those little surprises

It might seem obvious that surprises are unexpected, but I find unexpected surprises to be the best kind of surprise. Whether it's a week of gorgeous weather that shows up and makes it feel like summer, or a package that comes in the mail, or one of those days where time feels like it's just stopped, or being pleasantly surprised that The Hunger Games lived up to your expectations. 

So even though that unexpected week of warmth was followed by getting snow and a cold (thanks, grade 5 students, for still coming to school when you're coughing your lungs out), I enjoyed that week getting to wear skirts and sandals, looking for flowers, and eating sundaes with The Boy. And when my feet ached from wearing those sandals I haven't worn in nearly a year, another unexpected surprise came in the form of a package from Kat, full of things from The Body Shop to pamper my feet with. Thank you so much, lady! 

Other unexpected surprises: getting a package from Krissy with a ring that just screams computer nerd and a lovely necklace that I can't wait to wear in the summer, having a live band listen to my request and play "Benny and the Jets" in a pub with teacher college friends, hearing that my cousin in Poland is engaged (my first Polish wedding, maybe?), being surprised every time one of my grade 5 students says, "You're a really fun and good teacher!" even when I'm teaching math, and surprised at my motivation to actually go to the gym.

Tonight I'm probably going to try to relax with a cuppa tea and a few episodes of Flower Boy Ramen Shop, continue with some graphics designing and web-brainstorming, lesson plan, and then get ready for tomorrow! 

'Til then, here's what I've been up lately in picture-form. 

But wait! Here's the winner of the Starbucks gift card + random bag of goodies:

Katy from twentyfourcarat.net! Congrats! (And visit her blog if you haven't yet!)

Exploring the jungles of a greenhouse and admiring the flowers.

On a walk down by the bay :)

Seeing how many glasses we can stack on top of each other on a wild Friday night ;)

Embracing my inner Katniss and my ticket stub from Tuesday night.

Another unexpected caffeine-related surprise & my new ring! :)

What's an unexpected surprise you've had recently?

P.S. If you like postcards, prepare yourself for a postcard-filled April!

Hope you've had a great weekend so far! :)

a good meal {giveaway}

“The pleasures of the table belong to all times and ages, to every country and every day; they go hand in hand with all our other pleasures, outlast them, and remain to console us for their loss.”

- Jean Anthelme Brillat Savarin, The Physiology of Taste

Over the past week, I've really enjoyed those moments of being at the table with people I care about, enjoying a meal and reflecting on life. In a world of such hustle and bustle, it can seem almost a chore to sit everyone down at your dinner table - and, I'll admit, a good 3 out of 5 dinners with my parents involve us looking through separate newspapers or reading books instead of actually conversing.

This quote stood out to me because it doesn't necessarily say the pleasure of food, but rather the pleasures of the table. Dinner can be used as a cause for a birthday celebration, a job promotion, an engagement party (congrats Mel!), a catch-up afternoon after a long time of not seeing someone, or an intimate getaway for two. It's those memories that linger, and while a bad meal can tarnish that memory, it's the people I'm with that certainly make it worthwhile. 

The two days off thanks to 'Family Day' in Ontario and an extra day off from my teachers college for the president of the university (so random) inspired me to explore my kitchen. I honestly would love to cook and bake any moment I can, if only my kitchen was bigger and I had more spare time.

During those days off I made apple cinnamon streudel muffins, which was my first attempt at ever making muffins and I gotta say, they turned out pretty good! On Pancake Tuesday I made pancakes for the first time in forever (making me wish I was more like Bree), and then made some dinner for me and my tata while my mom was at work. It felt nice, even though the worse part of making food is definitely the cleaning up (no matter how hard I scrub, I swear there's pieces of food that just magically appear on a bowl once I clean it). 

Recipe adapted from here with slight changes: 

chopping two apples and grating one, and putting a half-cup white sugar and half-cup brown sugar into the batter. 

Last weekend provided yummy bubble tea and moments to catch up with my closest friends that I unfortunately don't get to see that often. Our go-to place has become that bubble tea restaurant with its $1.00 dine-in special where we always get french fries and fish balls (which tastes way better than it sounds).  And while we usually take advantage of all the board games there, from Jenga to cards to checkers, the last few times have been spent just talking and laughing, and I enjoy it just the same. 

Valentine's Day combined great company with delicious food. We had bruschetta with goat cheese and two separate pastas along with amazing Caesar salad (and of course, chewy gummy candy for dessert). The Boy and I hit up an Italian eatery and talked about life, love, and a little white box that popped up on the dinner table midway through the meal (a necklace from him that I adore!). 

I'm definitely thankful for the moments where I can sit down with the people I love and care about and enjoy the pleasure of being in their company (and the pleasure of food, too). To celebrate that - and to celebrate three years of blogging - I'm going to have little giveaways each Sunday for the next few weeks so that you can indulge in a good meal, too. First up:

A Starbucks gift card ($15) along with a few of my favourite teabags.

There's nothing like good conversation over a warm drink and a cake pop.

To Enter:

(1) Be a follower of this blog!

(2) Write in the comments "Enter me!"

Open to local and international bloggers alike!
Next Sunday's giveaway (teaser alert) is about a good meal at home.

And since this whole post has been about food (a first!), I have to ask:

What's your go-to meal? 

What's a dinner you'd have every week if you could?

Hope you've had an amazing weekend!

i choose you

This Halloween, no dress-up is required. I am going as a sick lady :P Yesterday I lost my voice, overnight I've developed a nasty cough, and this morning I threw up. So tonight I'll be napping and ignoring all the kids ringing the doorbell (sorry!). 

On the plus side, I got to dress up last week since my teachers college decided to join in on the festivities a week early: 

I choose you, Staryu! I went as Misty from Pokemon ... though one classmate asked "Are you a fire-woman?" and a little piece of me died inside. I'm posing with a hippie and fellow classmate :)

And I was able to get into a semi-Halloween spirit a few weeks ago with a youth group I lead (along with The Boy and another girl), where our theme was falling for fall holidays. Oh yeah, we're full of cheese. We decorated owl cupcakes which was a hoot (yes, more cheese):

I was finally able to enjoy some autumn weather when my grade 8 class went on a retreat which offered gorgeous views like this one:

And this past weekend I was able to catch up with friends, have a horror movie marathon (full of [REC], [REC]2, and a downloaded version of Paranormal Activity 3, shhh), watch some Harry Potter and The Vampire Diaries with The Boy, and celebrate one of my best friend's birthday ... and getting sick at the same time haha.

With two of my best amigas. 

How are you enjoying your Halloween? 

And here's the winner of my "what a hoot!" giveaway - thanks to all who joined!

Congrats goes to the fashionista Erika - make sure to email me your address :)

Next up: more news about our upcoming shop, a Christmas card exchange (before I bring back the postcard project) and finally a new layout? :) Hope you're all having a good start to your week!

what a hoot

I've turned into a bit of a night owl in the sense that every night this week I've headed off to bed at 1am and woken up at 5:30am (all thanks to a gazillion presentations and tests and lesson plans due). Being able to sleep in (until 9!) and knowing it's a long weekend made waking up today so much better. And knowing that, for one last weekend, it's going to feel a bit like summer makes me want to pull out my camera and really capture the moment. Today I'm planning on doing a little exploration hike with The Boy (and catch up on The Vampire Diaries) and tomorrow's Thanksgiving dinner! What do you have planned this weekend?

Since I'm a bit of an owl right now, I thought I'd make the next giveaway a little owl-related! My fab sister, our mama, and myself are starting up an online shop with knits and blog designs come November, so hopefully you can enjoy some knitted warmth while sitting at your laptop enjoying a design. As a little teaser of what's to come, one part of the giveaway is an item from our future shop. The other is something I know I'd love to keep on my wall but that I would love to share with one of you, so here goes: the what a hoot! giveaway.

You'll get to have:

1) A lovely dictionary print from collageOrama (frame not included); and

2) An owl cup cozy from a future shop! (more details to come!)

How to enter?

Be a follower of this blog & enter with a comment that says "What a hoot!"

For extra entries?

1) Tweet about it and leave another comment with a link to your tweet!
2) Mention it on your blog and comment with a link to it.

3) Let me know what kind of items you'd like to see in a knit/blog design shop.

Open to both local and international readers :)

Winner will be announced October 23rd!

And to continue the 10 day 'you' challenge that I started last post, here's two songs that I've been constantly replaying over the past couple of weeks.

Florence + The Machine: "Shake It Out"
Anytime I'm in a rut, I play this song and "shake out" the stress.


Coldplay: "Paradise"
If only for it's epic minute-long instrumental intro. 
I'm actually kind of excited for their new CD.


Hmms, I smell a new mix a-brewin'... but for now:
Hope you have a great weekend!

sugar high + scarf winner!

After a long day of classes/work/what-have-you, sometimes the best thing you can do is just let loose. So me and The Boy went to a store yesterday that carries bulk - candy, cooking goods, the whole caboodle - and we acted like 12-year olds in a candy store. Which means a craaaazy sugar high :) Sometimes it's fun doing things you wouldn't normally do at "this age" ... sometimes it's fun just being a kid again.

Except, don't be the annoying kids that are on their "March break" here and decided that as a bit of fun, they'd knock over the huge mailbox onto the ground. Yeah, don't be like that.

So on that note (err, nice segway?), wish the lovely Tiara a happy birthday! She's now the legal age of 21, and she's such an amazingly talented and sweet girl who deserves some birthday greets, for sure. It's crazy thinking we first startd talking almost a year ago :) She's such a great person to talk to ... not to mention, she does awesome artwork! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIARA!

And to wrap up this celebratory mood, here's the winner of the Misiu Knits scarf - a homemade scarf that will be part of a little company me & mom are making. The scarf (similar to the photo to the left, but not that exact one hehe) will be going to lucky winner #21 (according to random number generator): 

Adele (:

CONGRATULATIONS LADY! Just send me an e-mail to confirm and give me your address. Oh, and the requirement of the winner is to do a photoshoot with the prize, haha :) 

Hope you have a beautiful day!

And I'll be having another giveaway earlier next month :)

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?)

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!

simple smiles #7

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

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

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


Such a cute note :)


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

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



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

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

Cheesy post is cheesy :)