not a white christmas

its boxing day here in canada! the day after christmas - here we call it boxing day - is usually day three of christmas festivities. i hope everyone had a wonderful christmas (or anything you and your family celebrate at this time of the year). although this christmas was a little less hectic and eventful than other christmas's (and there was no real SNOW) i had a great christmas and santa (and my family) was way too good to me. in the past we had something going on on christmas eve, christmas day and on boxing day. this year there was nothing planned for christmas eve (and i actually didn't make it to the boxing day event my uncle had planned). for me it was just christmas day - entirely fine by me!..

christmas morning - i woke up around 8:30 (shortly after my mom and my sister). when we wake up on christmas morning, we are allowed to empty our stockings. when we were younger and used to wake up way before our parents the rules were - we could go down to the living room and open anything in our stockings but were not allowed to touch anything under the tree. traditions stick, we still are allowed to open only our stockings until everyone in the house is awake. more often then not (recently) - our parents are up before all three of us (my sisters and i) are up.

 the presents are packed all under (and beside) the tree

 even the little fluff ball got spoiled this year

 guinness goes for the squirrel

most of guinness' presents were just placed in a bag under the tree. thats normal id assume - why would you wrap gifts for a dog?! well my sister decided to be different - she decided to wrap the present she got guinness. guinness was a pro at unwrapping the present. he dug his teeth in and ripped the paper right off that gift.

he's content with the gift .. he worked hard to get it. it kept him distracted why we opened our gifts

after we opened our gifts we had our usual christmas breakfast - eggs benedict for my family and an english muffin toasted with butter for me! (i dont like eggs). around noon terry came over and we exchanged gifts. he spoiled me too - i absolutely had no idea what he had for me.. complete surprise! i think he liked his gift too! :) terry and i took guinness for a christmas day walk and we watched a movie with my sisters. we prepped for my dads side's family christmas dinner we were hosting - small gathering this year, only my grandma and my aunt, uncle and my three cousins. all the other aunts/uncles and cousins couldn't make it this year!

then came the turkey, mashed potatoes, squash, broccoli casserole, carrots, STUFFING, gravy and dinner rolls (with lots of wine). followed by pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie and home made christmas cake (rum cake?). oh and tea and coffee! lots of food! way too much! but all delicious.
after dinner we played our usual gift game (in which everyone ends up with a small gift) - tradition. although it a much smaller gathering this year (considering we were missing 9 family members who are usually there on christmas day) and despite the fact i am bitter about the lack of snow.. christmas was fun and filled with great conversation and everything good and special!

i hope santa was good to you and your tummy is full with lots and lots of great food!

instagram diary..

christmas is in two days! i cant wait for way for turkey dinner and apple pie, family and merry christmas hugs!.. heres a little christmas-y picture post in honour of the up coming celebrations.

 my aunt came over and brought guinness a bag full of christmas gifts for the little fur ball. raw hide, cookies, toys and more cookies (and a gift card for me - i usually use petsmart gift cards for when i take him to the groomers)

our christmas tree all decorated and lit up                              home made egg nog (with baileys/rum)

i went to a work christmas party with a blind gift exchange. basically each person was to bring a gift worth approximately $15.00. everyone picked a number and beginning at number 1, each person was allowed to pick a gift from under the tree and open it or they were allowed to steal a present from someone else who had already opened one (there were 36 of us). the only rule was that each gift was only allowed to be stolen 3 times. once the 4th person has it, that gift is theres and no one can steal it. i was number 36! i got to have last choice and i ended up choosing the book and the coffee (absolutely perfect for me!).

 guinness got into our dads christmas present from my aunt. my mom caught him down stairs eating this chocolate bar. not good guinness, not good!

November Glossybox

the november glossybox was christmas themed and even better than i expected. since the price went up from $15 to $21 (which is a huge % increase) i definitely had higher expectations for the november box than i had for the others. i promise you it did not disappoint! i'd say this box is probably my favourite glossybox yet. 

november's box even came with christmas-y tissue paper and mini candy cane!

the perfectly selected products that made up the november glossybox:
1. Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolar Holiday Shades: i love getting nail polish and i loved the shade i got, all is glam, all is bright. it has a bit of a purple tint - its not something i would wear all the time but its perfect for around new years and it goes on nicely! i found i needed to layer it with a clear coat over to make it smooth (otherwise it is rough to the touch).. but i often layer nail polish with a clear coat to make it last longer anyways. FULL SIZE and valued at $10.99
2. Kryolan for Glossybox Blusher in glossy pink: this is absolutely adorable! i love the slightly rose cheeks in the winter while im so pale. you don't need a lot of this, the colour is fairly intense..a small amount is perfectly noticeable. FULL SIZE and valued at approximately $16.
3. Nexxus Salon Hair Care - Hydrate Kit: the hydrate kit comes with amazing smelling shampoo and conditioner. i used the products on my hair for the past week - they left my hair soft and smelling nice. these came in sample sizes but they were huge samples!
4. Vitabath: this is an exfoliating sugar scrub. it doesn't indicate anywhere whether it is a body, hand or face scrub (i just assumed it was a body scrub by the name vitabath) but i used it on my hands and arms and my skin felt so soft! i'm not too fond of the smell but i like the product very much. i'm not sure if this is a full size (full size usually runs between $15-18)
5. Maybelline MNY MY Gloss: the gloss goes on nice and doesn't have much colour. i normally dont buy maybelline but i was very impressed by this product. FULL SIZE valued at $7.49.

6. CUREL HAND & CUTICLE THERAPY CREAM: this is a bonus product! this cream is lovely. it goes on smoothly and it is not greasy at all. i wash my hands excessively and my hands get so dry (especially in the winter) so i always need to use cream. the problem with many creams is that they leave my hands oily/greasy and that really sucks when you are working on a computer and with paper work all day at work. the curel hand & cuticle cream is also nice and light, which i also like. some creams are so thick. FULL SIZE and valued at $3.99

thank you glossybox so very much! i can't wait until the december box!

christmas is on its way

its december again! the month where stores can play christmas music without complaints and christmas baking becomes my hobby. december 1st started my preparation for this holiday season with the chocolate advent calendar, christmas shopping and christmas tree cutting. my sisters and i have been getting chocolate advent calendar every december 1st since i can remember! one chocolate for everyday in a count down to christmas. i truthfully believe my parents will be buying us a chocolate calendar every december until we have children of our own - its a simple and common tradition.. then came the christmas shopping - christmas shopping excites me! i love shopping for the perfect gifts for family and friends - i like when there is room for creativity and thoughtfulness in the gift, some people are easy to shop for while others want whats on their list and no other. i've so far managed to get two partial presents for two different people.. id say its a good start!
another tradition of my family for the past few years has been to pick out and saw down a christmas tree for our house! all 5 of us put on our winter boots and warm jackets (guinness also got his sweater on) and we drove out to the christmas tree place we've gone for the past few years to scout out the perfect tree.
we now have our christmas tree decorated in our living room and christmas lights strung out outside our house.. im definitely in the christmas spirit!

we selected our tree and each took turns sawing it down.

 **proof i helped with the dirty work :)**

guinness observed.

i donated blood!

on the weekend i donated blood successfully! it may seem strange that the previous sentence ended in successfully but i promise, it doesn't always. i'll just give a brief history of my visits to the blood donor clinic:
- the first time i tried to donate i passed out during the it - they only managed to get 445 ml of my blood before i passed out (i believe they take about 610ml usually but i could be wrong). it was a bit embarrassing-
- the second time i gave blood- i gave the full 610 ml of blood but i fainted in the chair after giving. they took the needle out and asked me to put pressure with gauze on the puncture point and then i all i remember is waking up to nurses around me again.. nurses with smiles all around saying good job! they got the full amount.
-the third time i gave blood - my body temperature was too cold. i'm pretty sure the thermometer was reading 35.2 degrees celsius (37 is the standard) - the nurses sent me for hot tea and put a blanket on me for a few minutes - i ended up giving blood when they finally got my temperature up to 35.9 degrees, but it didn't go so smoothy and i felt freezing and weak the whole weekend.
- the fourth time i tried to give blood - my blood stopped flowing into the bag. for about 2 minutes the volume in the bag did not increase at all. the nurse actually had to remove the needle and put it back in in a different location. the area hurt so bad that i asked her to remove it and i didn't finish giving.
this was my fifth time and it was perfect! i've learned from the previous 4 times what to instruct the nurses to do after im finished donating, i've learned to drink lots of fluids and eat a good meal before. slightly less important..i've learned to bring music to keep my mind away from the thoughts of blood being drained from my body!
i am proud i was able to donate blood this weekend. i am proud that my parents and sisters go as often as they are able to. there are many reasons to give and so few reasons to not.
but then again- i've never been freaked out by the site or blood or getting needles so for me, it was just getting over the passing out thing.

so what wednesdays!

so what wednesday.. heard of it?
i have, this week im saying so what (and linking up with shannon)..!

so what if:

- im 25 and i go to bed at 10pm usually 7 days of the week
- i've started reading the scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne on three separate occasions and i cannot get into it and in fact have not got past the introductory chapter
- while wedding dress shopping with my friend for her wedding dress i also kept an eye out for my perfect wedding dress (far far future!).. i may have even made a few recommendations that were definitely my style, not hers
- i stayed an extra half hour after work so i could access employee discount coupons only accessible on the intranet at work  - and i even printed out a few.
- i go on amazon almost every day and add to my wishlist of books i want for christmas
- the main reason i was excited for the santa clause parade this year was for the penguin float and they didn't even have it - ultimately this just makes me dissappointed with the parade
- i prefer cookie dough to cookies
- my favourite christmas movie is Just Friends with ryan reynolds and amy smart -  this may not be your traditional christmas movie but it is mine.
- i've had the new taylor swift cd on repeat on my ipod since my boyfriend gave me the cd three weeks ago.


and in other news:
i'm i've made a challenge for myself: to write more, post more and make this blog what it used to be. i've had a few inspirational words sent my way recently and i'm taking them to heart.
honestly, i may not have anything interesting to say but i am going to think out on the screen more often or even just fill the page with pretty pictures 

.. to the quiet chaos driving me mad

when i started blogging this was easy - i always had something to say, i always knew what to write. it has become difficult and its driving me crazy. so many thoughts go on in my brain, i want to write about them but sometimes this is not the place. i've created a blog with one intention but i feel i ruined that the second i told anyone about it. 

some blogs are fashion blogs, some are diaries, some are to create awareness, many are lifestyle. this blog is a lifestyle blog - my life, my style... i write about anything in my life worth writing about. i find writing about my days easy - especially when there are pictures involved. writing about books i love, my opinions of controversial topics, holidays i spend with the people that matter to me  -  these are easy. what i find most difficult to write about are my thoughts and/or feelings. when writing about feelings it is important not to come off as some crazy, unstable, psycho girl craving attention. trust me.. thats hard! its hard to write about "feelings" without me sounding like some lovey-dovey, emotional wreck trying to get attention online from virtual strangers. im serious here - thats not the kind of person i am and its not the kind of person i want to be online either. in all honesty, i am  extremely emotional, overly sensitive, melodramatic - whichever term you choose to use - but i am in no way emotional (and on the verge of being unreasonable) to strangers or even distant friends - i save that for the people closest to me.

i guess im justifying this: the fact that im not writing as much is become emotionally there is way too much going on in my life.  the science student i am cannot organize the thoughts nice and lyrical like in order to smartly place them here (so to not come off as overly dramatic). i choose therefore, to not get overly emotional here. i choose not to write about what is personal yet constantly encapsulating my active thoughts. 

September Glossybox

the july glossybox i was thrilled about, i couldn't wait until the august one! when i got the august one i was so disappointed (not because it was not worth it or it had bad products - they just were not for me, the products). the september glossybox came and as soon as i opened it i instantly regretted making my complaints about the august box known to glossybox. the september glossybox was amazing! 
thank you glossybox soo much!

the september glossybox was all about red-carpet-ready glamour and was definitely valued at way more than the $15.00 per month we pay for this wonderful box. 
the september glossybox contained:

1. NYX the crimson amulet collection makeup palette: 24 different eye shadow colours, lip colours, blush, liquid eye liner and an eye shadow base. i haven't used the lip colour yet but i've tried a few of the eye shadows and i love the blushes that i tried! the glossybox arrived right before a wedding i went to so it was perfect! i was able to use colours i've never had before! (i dont often wear much make-up) - this is valued at $25.00!
2. Wella professionals mirror polish shine serum: this product is perfect to use on your hair after you straighten it. i find sometimes my hair looks very dry after i've straightened it but this serum gives my hair a nice shine. the smell isn't bad but its strong - this is valued at $16.99 and its full size!
3. B. Kamins Lip Balm SPF 20: its Canadian! thats a plus! :) and its a good product. its not scented, no colour to it and has SPF protection. no complaints here, i like it. - we got a sample size (4ml)
4. B. Kamins Maple Body Lotion: the smell of this lotion is subtle but nice. it goes on nice and is not oily - we got a sample size in glossybox (we also got a coupon for 25% off B. Kamins Lip Balm or Lotion if we purchase some from the website)
5. Dove Cleartone: i love dove and you can always use more deodorant. this particular cleartone product is supposed to reduce underarm discolouration cause by dry skin. i haven't used it yet but im betting it will like it just as much as all over dove deodorants - we got a sample size

*PS.. we got an email from glossybox yesterday indicating they are raising the price of their monthly subscription to $21.00 from $15.00. that is a pretty significant increase im not happy about... but i'll see how it goes*

"a good man"

i asked you if you were a good man, you gave me the wrong answer. 

the answer is not it's one's own perspective. the answer is not it depends. the answer has nothing to do with comparing you to another man, silly. the answer need not be yes, but should be proud. the answer to my question said by a good man should be positive and hopeful. 

a good man cares, learns and reasons. a good man is open to opinion and difference. a good man loves and respects, is stubborn and has believes. a good man seeks enjoyment and understanding. a good man notices, observes and analyses situations. a good man supports and inspires. a good man has passion, a goal, and a desire to do well. a good man is real, proud and honest. a good man is loved by many, in many different ways. a good man is everything i've listed here and much more.. in you my dear, i see a good man.

"waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. be one" - Marcus Aurelius

apple picking

its october! i believe october marks the first month of fall (although i've always considered september more fall-like then summer-like - probably because with september starts school). october/september is all about the fun, love and food.. according to me that is. since its my first fall with a full time job i find it a bit more difficult to get into the usual routines of fall photography and all sorts of baking with pumpkins. mmm pumpkin spice muffins! 
i did get a chance to go apple picking though! its become a tradition over the past few years and i love it. i'm never really sure when the best time to go apple picking is. we always seems to go around september or october but this year by mid september there were only courtland and gala apples available. no macintosh, my favourite!

two empty baskets ready to be filled with apples!

 

we ended up spending about $87.00 on apples! i think it was about $1.29 per pound so thats a fair amount of apples! my mom made an apple pie and an apple crisp for dessert. i was apple to make an apple pie for terry and his parents and my sister also took some back to school with her for her and her house mates.
while we were driving back home my dad accused my mom, my sister and i for stealing apples! we each ate an apple while we were there.. one we didn't pay for. we laughed about it but he does have a valid point. imagine how much money this farm is out if every single person eats one apple each time they visit. 

tiff 2012

my attempt to meet someone famous failed. i messaged my friend, printed the t.i.f.f schedule, packed my camera and headed to toronto all in an attempt to see a celebrity (or as some would call it - to star stalk) and i didn't see anyone famous! actually, its possible i did, but in all honesty i dont watch a lot of tv or follow news on celebrities in general, so i probably wouldn't even recognize them. im not too disappointed i didn't see any stars though - i was happy to be in the city for a day, shopping with a good friend.  and despite me not seeing anyone famous, there was a lot of excitement everywhere in the city. crowds were lining up to see film screenings and camera crew were everywhere! limos and security guards surrounding velvet ropes and red carpets. 

i love downtown toronto in general. its always exciting, the crowds were not abnormal. there were bands playing in the streets, free popcorn and ice cream being handed out, professional photographers offering to take pictures and free magazines.

oh did i mention free beer.. we also lined up for some free beer

after we had eventually given up on trying to catch a glimpse of a celebrity (meg more eager to give up than i) we decided to walk around some of the beautiful and ridiculously expensive neighbourhoods.. and do a little shopping.

the neighbourhoods in the city are lovely. in the busy city, these neighbours actually seem peaceful (this could be deceiving - i've never lived in the city to experience it) but i like it.
we spent from 10:30 to 4pm walking around city then my friend had to leave so i walked around 2 hours for by myself before i decided to catch the bus back home (it takes about an hour to get back to hamilton). i was walking past the ritz carlton through crowds of people when some man told me i should go into the bar, called DEQ, which was attached to the hotel. he said that is were all the celebrities are hanging out. he showed me his camera and he had a picture of him with colin farrell on it!.. if i was dressed nicer and still with meg i would have tried to convinced her to line up and go get a drink at the bar with me - but being alone at this point, i passed at that idea.
after i got home that night i found out that will smith and family and shia labeouf where exactly were i was taking pictures but 4 hours earlier than i was there! 
tiff 2012 - no star sightings by me.. darn - maybe next year.

i believe in wearing lipstick.. like audrey hepburn

lipstick.. not really my thing. i've never bought it in my life, i never thought it looked very good on me. some people pull it off well and it looks perfect, it just fits but im not one of those people. im not sure if i just dont have the confidence to pull it off or it really just doesn't do anything for me. anyways, this week i got the august glossy box and in it were two lipsticks.

the first colour is nice :). i like it. id wear it and i'd say i pull it off alright. its made specially for glossybox members, meaning you cant really buy it in stores.. but if i could, i may actually buy it.

the second colour is ridiculous. its intense and i dont know if there is ever a good time to wear it.

super bright! and as much as i hated it at first i kind of love it now. maybe i will find a time and a place in which it is appropriate to wear it. 

labour day weekend

 the labour day weekend has come to an end and september is officially in full swing. despite being sick since thursday, i was able to make the most of this long weekend.. but with lots of tea. i managed to do a lot of reading and watch a lot of buffy (yes buffy the vampire slayer.. 7 years ago it used to be my favourite show.. now its just absolutely hilarious to watch -  the outfits! oh the outfits!). i also went to the burlington rib fest, made some sangria, went on a roadtrip to stratford and took guinness on some nice long walks. 

rib fest wasn't bad. im not really a fan of ribs (i honestly detest eating anything off bones - ribs, chicken wings.. anything like that) but i do love barbecue sauce.. and barbecues.. mmm everything there smelt amazing! terry and i only tried the ribs from one vender (you are supposed to try a few and vote on your favourite) but we also didn't vote either.. oops. basically it was just a whole lot of people drinking beer and eating carcass - i feel its more a mans territory. 

on sunday we couldn't decide if we wanted to go rollerblading at the bayfront or go on a drive somewhere.. we decided on a drive and although terry didnt tell me where we were going at the time.. it ended up being to stratford. i had never been to stratford before - now i like it. it was my kind of town! used book stores and coffee shops and there was even horse and buggies (like the mid 18th century kind)..

i couldn't find the book i was looking for but thats alright.. terry ended up buying two books :)

         

yummm... chocolate covered espresso beans (some of the best!) and iced coffee

monday was spend watching the ti-cat vs toronto argo labour day classic and watching tv... it was a good long weekend.