essay extensions that I didn't even ask for. Makes me a happy schoolgirl. 

-------------------------------

And now, the lovely Leesh tagged me in a little questionnaire! :) The way this goes is I answer her 8 questions, then I make up 8 of my own and tag 8 awesome bloggers to answer them.

1. What's your Starbucks drink?

Automatically feel like this questionnaire was made for me, haha. It varies on the season - in Vancouver, I had a gazillion and one Tall Light Caramel Frappuccinos, now no doubt it's Pumpkin Spice Latte, and then in a month or so it will be a Peppermint Mocha. Mmm. Makes me wish I had more than four Starbucks in my ENTIRE city.

2. What movie do you like better - Sex and the City or The Devil Wear Prada?

To be honest, I barely remember The Devil Wears Prada (I think I watched it when I was ill) and I prefer the Sex and the City show to the films, but I guess that one!

3. What's your token fall fashion item?
Definitely pashmina scarves ... and my oxford heels.

4. Your cable is out and the TV fairy is allowing you to pick one boxed set to watch, what show do you choose?
FRIENDS, without a doubt. 10 seasons of laughs :)

5. What's your favorite ice cream flavour?
Oooo ... chocolate chip cookie dough is one of my favourites. And Drumsticks.

6. What's your go-to food when you are having a bad day?
I have a tendency to drink my calories - so hot chocolate right now. Or popcorn.

7. You get to choose a free trip, do you choose a beach or city vacation?
AHH SO TOUGH! Can't I have both?! Ooo, I'll choose a city that has a beach, bwahahaha.

8. What's the first thing you do when you get home from work? 

For me, work = school. First thing I do is take a dive into my hot tub ... no, I kid, I turn on the computer /nerd.

The eight people I tag with this are ChinkyMel, Patikym, Animated Confessions, La Midge, While We're Waiting, Little Tiara, One Long Road, and anyone else who wants to answer the following eight questions: 1) What's something you like to collect?; 2) For some odd reason, every single restaurant/fast food place is burning down but the Food Fairy (err, yes she exists) tells you that you can save one restaurant. Which one would you save?; 3) What's your favourite go-to outfit you could wear practically everywhere?; 4) What's a song you've gotten into recently?; 5) A fairy (yes, they are popular) decides to grant you either forever clean-shaven legs or forever clean-shaven armpits - which would you choose?; 6) What's better than coffee to you? (haha so lame); 7) You're flipping through television channels late at night, what would make you stop and watch?; 8) What's the last book you read?

Annnnd, on that note:
Hope you all have a great rest of the weekend!

happy 101

Way back when (a month and a half ago!) the lovely Chinkygirlmel awarded and tagged me ... she's an amazing blogger who you can't help but want to visit daily to see her adventures, so I couldn't let her down - sorry for going this long without doing the tag, and thank youuuu!

Rules for happy 101 award:

1. Post who gave you this award.
2. State ten things you like.
3. Give this award to 10 other bloggers and notify them with a comment.

 1. Love - it might seem a bit redundant to say I like love, but it's true - love with The Boy (picture taken on Thanksgiving!), the friendships I have, the love for my sister and my parents ... And of course, the awesome friendships I've made with bloggers whom I haven't met but really hope I get to one day! all of it is something I like, something I cherish; without their love, I'd probably be a different person.

2. When everything goes right - I was going to say "according to plan" at first, but realized I like spontaneity :) By "everything goes right" I mean you have a crazy morning where you completely forgot about an assignment so you whip up two pages in an hour and then print it out and realize you still have 15 minutes to spare before you catch the bus so you manage to make yourself look somewhat presentable and catch all the right buses and get to class on time and then someone shares some of their candy with you ... errr, yes.

Maybe a better example is meeting up with Kym and while I was all jittery with nerves, had an amazing time getting to know in person and being so thankful that we got along so well while she showed me around her city. Miss you!

3. Doodling - one of my favourite pasttimes, since I've abandoned the idea of bringing my laptop to class (too heavy and too many distractions). So while the Prof is lecturing, I ... doodle. I take notes, of course. But given that all of my classes kind of have the same theme I feel like I'm learning the same thing over and over again.

I've learned that I'm only really good at drawing food, which sucks when you're incredibly hungry since you feel like devouring paper. Oh, and the Pikachu is because the guy sitting in the very front row of ascending rows was playing Pokemon on his laptop during the entire lecture. Seriously dude, just go home.

4. Discovering places - whether it's a new restaurant in town, a waterfall I didn't know about, or places on the world wide web; recently I've fallen in LOVE with They Draw & Cook, where people draw out recipes ... and thankfully it's going to be published because I want to print them all out! And of course, I'm creeping My Name Is Reeses to see adorable pictures of my sister's new dog.

5. Accessories - I'm not the biggest accessory girl, but I love those ones you look at and realize, I have to have it. Added to that list are my owl necklace from Forever 21 and my heeled oxford shoes from Payless ... so unbelievably comfy.

6. A nice night in - whether it's curling up on the couch to watch my favourite show (Castle), watching hilarious YouTube videos with a friend, or spooning on a bed while watching a movie with The Boy ... nights out are fun, but I love a nice night in.

7. Collecting coffee mugs - when I move out, I expect to have a whole cupboard of coffee mugs. While matching ones are neat (the third one had a Cappuccino buddy just like it, but sadly the ear broke off during the flight from Vancouver to Hamilton), I think having a vast array of different ones is better. The Class of 2010 one is HUGE and from my parents, the second is a Shakespeare Love Quotes which I adore, the third is a Macchiato mug which was 99cents from Vancouver, and the last one is a Mocha mug my sister got me from Starbucks. Ever in doubt of what to get me as a gift? A coffee mug.

I sound incredibly boring, don't I?

8. Being there for someone - giving them a hug, doing a favour, coming with someone somewhere ... I like being there for someone :) It's as simple (and as complicated) as that (since sometimes this can be taken advantage of, but that's a story for another time).

9. Postcards - twitter and Facebook chat seem to be replacing e-mail, which replaced letters, and so on. But I still love the idea of postcards - I really hope everyone who participated in the Postcard Project got their postcards, I'd love to do this idea again sometime soon! Above are my three most recent postcards - from Alexis, Kym and Carla!

10. Reciting movie lines - off the top of my head. I have just about the weirdest memory where I can remember every single line of Pirates of the Caribbean, the entire Oliver Wood scene in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as well as Hot Fuzz, Serendipity, and Finding Nemo - but I don't remember anything really useful. But I like it? :P

So now for tagging! Sorry if you've already been tagged in this, but you're awarded anyways! :) Make sure to check them out!: Ramblings of a Fab Brunette, be de.lizzy.cious, i am krissy, Sara's Organized Chaos, Little Tiara, Across My Universe, The Blarkness Chronicles, La vie ... J'aime, A New England Girl, and Insomniac Lolita.   

What do you like? :)

And what did you like about today?

a piece of me in may

I was planning on posting this yesterday - instead, I spent the day doing way too much HTML and CSS coding, making myself delicious iced coffee, and then reading (+ finishing) a novel until 1am - because, as soon as I go on vacation, the first thing I do is pleasure read - my simple smile of the week. /book-worm

I love that so many bloggers are continuing the tradition that Toothfairy started (although her hiatus seriously sucks!) and that is ... A Piece of Me on the first Sunday, err first Monday of every month. So here goes!

This month....

I like: that I'll have much more time to see friends on weekdays, that I'll have time to do things I'd like to do for a change; I also love that me and The Boy are celebrating two years together this month!

I don't like: that as I get older, time seems to go by faster. Recent revelation, right thurr. Oh, and the whole class thing on Tues/Thurs nights, but at least I have a friend there who will make it worthwhile :)

I want you to know: that my legs need shaving, but I'm still in that state of mind where it's winter and you don't have to shave that often ... I need to get out of that.

Oh, and I want you to know that it's good to have a little spare time to do things you normally don't have the time to do. Like maybe pick up my guitar that I haven't played in two months (gah).

I've planned: to make at least five meals from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible that I got from the library, and I've also planned to work out at least three days a week ... we'll see if that happens!

I want to say to someone special: I am so freaking proud of you.

Now, time for a picture segway!

Gorgeous tree from a walk on Saturday with The Boy :)

One of the yummiest pizzas I've had this year so far - also thanks to The Boy :)

The lovely Mel (make sure you send her some get-well-soon wishes) tagged me in a little Q&A thing. Thank youuu! I tag Manju, Tiara, Sara from Sara's Organized Chaos, The Girl In Stiletto and Andhari! :)

1) A vampire or a wizard (and why)???

Definitely a wizard/witch - there was a time where four Halloween's in a row, I alternated between being a 'witch' and then being Hermione (the same thing). I'd love to do little spells and y'know, get an acceptance letter to Hogwarts even though I'm over 20 :)

 2) If you could change one thing about you, what would it be - if anything???

I think I might have to go with Mel's answer and say my metabolism, it kind of went away after my trip to Poland. Oh no, wait! I'd say my sensitive stomach. I would like it to be tougher, please.

3) Would you rather live like a rock star or like a president? (in other words: fun or power?) 

Definitely a rock star, but with a twist. I wouldn't really be able to handle the responsibilities of a President, so I could be like Bono from U2 (though less annoying and I wouldn't always wear sunglasses) and promote good things and ways to help others/the earth while rocking out on my gee-tar.

4) What's your favourite cartoon character???

Oh wows, this honestly a tough one. I'd say Squirt from Finding Nemo but that's not really a cartoon. Probably Sailor Mercury or Sailor Jupiter, those ladies were fierce. Or Pikachu!

5) What's your (most) guilty pleasure?

Hmms, listening to really old-school music from the 90s really really loudly. 

6) If you were a song, what would it be???

This is impossible to answer! I'd say "Bohemian Rhapsody" by QUEEN just because of the fun sing-along factor or "Starlight" by MUSE because it has such a happy tune to it and it's fun to clap along to.

7) What's your biggest dream?

To explore as much of the world as I possibly can, while having an unlimited supply of SD cards and camera batteries. And to be happy in a home with a gazebo and a garden where I can invite my friends and loved ones for yummy meals.

8) Do you prefer to be the one who asks questions or the one who answers them, and why???

Definitely the one who asks them. I get so antsy when people ask me questions; I always feel like I'm bound to disappoint them with my answer. And I'm a curious lady who loves to ask questions.

9) What is your biggest turn off and turn on? 

Biggest turn-off: people who spit on the sidewalk in public - just find a sink(!!!), and definitely B.O. Oh, and extreme rudeness - I understand if you're moody and having a bad day, but that's no excuse to be outright disrespectful to others.
Biggest turn-on: guys with brown hair and blue eyes (although The Boy has green eyes, and they are pretty haha). And a guy who can cook.

10) Have you ever broken any law?

Ahh, this one makes me laugh because me and The Boy have an inside joke where I don't want to commit anything that's illegal - we always say, "Nuu, nuu illegality!" But yes, I probably have broken a law or another, but I try not to ;)

Annnnd last but not least, the awesome Andhari from Insomniac Lolita awarded me with:

The Preppy Mafia Award

Thanks, lady! It involves filling out this questionnaire (yes, this post is loaded with them) and passing this on!

1. Who is your style icon?

I'm going the same route as Andhari and pick a reality TV star - Lauren Conrad. I love the way she can mix and match basics and make it flow effortlessly.

2. Which is your favorite socialite book?

I read chick lit, but don't think I've read anything that can be qualified as a socialite book. Any recommendations? We can have a socialite-written book club haha.

3. Favorite party theme?

Anything to do with dressing up, really. Whether it's formal, non-formal, ridiculous costumes, or something like a tea party or a pirate party (oh yes, I went there).

4. Go to Halloween costume.

A witch - so simple. Although I've come out of my 'witch shell' and I've been a  princess, a schoolgirl and a Mexican senorita for the past three Halloweens.

 5. Extravagance you cannot live without?

Hmms, I'm not sure, to be honest. I don't think a computer really counts, eh? Maybe earrings since I always need to be wearing them.

6. Living person you admire?

My sister, my mom, my close friends, and ... all of you :)

7. Greatest fear(s)?

Letting people down, being alone, being stuck in an elevator, large insects, not going anywhere in life no matter how determined I am ...

 8. Traits you deplore in yourself?

I try not to think of myself in that way because no one is perfect ... but I guess me being overly sensitive to things and being over-emotional - it tends to give people the impression that I'm weak and/or that people can just walk all over me.

9. Which talent would you most love to have?

To be able to read music. I play instruments, and I know where the 'Em' chord is on the guitar, but I can't read notes; I feel if I could, I might be able to play better.

10. Greatest achievement?

Finishing university - even if I'm coming back for a minor, I can say I'm a proud graduate come June. And I just got all my marks back and for the first time in all four years at uni, I have an A- average ... ahh, stoked.

And although Andhari already passed it along to my sis, I award her, Krissy, Erika @ Cafe Fashionista, Steph @ That Girl Is Hoisin, Nahl @ Little Miss Juicy, and the BonBonRose Girls who are amazing and let me know I won their giveaway this weekend - definitely makes the start of May a good one :)

What are you looking forward to this month?

And what's your simple smile today? :)

Hope you had a great weekend!

trampled.

I've felt pretty trampled this week, so I apologize for the non-cheery-self that will come out in this post. There's been a build-up of all kinds of emotions, deadlines, and random e-mails [from an old ex-friend who happens to be a neighbour who somehow found my e-mail address and asked in a long paragraph why I blocked her on facebook ... seriously].The only fix has been working out and trying to stay focused but I feel a bit defeated.

So, for a bit of positivity, the recipe of the week is provided by a girl who loves to make cupcakes, but this time specialized in double chocolate chip muffins. Mmm, delish. And I promise that one of these days I'll post my own recipe/creation!

I want to be here again (taken in Poland).

And for a simple smile, 1) reading all your reactions to last year's costume and your Halloween costume ideas made me smile; and 2) the wonderful Notes From the Tooth Fairy tagged me in a musical tag that I couldn't resist doing! Thanks so much -- this is the perfect way to find new songs to listen to, methinks! :) The rule is to tag 3 people and to fill out an artist/song, and it must be in English (I think this was the hardest part for me since I listen to a lot of songs in different languages).

Here goes!

* Personal:

Top 40s at the moment:
- "Fight For This Love" by Cheryl Cole [insanely catchy!]
- "Undisclosed Desires" by Muse [hot, hot, hot]
- "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City [cute song]

3 songs that represent your feeling at the moment:
- "Misguided Ghosts" by Paramore [all about traveling through life]
- "Face Up" by Lights [about looking up when you're facing defeat]
- "Me Muero" by Utada [promise it's in English! all about lazy days]

Song(s) that gives you spirits when you are down:
- Seriously, almost anything by Lights. I love her lyrics.
- "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira ['cause it brings back good memories heehee]
- "Shadowfeet" and "Seeds" by Brooke Fraser [had to steal your answer, Kym, I love that song]

The second part you should be spontaneous,scroll slowly and make sure you read each entry one by one before continuing to the next question.

* Spontaneous

Wedding:
- "Canon" by Pachelbel
- "Won't Stop" by OneRepublic
- Anything by Michael Buble, haha.

SEXY !!!:
- "Sexy Chick" by David Guetta ft Akon [I like the beat, hehe.]
- "Dance Inside" by The All-American Rejects [lyric-wise.]
- "Love With A Stranger" by Marie Digby [whoa.]

I HATE MY EX,HE IS A REAL JERK !:
- "Caught Out There" by Kelis [the 'I hate you so much right now' song.]
- "I Could Say" by Lily Allen more accurately describes how I feel about my ex, though.

R&B Nite:
- Anything by Aaliyah. She makes my R&B nites special.
- "Be On You" by Flo Rida (ft. Neyo) [this song makes me laugh.]
- "Beautiful" by Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrel Williams [such a cute song.]

Diamond:
- "Diamonds Are A Girls' Best Friend" from Moulin Rouge?
- Seriously, that's all I can think of LOL.

Eccentric:
- "You Owe Me An IOU" by Hot Hot Heat [such a random song, these guys are awesome.]
- Anything by Prozzak. Yes.

British:
- "Stop" by Spice Girls [yes I still love this song.]
- "Untouchable" by Girls Aloud
- Anything by Muse :)

Adorable:
- "Your Song" by Kate Walsh [this song gives me lovey-dovey chills.]
- "Toothpaste Kisses" by The Maccabees [same with this one.]

I tag Jessica, Manju, and Margarita. Enjoy!

Hope you're having a happier, less busy week :)

a sunsational tag

So many of you were shocked to learn that I'm left-handed! Although my Dad tried to force me to write with my right hand (resulting in random spurts of being ambidextrous) I stuck with my left hand which has caused some problems - such as the can't-find-a-desk scenario which happens a lot in lecture halls. But for the most part, I do things with my right hand - weird, eh? I play right-handed guitar, normally play sports right-handed, and all that jazz. Anyhoos, random time over!

While I definitely want to continue with the Wednesday Wishes I did so often during the summer, truth is that the reality of Europe seems so far away at this point. So while I'll do it once in a while, right now I gotta keep my head rooted in school - unfortunately. But on the plus side, it means I get to do the awesome tag that Archana started on her blog and tagged me in! So here goes:

Your last FB/Twitter update:

So ... any songs recommendations? Haha. I'd definitely suggest "Undisclosed Desires", "I Belong To You (Mon Couer S'ouvre A Ta Voix)" and "Resistance" from Muse's latest album. It's beautiful.

1) Phoebe Buffay: She makes up random songs on her guitar, she's quirky, and she's often misunderstood. Plus, she doesn't know much about her family and up until last year, I hadn't even met a majority of my extended family. Oh, and she has the BESTEST. FRIENDS. EVER. And she knows it's not the kitty's fault that it's stinky.
2) Kaylee Frye: She's the engineer from Firefly and I relate to her character so well. She's spunky, always likes to try out different things, and wants to be both a girly-girl but loves doing what she's doing (taking care of an entire spacecraft haha).
3) Rachel Jensen: This character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall is BASICALLY ME -- except for the whole having a kickass job at a Hawaiian resort and all. But her ex-boyfriend's name and the main-character-whom-she-falls-in-love-with are basically my ex-boyfriend's and now boyfriend's name (haha, anyone who IDMB's this movie will now know their names!). Rachel is the kind of girl who likes to resist change but welcomes adventure. My kind of gal.


1) Japan: I've had an obsession with Japan for the longest time. Mostly due to Pokemon/Sailor Moon and the Final Fantasy video game franchise and Kingdom Hearts which introduced me to Utada Hikaru, who is an amazing singer. I love everything about the culture, the food, the music, and the sakura (cherry blossoms). Can't wait to go there one day!
2) Hungary: Besides being The Boy's homeland, so much about this country is inviting. Spas in every single city, an amazing amount of history and architecture, an entire street in Budapest dedicated to pedestrian shopping, and the Danube runs right through it making for some romantic times on a boat, perhaps?
3) England: Provider of Harry Potter, David Beckham, fish and chips, and many other things. I'd love to travel around London, see what it's like to be on the other side of the road, and see if my imitation of a British accent would fly over there (apparently it's very Cockney). All these countries will be visited by me one day, I promise!

Hit the shuffle on your iPod – list out the 3 songs:
- ‘Little Bit' by Lykke Li
- ‘I Could Say' by Lilly Allen
- ‘Man On The Run' by Dash Berlin

3 daily must-haves:
- Coffee! If you couldn't tell well then, now you know.
- A cuddle with my dog. He makes my days a little bit brighter!
- Talking to The Boy sometime during the day (cheesy, I know).


3 things you're confused about:
- Why Kanye West feels the need to jump up on stage all the time. It's like dude, sit DOWN for once and let the awards show continue without your rude and often pointless interruptions.
- Why people feel the need to listen to their mp3 players at FULL BLAST while on public transportation. A) I'd like to listen to my own music, thanks; and B) often your music taste is so horrible that it gives everyone around you headaches; C) you're going to go deaf soon. Turn it down, por favore.
- Why I'm still hungry ... I ate meatballs for dinner and then had a small bowl of multigrain Tortilla chips with salsa and I'm still hungry. Stoopid time of the month (err, too much TMI?).

Browse your DVD rack or bookshelf – pull 3 out at random:
- The Prestige - an amazing movie, reminds me of The Illusionist but this one has two great-looking guys in it, haha.
- Spirited Away - one of the greatest animated films EVER.
- Mickey Blue Eyes - such a random film, but ya gotta love how Hugh Grant attempts an Italian accent.

3 things you’d wish you’d known (earlier):
- Used books are always the way to go, you save so much money.
- That sometimes that item of clothing that looks GREAT on that girl you saw walking by might look like utter crap on you. Wear something that suits you :)
- That wearing black liquid liner on your upper lid isn't that hard to apply as you once thought, and that period between 18-19 when you just wore black liner on the lower waterline made you look pretty ridiculous.

If you had to date a celebrity, who would it be?:



Nevermind that two of these three are already married. But Tom Welling has amazing eyes/cheekbones (which The Boy also has, score!), Henry Cavill is utterly gorgeous and his bum in the first episode of The Tudors is top-notch, and Matthew Goode has amazing charm and a beautiful accent - plus that picture of his is very inviting. All 3, please!

If you were a celebrity, what would you be?:
Probably a songwriter or a director/actress. Confession: when I was little I pretended I was part of a successful girls' group and drew album covers and also pretended I was an actress. I was a silly child.

If you had to give your blog a face-lift, what would you tweak (layout/content-wise):
Hmms, I'm happy with it design-wise, but maybe content-wise. My blogs are often so random that I'd want to have a bit more structure to it, or be able to update it a little more frequently!

Thanks for the tag Archana! I'll tag anyone who's up for doing it, and more specifically Fab Brunette, Little Tiara and Made You Blush.

Happy hump day everyone! I have to go read some Edgar Allen Poe ... yay, uplifting reading (haha).

sitting with a nose strip on ...

I'm sitting here with a Biore nose strip on my nose and all I can think about is how much I want to watch The Princess Diaries movie for the scene where Mia gets caught with it on her nose by a boy and then rips it off and says, "Ow." Not that I'd want to recreate that scene or anything. [Clearly I'd be insane if I did -- I'd much rather recreate the whole 'I'm a princess!' scenario.] Being an avid movie watcher though, there's so many scenes I'd love to recreate in everyday life. Pretty much every happy/romantic scene in Serendipity tops the list. And the song n' dance segment in Robin Hood: Men In Tights. Also, I'd love to have just an everyday moment where everyone is in sync and choreographed perfectly to a random song, just like in the movies.

Is there a movie scene you'd love to recreate?

Anyhoos, this Labour Day weekend has been pretty relaxing, and tomorrow it'll be full of more BBQ-ing and fishing at a lake. But in the meantime, I've also been tagged twice! Both of them involve little Q&A sessions, so I'm going to do them in different entries this week. Can't wait to do Archana's, but since I'm a little exhausted, I think I'm better suited for one-worded answers!

I received an award from the amazing Ramblings Of A Fab Brunette! Here’s how this one works: USE ONLY ONE WORD! It’s not as easy as you might think. Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It’s really hard to use only one-word answers. Then pass out the award to whoever you would like! - I tag/award Jessica, Andhari, Steph, and anyone else who'd like to do it!

1. Where is your cell phone? dying

2. Your hair? drying

3. Your mother? walking

4. Your father? watching

5. Your favorite food? pizza

6. Your dream last night? Sting(?)

7. Your favorite drink? coffee

8. Your dream/goal? teacher

9. What room are you in? "study"

10. Your hobby? graphics

11. Your fear? heights

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy

13. Where were you last night? home

14. Something that you aren’t? flexible

15. Muffins? sure!

16. Wish list item? EUROPE

17. Where did you grow up? Ontario

18. Last thing you did? milk

19. What are you wearing? PJ's

20. Your TV? F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

21. Your pets? Shadow!

22. Friends? adore

23. Your life? better

24. Your mood? tired

25. Missing someone? Boy

26. Vehicle? nonexistent

27. Something you’re not wearing? socks

28. Your favorite store? XXI

29. Your favorite color? blue

30. When was the last time you laughed? earlier

31. Last time you cried? Wednesday

32. Your best friend? amazing

33. One place that I go to over and over? school

34. One person who emails me regularly? Facebook(!)

35. Favorite place to eat? sanitary

Wow, that was hard. By sanitary, I mean anyplace that is sanitary ... I could eat anywhere, honestly. And as for the dream about Sting -- I did not understand it at all. Apparently it was a high school reunion with a bunch of people I don't normally hang out with and we were at a Sting concert -- except I only really remember one Sting song ('Desert Rose') so he kept singing it OVER and OVER again. Gotta love bizarre dreams.

If you haven't already, make sure to check out my giveaway, you enter up until Tuesday morning -- by Tuesday night I'll have the winners revealed, yahoo! If you have tomorrow off, enjoy it :) If not, I hope your Monday isn't too shabby!

I Can't; I Can; I Won't; I Will...

Today's, without a doubt, the busiest day of my weekend. Yesterday was just relaxing with The Boy, and going to the mall to pick up some photos, get an Orange Julius light smoothie (which was delish, but expensive even with the $1 off!), and get a birthday card.

But now, it's grocery shopping in half an hour, then going off at 1pm for a road trip with five other girls to a beach/park for my close friend's birthday. We'll be bringing our own food, swimming in the pool ... ahh, lovely. Another summer day for me (sorry Sarah, I'll quit with the summer entries soon)! Then, once I get back, it's off to pre-drinking for The Boy's best friend's birthday party. Two birthday's in one day = I shall be very tired.

On that note, I wanted to make this quick (but that never happens) and follow in the footsteps of this lovely lady and this fab brunette and do a rendition of I Can't; I Can; I Won't; I Will; I Shouldn't; I Should.

I Can't:

• Stop biting my nails. It'll never stop ... which is sad, since my nails look nice longer.
• Go one day without singing, even if it's random things like stinky feet, stinky feet...
• Do hairdos. I have to ask my Mom to put my hair into ponytails/braids. Still a child.
• Wait to travel to Europe ... though that involves graduating first!
• Stop rambling. It will always happen, especially when hyper.
  

I Can:

• Recite pretty much every line to the first Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean movie, as well as Robin Hood: Men In Tights. Classics.
  
• Play about eight songs on the guitar ... and then make up a bunch with the seven or so chords I actually remember, haha.
• Be the clumsiest girl you will ever meet. I say "Ow" at least eighteen times a day.
• Start writing 49891841981 novels and NEVER. FINISH. ONE.
• Ride my bicycle pretty far ... it's fun.
  

I Won't:

• Be going swimming today, unless my friends persuade me (darn womanly thing).
• Have enough money, nor computer requirements, to get The Sims 3 anytime soon. Le sigh.
• Read just one book. I have to read at least three at one time.
• Have time to get dressed in 'clubbing gear' for this evening. I'm going to look like I've come from the beach, basically. Fantastic.
• Stop listening to Japanese music, even though I only understand a few words.
  

I Will:

• Keep exercising three times a week. It's good for you, Nikolett! Don't get lazy!
• Be celebrating two birthdays in one day. Pandemonium, I say!
• Drink lots of coffee this morning to stay pumped for two birthdays, fo sho.
  
• Keep loving my friends & family, and miss the ones I haven't seen in a while.
  

I Shouldn't:

• Keep worrying about petty things, worries far-off in the future. Bad habit.
• Spend so much money on make-up. Save for Europe, woman!
• Mistake lawnmowers for thunder. It's a clear day out, there'll be no rain!
• Try to hold two things at once. It's likely that one of them will spill.
  

I Should:

• Finish a novel.
• Be more brave about singing my own songs.
• Tone ze body more until ve are happy, ja?
  
• Stop pretending I can speak so many different languages.
• Ooo, on that note, learn how to speak many languages! JA! JA!
  

Let me know if any of you do this, and I hope you all have an amazing Saturday :)

two coffees a day keeps the ...?

This weekend was a combination of a lot of rum and coke's, a lack of sleep, and a LOT of coffee (which is my favourite, but I was a little desperate for it since I've been on the verge of passing out everywhere)! Friday we celebrated The Boy's 22nd birthday yet again, but this time it was a house party at his place with a bunch of his closest friends.

Now, here's where I make another confession -- I've never been drunk. Never suffered a hangover, never puked due to alcohol ... the most I've been is buzzed and tipsy. On Friday, it was just a nice buzz, confirmed by a girlfriend when I asked, "Why does my head feel fuzzy?" But the birthday boy ... well, that was another story altogether. The Boy made a walking trip to get more booze only to find the place was closed, and then went to a pub with one of his friends and grabbed a couple of beers. When they finally came back, he had a bunch of flowers in his hands for me, and he said he wasn't sure where he picked them from. Very sweet, even though he was smashed!

Then, his friend pressured him to drink a couple of more shots. The result? Catastrophe. I spent the rest of the night nursing the birthday boy through five separate throw-ups, and somehow managed to stomach eating pizza WHILE he was doing that. I guess that's amore (or disgusting)!

After he finally passed out - DIAGONALLY, on the bed - I slept about 4 hours that night, after cleaning up his place. I'm an awesome girlfriend, haha. He spent Saturday making it up to me and grabbing me lots of coffee and food, so it was awesome though tiring! Saturday night I hung out with a couple of girlfriends -- going to Williams' Coffee Pub and grabbing me a blended iced cappuccino, since I was so out of it.

Basically, two coffees a day keeps the sleepiness away, if only temporarily! I hope you all had a blast this weekend and thanks so much for the sweet comments for Wednesday Wishes, I'll definitely continue it!

Recipe Of The Week: I'm in the summer mood, even if the weather isn't completely agreeing with me. So, this time I'm sharing something I really want to make during the next few months: Very Berry Summer Cake! I love the fact that the recipe mostly depends on yogurt, I've never made a cake like that before. If I ever attempt it, you know I'll for sure fill you in on how it went!

And, since it's been a while since I've updated (only once last week = not good!), I'm loading this entry with a little five-question meme from Under The Sheets-Shh, which you all should try out, too!

The Five Questions Are:
1) What topic would you write your book about?
I'm actually trying to write a book right now! I'm on pg40 so far, and it's about a mid-twenties girl who is a graphics designer and is dealing with love lost and asking whether she should change herself or if there really is that guy out there that can love her for her. Full of silly humour, but also really relateable, I think!

2) What is one of your guilty pleasures?
The elixir of life -- coffee. If you couldn't tell already!

3) What are some of the things you do to get yourself out of a bad mood?
Drink coffee, talk with The Boy, play The Sims or Rollercoaster Tycoon, spending 15 minutes playing with my adorable dog, or blasting music and singing along with it!

4) How long do you think it will take to get the U.S. economy back on track?
Well, they've done it before so I'm sure they'll manage to do it again. While I'm Canadian, Obama did promise change and hopefully he'll live up to his word and manage to devise ways to bring the economy back around!

5) Do you think there is a fine line between creepy and romantic?
Oh goodness, yes. Based on a friends' experience: if you've only been dating for two months, talking about your kids in the future and saying 'I love you' after every single sentence in a text message is not romantic -- it's creepy AND too soon. I think creepiness also depends on how the two people mesh together in a relationship. Edward from Twilight is creepy just overprotective, haha.

Let me know if you fill this out too, I'd love to read them!
Have an awesome start to your week!

an 'exotic' getaway

Since I won't have any time tomorrow, I decided to update my recipe of the week tonight with something I actually made tonight - Greek pasta salad! The only thing I'd recommend changing in that recipe are sun-dried tomatoes to substitute for the tomatoes ... they are heavenly.

The reason for making the Greek pasta salad? My 'exotic' getaway tomorrow with The Boy. For his birthday this weekend, I'm taking him to an amusement park complete with whales and dolphins ... which is quite exotic, or at least foreign to our native Canada. So I decided to add a picnic into that mix with Greek pasta salad, rolled sandwiches, and ... pizza. Err, that's Italian and exotic-ish?

What's your version of a getaway look like?

I'm really excited, because after having spent the last few days cooped up inside, only leaving to go to school or grocery shopping, I've found it's nice to have a getaway. And getaway's can come in all kinds of forms: a bubble bath, cuddling on the couch while watching TV with a loved one, having a picnic in the park, taking a road trip, or a 'real' getaway involving leaving on a jet plane and not knowing when I'll be back again enjoying something new.

While I'd love for my getaway to consist of lying in a boat at the edge of a beach, enjoying the sunshine and feeling a tropical breeze, I suppose: i) being at an amusement park with rollercoasters and such; ii) being with The Boy; and iii) having a (hopefully) delicious picnic is good enough for me!

By the way, thank you all SO much for your advice about make-up. I didn't end up going to the mall this weekend but plan on going next week with lots of knowledge in mind about the best Mac products, and be willing to try out something new!

Also, Ramblings Of A Fab Brunette tagged me in the honesty scrap, but I've already done it here, if you'd like to check that out! If you want me to do it again, I can! As for the awards, I'm handing 'em out to:
1) BonBon Rose
2) Cafe Fashionista
3) Teasingly Diverse
4) That Girl Is Hoisin
5) anyone else who wants to do it!

long time no see!

It's been a while, I know! School has finally stopped wreaking havoc on my free time & social life, albeit momentarily. In two weeks I start summer school and will learn all about Shakespeare, but I've decided to update more here! In the next coming weeks, there will be a serious revamp in the way it looks, with more consistent updates. Excited?

First off, lots of memes tagged by Margarita! The first one is: You have to post ONLY ONE picture that represents your personal interior design style. Seeing how I'm on a Sims 2 craze of making/designing houses (yes, I am lame and play computer games instead of blogging when I do manage to have some free time), I already have an idea of what kind of style I'm into. But finding just one picture to represent that is incredibly hard. I was half-tempted to just take a snapshot of a Sims 2 house I designed, but instead, turned to Flickr.

And found this beauty:

For me, I'm all about comfort with a modern flair. I love wide open spaces, with large windows to get a great look on the outdoors, and almost make it feel like the outdoors is reaching in. I love modern-looking couches with enough back support so that you feel comfy yet stylish at the same time. In this picture, that brief hint of a modern fireplace is amazing. Cuddling on a couch and hearing the fireplace roar, or sitting nearby the window with some coffee and watching the world around you. I love bright pieces that are warm, and have a bit of an obsession with lamps (I LOVE LAMP). So for me, this picture summed up my interior personal style the best!

Could you see yourself visiting my house if it was designed like that (haha)? And what would your own personal style be?

honesty!

Another meme, tagged by Margarita!
It's:

The Honest Scrap award comes with a caveat or 2. Firstly you have to tell your readers 10 things about you they may not know, but that are true. Secondly you have to tag 10 people with the award.

So here goes!

1) I have an obsession with creating new coffee concoctions with my blender. Putting in Skor chips, table cream, hot chocolate powder, coffee, and milk and blending it up is a perfect way to start my day ... or a perfect mid-afternoon treat. Of course, it gets my parents mad that a washed and wet blender is sitting next to our sink almost every single day.

2) As much as I know that money can't buy happiness, I have way too many fantasies of traveling the world and hitting up boutiques to buy items that no one else has. Which leads to me browsing online stores and wishing I had a credit card.

3) I just finished a multimedia project that I wrote, directed, and played a part in. It was nerve-wrecking, it was exciting, and yet ... in the end, there's still something missing. I'm still proud of it, though!

4) Whenever I leave the house without my mp3 player, I feel like I've left behind a part of myself. The bus without my music is a depressing bus ride. Which leads to:

5) Sometimes, when I'm really 'in the groove' and listening to music on the bus, I try to ignore people I see from school in hopes that they'll leave me alone so I can continue listening to my music. So I stare out the window. A lot.

6) My guitar sits right next to my computer desk, but I only pick it up about once a month. I'm afraid I'll forget how to play, but at the same time, know I'll never be a great musician.

7) It is my goal in life to know how to make at least twelve different kinds of chicken. So far I've made chicken cord en bleu and chicken alfredo.

8) I would love to have: a loft in New York City, a beach house in California or Hawaii, an apartment in Tokyo, a cottage in Hungary, a small house in Poland, and a larger house somewhere in Ontario. Of course, that would mean I would have to be a millionaire first.

9) I might be getting drunk for the first time next week ... shh! After the pain of third year, I am ready to grab some vodka, mix it with some juice (strawberry kiwi, preferably), and let loose! ... responsibly, of course.

10) I cannot wait to lounge on the beach with my boyfriend, looking perfectly tan in a white bikini haha.

If you want to do this, feel free to!

better than coffee #02 & the letter 'L'

Ah, I'm a day late in my 'better than coffee' list! It's been hard managing my time lately with school and social things, so that's why I've been M.I.A. lately (and no, I don't mean the singer!). So I decided to combine a 'better than coffee' list with a meme I was tagged in by Fab Brunette, which is to list 10 loveable things about the letter 'L'.

It was a toughie, but here goes!

1. Love
A little predictable, but who doesn't love love? Having that amore in your life just spruces things up, can make you feel like a better version of who you are -- or maybe just bring out the true you. Love can come in so many forms, and it's a beautiful thing to share.



2. Letters
I still haven't gotten over the excitement of getting something in the mail for me. Opening up that envelope and seeing a card/letter/whatnot inside feels me with glee, and I hope snailmail never goes out of style!



3. Lips
Whether it's putting some lipgloss on my own lips or being attached to a lovely pair of lips for a luscious kiss (wow, that's a lot of l's in that sentence), I love me a pair of lips!



4. Lindor Chocolates
And I love putting these chocolates in my mouth and licking my lips with satisfacation. I crave these things like nobody's business!



5. Leighton Meester
Whether she's being Queen B or just her regular self, she's got a style that I admire.



6. Lashblast Mascara
One of my favourite drugstore mascaras from Covergirl, I love the huge wand and how nice it makes my lashes look!



7. L.A.M.B.
Gwen Stefani and I have one thing in common -- our love and appreciation for Japanese culture. So her line of clothing, purses, and perfumes is something I drool over, even if the only thing I own from her is a Harajuku Lovers perfume!



8. Lauren Conrad
So many love to hate her, but I have to admire her for getting what she wants -- her own clothing line -- while having the cameras on her 24/7. Plus the drama that revolves around her life is definitely my guilty pleasure!



9. Long Weekends
Having just had a week off from school, I realized that happiness can come in the form of an extra day off from school/work/etc. Long weekends usually mean more time with family/friends/loved ones or can just mean an extra day to browse videos on Youtube. Either way, long weekends rock.



10. Life
It's something that some take for granted, and it's something that can feel like it's in pieces. But I wouldn't be able to finish off this list without mentioning life itself. Embrace it, fill it up with things you love most, because you've only got one (life)!



If you'd like to be given a letter, just leave a comment!