Design Runway

Alphabet Soup: Letter A

2012-01-15T21:04:00.001-05:00

I'm going to do something new and try a new series of posts that I'd like to call "Alphabet Soup". I thought it'd be a fun way to share and highlight some of my favourite things from A-Z. So without hesitation, here is A: apples, Alice+Olivia, animal print, and so much more! What are your favourite things that start with A?

Marc by Marc Jacobs | Pave Apple Ring from Zappos Couture - $138 on sale for $88
Alexander Wang | Prisma Leather Pouch from Net-A-Porter - $235
Topshop | Scottish Fine Soaps in Green Apple - $8
Aritzia, A Moveable Feast | Neil Jacket - $225
Tiffany & Co. | Apple Charm in Sterling Silver - $175
Aritzia, T.Babaton | Abstract Animal Tinsley Blouse - $110
Topshop | Animal Print Zip Bralet - $55
Kenneth Jay Lane | Apple Charm Necklace from The Outnet - $75 on sale for $34
Topshop | Asymetric Cut Out Dress by Rare - $55
Alice + Olivia | Dorothy Sequin Dolman Top - $396 on sale for $158
LUSH | Amandopondo Bubble Bar - $7.95
Aritzia, TNA | Army Scarf - $50

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

2012-01-09T20:40:00.001-05:00

First and foremost, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my friends, readers, and followers! Hope you all made great memories last year and are ready to make some more! I rang in the new year while on a short trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with my friend Livia. Due to the nature of the trip, we didn't end up taking too many pictures, but the weekend was full of eating, shopping, and gambling at the new Sands Resorts & Casino in Bethlehem. We surely lacked sleep over the three days, but it was well worth it.

The start of a new year is always exciting to me as the symbolization of a new beginning, new opportunities, and more good times! I have really high hopes for 2012 and I'm excited to see it all unfold. I am currently in the process of starting a new joint business venture that is set to launch in February, and along with vice chairing the TEDxUWO conference this year, I'm hoping both initiatives run smoothly and successfully! But even more importantly, 2012 is the year of my graduation. It's crazy to believe that four years of undergrad have flew by so quickly, but I am extremely excited and eager to start the next chapter of my life in "the real world". I couldn't be more ready and I welcome the future with open arms. Bring it. :)

MoRoCo Chocolat

2011-12-27T21:02:00.001-05:00

Chocolate. Macarons. Luxury. Check, check, and check. Tack on a pricey bill at the end, and you've got MoRoCo Chocolat. Known as one of best chocolate boutiques in Toronto, I finally had the opportunity to try out MoRoCo on a whim one afternoon when Joey and I were hiding out from the rain. Serving everything from actual three-course meals to dessert fondue and afternoon tea, we eventually decided on trying out their famous 'sipping chocolate' and a couple macarons for a sweet afternoon snack.

Joey decided on a small pot of 66% dark chocolate while I tried the white chocolate with orange and vanilla. Don't let the wording mislead you, though. An individual "pot" of sipping chocolate is really only 3.5 ounces, and at the premium price of $12, we were expecting something orgasmic. We also had lavender, vanilla, and salted caramel macarons. While everything was extremely sweet and satisfied our sweet tooth cravings, nothing was especially unique or overly delicious and memorable. The decor was gorgeous and charming, but it's one of those places where you pay for the sake of enjoying the environment and "status" of being able to afford such luxuries. With an end bill of over $60 for simply dessert for two and a mandatory gratuity fee charged at 18.5%, we concluded that it was an interesting experience and we probably won't be returning unless for a special occasion.

Wish in Toronto.

2011-12-18T15:48:00.001-05:00

My friend Joanne (who recently started a food blog-- check out Foodie Roll!) and I are both so indecisive that we took over two hours the night before deciding where we wanted to go for lunch the next day. With so many interesting options downtown Toronto, it was nearly impossible for us to pick. We eventually settled on trying something new at Wish in Toronto at Yonge and Bloor.

From the get go, we admired the cute little covered patio outside, which would have been perfect for a Summer's day. Wish, both a cafe and bar, is quite small, but has a quaint and unique atmosphere with really interesting artifacts and decor scattered across the dining area. From the menu, both Joey and I were drawn to the burgers and tried out the turkey avocado and lamb and goat cheese burgers. While they were definitely not the most enticing or unique items on the menu, we were quite satisfied with our meal that was filling and delicious. I've heard great things about weekend brunch at Wish, so I definitely have intentions of making another visit there, especially in the Summer so I can also enjoy the lovely patio!

Twenty one candles.

2011-12-11T19:45:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I turned twenty one. Between the small party I had last week, multiple birthday dinners and cakes, a surplus of balloons, and an endless night of beer pong and poker, I couldn't have felt more loved this year. Besides the first time being "caked" (which, by the way, is not fun), I had a great birthday spending time with those I love the most. I blew out birthday candles FOUR times this year and wished for the same thing every time; does that mean my chances have multiplied? Partially kidding.

Point G macarons.

2011-12-05T14:23:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I last blogged, as I've been constantly reminded by several of my dear friends. Today I was thinking that I should start blogging at least once a week in the new year. But on second thought, why wait? Not that I'm against New Year resolutions, I just think that any day of the year is the perfect day for setting goals and there doesn't need to be a reason for it. So here we go... a blog entry a week, starting now. :)

The other day I tried some macarons made by Point G in Montreal, QC and they were quite possibly the most delicious macarons I've ever had! Other than the usual school and work, there hasn't been anything overly exciting going on. Exams and my birthday are around the corner, and then Christmas! It's crazy how time flies. December, already? About this time last year, our cars were snowed in, transit stopped running, and the University closed down because of the snow. This year, it's still green and mildly warm... not that I'm complaining. Has everyone started Christmas shopping yet?

Club Monaco Fall 1 Lookbook

2011-10-11T15:47:00.002-04:00

Lately I've constantly been in a shopping mood (wait, when am I not?), but have been trying increasingly hard to hold back. This semester I'm taking a "Consumer Economics and Resource Management" course (aka Personal Finance 101) as an elective and it has really opened my eyes to learning more about saving. For the last four years I have worked year-round, whether it may be full-time jobs in the summer, part-time during school, and freelance gigs on the side-- but what I'm trying to get at, is the realization that I would have a whack load of money had I been more wise with my spendings. That being said, I'm going to put an effort into saving and investing my money (no, not investing in shoes and purses) without having it put a huge damper on my usual lifestyle. I guess we'll see how this goes. Being a complete hypocrite, I did recently make one huge purchase though, and that's the iPhone 4s that I pre-ordered last week. I'm just going to let that be an exception... (cough, a thousand dollar exception...)

But while I'm going to try and hold back on spending on clothes and accessories mostly, there's nothing wrong with a little eye candy. These are shots from Club Monaco's Fall 1 Lookbook; both the women's and men's collections were so pretty, I just had to share. What are you lusting for this Fall?

Holding onto Summer at Grand Bend.

2011-09-22T14:42:00.001-04:00

In honour of the last week of Summer, my friends and I decided to brave it up and enjoy one last day at the beach. Regardless of being one of the few people at Grand Bend this past weekend, we endured the semi-cold winds and still had a blast. Granted, the water was too cold to swim in (going in knee-deep was enough to make me shiver), but sharing light hearted conversation, laughter, junk food, and building sandcastles like little kids was all we needed to get us through the day. After a stroll along the boardwalk, indulging in way too many salt water taffies, and a cute little dinner at The Sunset House, we headed back to London and waved bye bye to Summer. Now it's really time to focus on school and recruiting.

So long sweet summer.

2011-09-09T14:29:00.001-04:00

This Summer flew by just like any other, but I'm walking away from it with a plethora of invaluable experience and memories that will last a lifetime. I've been a huge David Ogilvy fan for several years, and have always dreamed of getting my hands dirty in the advertising industry, of course, none other than the best, at Ogilvy. Little did I know this silly dream of mine would become a reality. This Summer, I worked in account management at OgilvyOne Toronto and what an amazing experience it has been. Let me first say that the advertising industry is much different than I had imagined (or that's depicted on Mad Men); there are glamorous days, but most of the time it's super busy, fast-moving, and full of surprises. Most nights are long (really, long), but what makes the ad industry different and bearable, is the people and the passion that comes along with these individuals. I was lucky enough to have the most fun, supportive, and amazing team anyone could've ever asked for. On my last day, I was unexpectedly given a giant card, and the most practical gift ever: an iPad work station/bluetooth keyboard-- something I've wanted to get for a while now. To my team, other co-workers that I had the chance to meet and spend time with, clients, and of course, fellow batcave boardroom ladies, thank you for making this Summer so memorable. It has been such a blast!

One chapter closes, and another one begins. I'm moving back to London this weekend to start my last year of undergrad and I've already got a checklist of things I want to do and achieve. For all those also headed back to school, I wish you the best of luck, but most of all, remember to have fun!

The customer is always right.

2011-08-21T23:05:00.002-04:00

For a while now I've been doing a lot of research on some quality in-ear headphones and finally decided on the Klipsch S4i. Did a little scouring around local flyers and Future Shop was coincidentally having a $20 off sale on those exact headphones. Perfecto. Off I went to Future Shop late one evening after work, just in time before closing, and left a happy camper excited to try out my new babies. The first thing I did when I got home was test them out. But hey... these don't look like Klipsch earphones?! Actually, they're APPLE earphones, AND they're broken! Believe me, I was livid. And the first logical thing for me to do? Tweet, of course.

Within ten minutes, @FS_Connect responds to my tweet with an apology and a resolution. Amazing. As a huge believer in social media and good customer service, I was very pleased with the exceptionally speedy reply. Today, I took it back to a store and when explaining to them the issue, the two CS reps looked at me with great skepticism. They eventually told me to go back to the store I purchased them from as they'll be able to help me. FINE. My friend and I were already annoyed with the attitude they had towards us (absolutely no apologies, sympathy, or friendliness even), but we de-railed our afternoon plans and made yet another pitstop. The Heartland Centre, Mississauga location was even worse. Again, a series of judging looks, questioning, and ultimately, no dice. On their end, I do understand that they have no way of proving that I wasn't the headphone-switching culprit, but shit. How frustrating is it on my end, to firstly receive the wrong product, and secondly, be accused of switching the product?!

These headphones cost a little over $100. To me, it's a good chunk to pay for headphones, but tacking on the hassle of dealing with this situation, the gas money accumulated from driving from location to location, and not to mention TIME, it should be a lot less significant of an issue for Future Shop. What's a bill to them? To a company that sells big ticket items on a daily basis? Here's a thought; let the customer exchange the headphones to the proper pair, let me be on my merry way, and deal with it internally afterwards. But nope. Now I'm awaiting a reply from the head office before being able to proceed with further steps. Time is precious and with this situation, time is well wasted. Have you had negative experiences with Future Shop before? I'd like to hear them. And being completely objective, if you think I'm being unreasonable, I'd also like to hear your reasoning.

On an entirely irrelevant note, I recently bought this super fun and bright maxi dress from BCBG. :) Too bad summer's ending soon.

Korean grill house.

2011-08-07T19:37:00.002-04:00

Nothing better than spending a late night with the boys alongside beers, meat, and more meat. Added to the experience of driving and parking downtown Toronto (never again), blasting music with the moonroof open, and ending the night with a very unique and surprisingly potent vodka-infused watermelon, it was nonetheless a good night.

In other news, I won a pair of Femme Fatale concert tickets from FLARE Magazine to see Britney Spears, and opening acts Nicki Minaj, Jessie and the Toy Boys, and Nervo! I saw Britney Spears two years ago on her Circus tour, but our seats were quite far back, which definitely took away from the experience. Some friends encouraged me to sell the tickets and treat myself to something more "tangible", but I figured I would never spend this much money on concert tickets for seats this close up and I might as well take advantage of this opportunity and enjoy it. So needless to say, I'm super excited. I'm expecting one hell of a night, Miss Britney.

Classic cupcakes.

2011-08-01T20:53:00.001-04:00

Practically everyone knows I'm a cupcake enthusiast, but when it comes to baking them myself, I'm embarrassingly horrible. From setting a toaster on fire, to melting a spatula while making grilled cheese, I'm notorious for screwing things up in the kitchen. I'm trying to change that, though! So here is my first attempt at baking cupcakes on my own, with absolutely no help or guidance. The vanilla cake recipe I used was from Martha Stewart and the chocolate frosting, well, I owe that to my friend Duncan Hines. They turned out better than I expected and for once, I was happy to eat something I baked myself. We all have to start somewhere, right? And sticking to my little cupcake theme, I wanted to share these cute little earrings I picked up at Forever 21. I don't see myself wearing them much, if at all, but I just had to add them to my collection. For less than a toonie, I can't go wrong.

The little things.

2011-07-26T16:39:00.001-04:00

For a couple days, my boss wasn't able to come into work for personal reasons, and unintentionally left a high profile project in my hands. Was I confused at first? Definitely. Worried? A little. But with the help of another supervisor, we were able to pull it together and kept things rolling until she returned. And when she did come back to work, she brought me a gerber daisy as a thank you. So unnecessary, but I really did appreciate it. And that's not to say that I need to be bribed with flowers to get work done; I think I'm pretty hardworking by nature, but to know that someone appreciates what you do... that's invaluable.

On a completely irrelevant note, while my family is in Vancouver for the week, I've been eating out way too frequently. Last week, I had a Summerlicious lunch at 259 Host with my friends Aaron and Cydon, half-priced wings at Gabby's with Joey, after work drinks and dinner at Elephant and Castle with Rach... to name a few. To say the least, I miss my parents, my brother, and home cooked meals! Not to mention that I'm extremely jealous they're enjoying a scenic vacation in the West coast while I'm melting in the Toronto heat.

Old Spaghetti Factory.

2011-07-14T16:55:00.002-04:00

Nothing beats meeting up for drinks and dinner after a long day of work with some lovely girlfriends. Last week, we caught up over some delicious pasta on the patio of The Old Spaghetti Factory.

I've been blogging really infrequently lately, but I've just been so busy with work that it has become lowest on my priority list. I'm trying to catch up with e-mails and questions, but I've found the most common thing readers have been asking me, is what kind of camera I'm using. I find it hilarious because I don't own, nor have I ever owned, a DSLR. As much as I've been eyeing them for years and I plan to pick one up by the end of the summer, I've been using my trusty little Canon Powershot SD1200. I'm not a photographer so I don't have many tips on that regard, but what I've found with point-and-shoots, is that they are capable of doing much more than most people realize. It's all about experimentation. Read the manual, but experiment on your own - it's all trial-and-error! When you get familiar with your own camera, you'll be surprised at the improvement in quality. You too can trick people into thinking you're rockin' a swanky fancy camera!

Oh, Canada.

2011-07-03T14:13:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I forget how beautiful Toronto really is. Sure, the city is no New York and the beaches don't have white sand and clearwater, but how much more can we ask for? Spending Canada Day on the island made me realize how much I love Toronto and how I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world. Happy birthday, Canada.

On an unrelated note, I want to start writing more again. This blog has turned into a photolog, and I mean, I'm neither a photographer or a writer, but if anything, the latter is what I enjoy doing and should do more of. We'll see how that goes.

Toronto Topshop opening.

2011-06-26T20:33:00.003-04:00

Last week, my coworker (yes, Mike, I'm talking about you!) was telling me about the grand opening of a Topshop location in Toronto. Score! Although I have yet to get a chance to visit the store in person, I've been scouring the online store, already picking and choosing things I want (aka should not) buy. The above: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. I'm clearly very predictable. Floral prints and peachy pinks, nudes, and neutrals... should be no surprise?

I have tons of backdated entries ready to be posted later on this week. And yes, to those who have been inquiring, I haven't forgotten about the MJ reveal-- but don't get your hopes up, it's not a stam bag as many of you have guessed (I wish). Oh, and isn't my car a beauty? Okay, my dad's car, but it might as well be mine! Three hundred and sixty five horsepower of pure beast! Ready for another week that lies ahead; let's dooo this.

Father's day.

2011-06-22T20:35:00.000-04:00

Spent the entire weekend with both sides of my family jam packed with father's day events, including a visit to my grandpa at the cemetery. When people ask, "If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?" I automatically think of my grandpa. I've never had the chance to meet him as he passed away before I was even born, but from what I've heard and read about him, he was a really honourable journalist, advertising man, and newspaper editor-in-chief, but first and foremost-- father. I almost feel like I'm subconsciously following in his footsteps, going down a similar career route, and I only wish he was around to walk and guide me through it. As for my dad, words cannot begin to express how much I love and appreciate him. Even as a child, he's always pushed me to be hardworking and successful, and although I didn't quite understand it back then, I am very appreciative of it now. I'm forever a daddy's girl. I know this is days late as I've been extremely busy, but to all the fathers and father-figures out there, I hope you had a fantastic father's day, because you absolutely deserve it.

Indefatigability.

2011-06-16T20:15:00.002-04:00

Spoon & Fork. Spider rolls. Silly faces. Cosmic bowling.
Between work, closing the deal with a client, and personal life, the past couple weeks have been ridiculously "stressful". And I use the word "stress" lightly, because I've always believed that it can be handled and managed, and should never be used as an excuse. My word of the summer? Indefatigability: tireless determination - and I finally believe that it has paid off. Lots more exciting news to come. Hopefully as things settle down, I'll start blogging more frequently again.

Marc Jacobs: new buy & QR technology.

2011-06-02T12:21:00.000-04:00

What could possibly be inside the dust bag... REVEAL SOON!
Has anyone seen this hand drawn QR code for Marc Jacobs? For those who aren't familiar, QR codes can be scanned with barcode readers on smartphones and typically lead to text information or a redirect to a mobile-optimized site. I for one am a huge advocate of QR technology and see the practice becoming more popular once businesses see the value in them and learn how to use them effectively. This QR code for Marc Jacobs is absolutely adorable and extremely unusual in design, so I doubted if a scanner would even be able to read the code. I was wrong. The scanner on my Blackberry picked it up instantly, but it unfortunately didn't lead to anything. Huge disappointment! Marc Jacobs definitely has the potential to launch a unique interactive campaign, or at the least, a mobile site, alongside this creative QR code. Hopefully that's something they're working on. I'm curious: Are QR codes used in your area? Do you have a QR scanner on your phone? Do you think this technology will last, or is it merely a passing trend?

If I could be anywhere...

2011-05-31T18:10:00.001-04:00

As humans, we make mistakes, some more significant than others. And naturally, you suffer consequences. But what happens when this mistake continues to follow you? What do you do when you can't get away from the past because it always catches up to you? When will it go away? Will it ever?
- - - - -
As much as the weather in Toronto is as hot as it would be in Cabo, if I could be anywhere in the world right now, that's where I'd be. These photos are from my trip to Cabo, Mexico a couple years ago, but I still clearly remember how beautiful the scenery was. Not to mention the infinity pool bars and the pure relaxation of the entire trip-- no deadlines, no technology (gasp, I know), no restrictions. Really though, I wish I lived closer to a beach (no, the dirty beaches in Toronto don't count). I envy those of you who do! If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?

House & home inspiration.

2011-05-29T14:50:00.001-04:00

(Image source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
I've always been a sucker for home-improvement/decorating shows and magazines. I finally joined Pinterest a couple days ago, and I've since been constantly pinning and awing at pretty pictures, especially in the House & Home section. As a student who lives two hours away from home during the school year, I've been constantly packing up and moving from place to place for the last couple years. I can't wait until I graduate, settle down, and can finally stay stationary at a place I can call my own. I really love the minimalistic and white/clean style when it comes to interior design, but I figure I have way too much stuff to ever live a minimalistic lifestyle. Clearly, I need to learn how to get rid of things-- purge, purge, purge. I'm also a huge fan of chandeliers, floor-to-ceiling windows, shiny lights, and decorative pillows that add a pop of colour to an otherwise boring room. When it comes to interior design, what are you in favor of? What don't you like?

Nordie's half-yearly sale.

2011-05-26T10:02:00.000-04:00

So Nordstrom's Half-Yearly sale is back on and I've spent the last couple hours browsing through the pages upon pages of on-sale goodness. Although I really shouldn't be splurging on anything materialistic right now, these accessories would've definitely been on my shopping list. I've had my eye on this Michael Kors watch for a while and I especially like this one because it's white with a hint of rose gold surrounding the watch face! Too bad Nordstrom's shipping to Canada costs an arm and a leg (as I found out while purchasing my MBMJ totally turnlock shifty satchel last Fall). Otherwise I really would've considered placing an order. But for those of you in the States, or international buyers willing to bare the high costs of shipping, what have you bought from the sale? Or what are you planning to buy and have your eye on?

Ruffles and other findings.

2011-05-24T14:23:00.001-04:00

1. MM Couture - Tiered Dress $78 2. BCBGeneration - Cascade Ruffle Dress $99
3. Milly - Stephanie Ruffle Dress $375 4. Amanda Uprichard - Lindsay Dress $198
With the weather starting to get warmer, I have my eye on solid colour ruffle dresses. These ones in particular, are all taken from Piperlime and I think they're completely adorable! Too bad my wardrobe is already primarily comprised of ruffles-- I need to stop buying more! What are you lusting for this season?

I also found these cute little notebooks on sale at Chapters. I need to go back and buy all three!

Strawberry-flavoured marshmallows. Dee-lish or disgust?

The start of patio season.

2011-05-21T17:32:00.001-04:00

There's nothing better than enjoying happy hour with amazing girlfriends and some white peach bellinis in hand. The weather finally got warm enough for us to enjoy the lovely patios of downtown Toronto, starting with the Milestone's at Yonge-Dundas Square. Sharing some appetizers and the especially delicious seafood salad, we caught up and laughed our way into the evening. [Last picture taken from lunch on the Apricot Tree Cafe patio with my best friend Livia. Unfortunately I brought my camera without the memory card, hence the poor quality photos from my Blackberry]. It's Victoria Day for the weekend for the Canadians! What do you all have planned? I hope the rain stays away so fireworks can still happen!

Chloe cures rainy day blues.

2011-05-19T21:40:00.002-04:00

It's been rainy and disgusting out for the past week (with the exception of today), so what better way to cure the gloomy weather blues than some impulse shopping? I bought a cute See by Chloe dress yesterday and I'm so excited to wear it when the weather gets warmer! It's a pretty simple piece (as is everything else by Chloe), but I still think it's adorable. :) What's your most recent purchase that you love?

L.A. Candy: Not so sweet.

2011-05-17T10:48:00.001-04:00

From her early appearances on Laguna Beach to her final goodbyes on The Hills, I've always been a huge Lauren Conrad fan. With that being said, I finally got around to picking up one of her books (a digital version for my iPad, of course), starting with the first in the series: L.A. Candy. Diving into the book with an open mind, I was immediately disappointed within the first couple chapters. Without spoiling the book, I thought the characters were boring, the storyline was predictable, but concept aside... did anyone edit this for basic grammatical errors?! Needless to say, I won't be reading the rest of the series.

Writing aside, Lauren Conrad has amazing style that is simple, classy, and effortless. Although her clothing and accessories line for Kohl's was short-lived, there were a couple particular pieces that caught my eye (and now they're on sale to get rid of inventory!)

Love/hate L.C.? Read any of her books? Buy any of her products? What do you think?

Peachy-pink neutrals.

2011-05-15T20:03:00.001-04:00

Design Runway is back! It was becoming too much of a chore to update multiple blogs, so I've migrated all the entries from my personal blog with the original DR posts into what is now an all-in-one compact blog that will cover everything from design to fashion to food to personal musings and more. Since it's like starting from scratch, I'm looking to build my blogroll once again. If this is something you're interested in, or if you'd just like to say hello, shoot me an e-mail at becky@couturecreative.ca. :)

Essie shades from L-R: pillow talk, marabou, allure, sheer bliss, sandy beach, virgin orchid
This Spring, I'm loving peachy-pink neutral nail polishes-- my current inspiration reflected in the colour scheme of this blog. Although I collect a variety of different polish brands, I've always been partial to Essie. Which brand are you in favour of, and what are your favourite shades this Spring?

Friday the 13th cures.

2011-05-14T16:43:00.001-04:00

Friday the 13th? Nah! Not that I'm a superstitious person, but I really didn't think my week could get any worse. Despite the beautiful weather that has bestowed us in Toronto (um, helloooo 26 degree weather!), my week was not going well. My spirits lifted a bit when my friends took me out for sushi and desserts to cheer me up. I'm convinced I have the best friends in the world.

It's currently rainy and disgusting outside, and it's projected to be like this for the rest of the week. Perfect time to catch up on some reading. My current mood? I'm feeling extremely discouraged, disappointed, and desolate (Okay, that may be a bit extreme...) but I'm no quitter. Still holding on to hope and potential. What do you have planned for this weekend?

14 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Club Monaco spring '11 lookbook.

2011-05-10T22:15:00.000-04:00

I've let go of watching my expenses, but I really should start that up again... especially now, seeing how I don't have a rolling income. I even turned down the opportunity to go on another little road trip with the boys for some States shopping, but hey, realistically, I really don't need to be buying anymore clothes. Although I'm late in posting this now, I really love Club Monaco's Spring lookbook and I have high hopes for the Summer lookbook that should be released in the coming weeks.

States Shopping: Ruffles and Lace

2011-04-28T20:11:00.002-04:00

As I briefly mentioned before, I went on a little road trip to Pennsylvania over the Easter long weekend to do some shopping! It was my first time at Grove City and it definitely did not disappoint (I mean, tax-free clothes and shoes compared to the 13% HST in Ontario?--hell yeah)! In three days, we tackled five malls and left with a car full of new purchases and empty wallets. Besides getting a life supply of business wear from Nordstrom Rack (and I mean a life supply of blazers, pencil skirts, and work-appropriate blouses), here's a sneak peek of some of the other things I purchased...

One of my favourite purchases this weekend. It's a light cream-coloured sheer and layered skirt with a side of ruffles by Theory that I found hidden in one of the racks at Saks Off 5th. Even 70% off it was a little pricey, but I love it. :)

White lace. Can't go wrong. Anne Taylor and Juicy Couture (surprisingly!)

Sheer pink blouse with ruffle detailing from LOFT. I know... I need to get away from the ruffles.

Rose and peach coloured cardigans from J.Crew. White frills and jewel detailing.
Typical? Oh, I know. I picked up even more ruffle tops and sequin skirts to add to my growing collection. My wardrobe lately has been looking a little too girly, perhaps. I must own several ruffle tops in every possible colour and matching cardigans for each. What is something you own a lot of, but keep buying?

22 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Tiffany blues.

2011-04-26T22:05:00.000-04:00

Now that I'm done exams and I've moved back home for the summer, I feel like I have so much free time on my hands. All my friends are unfortunately still studying for finals, so that leaves me some 'alone' time for the week. Recommend me a book, a movie, a show, a recipe... anything! I'm thinking of doing a road/shopping trip to Pennsylvania this long weekend, so hopefully that pans out! Otherwise, not much is new with me, but let's hope I have more exciting things to share in my next entry. :)

19 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

April 1-25, 2011

2011-04-25T22:29:00.002-04:00

Making red velvet cupcakes with the girls!

Rach and Pris worked on the cake while Jo and I worked on the icing, but we failed so miserably, they re-did it for us. HA!

Finished product :) Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

This is how my roomie studies. By looking at a pair of Louboutins in the background... hahaha.

Teeheeee... aw. :)

Fro yo runs in the middle of the night will be the death of me.

Exam studying at William's.

Stuffing our faces at AYCE sushi and then having spinach-smoothies (ewwwy) for dinner.

Rachie ♥

Trying a new pizza joint with Nicks.

Spent the long weekend in Pennsylvania/Buffalo. The wait to get to the States took freakin' THREE HOURS. It was ridiculous.

At least the ride was comfy... :)

My favourite Jack Daniels steak at TGI Friday's!

Luckily on the way back, the line wasn't so long. :)

On the last day of work, my boss got me a thank you card and an iTunes gift card. So nice of him.

Studying? Oh, I meant, napping.

I had a job interview here. More on this later, but it was rainy and gross out. :(

Giant ice cream sundaes with Alex!

We waited forever to get our food at Pickle Barrel. The service SUCKED.

Leather jackets and Mexx ties with Kel.

Desserts and best friendssss :)

33 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

March 1-30, 2011

2011-04-03T20:08:00.000-04:00

My work cubicle bombarded with computers -- ahhh! iMacs are just no longer exciting to me because I have one at home, but I still feel super lucky that my boss bought them purposely for me. And seriously though, why do I need TWO imacs and a PC all on one desk?! ...I don't.

A big batch of chocolate covered strawberries! Of course they turned out sloppily... but eh.

Snow in March. Not cool.

Just Go With It was a cute movie. :)

Late night oh-so-fattening dessert time with the bestie! <3

Cleaning out my closet, getting ready to pack for China.

Best thing about having a roomie studying food & nutrition? I get to be the guinea pig for her awesome recipes! Homemade beaver tails! Mmm.

Dinner and drinks with an ex-coworker. Missed her!

Beijing airport in the early A.M.

Minya hotel in Shanghai, China.

So happy to be back from China... Hahaha.

Yoyo's frozen yogurt trip with the girls.

Look what was on sale at the University bookstore! Hahaha. I wanted to buy it as a gag-gift for one of my guy friends, but ehh, they'd probably just over-analyze it ;)

But for real... I still managed to pick up some great books on sale!

Alllllen & my special hot chocolate. :)

On our last day of screenplay critiques, my prof brought in cupcakes and cookies for the class. I know, right? It felt like elementary school, but it was so awesome! And of course Rachie personalized my napkin for me... :)

Appletini and white peach bellini @ Moxie's!

Giant burgers with Nicky @ Milestone's.

Starbucks cake pop (this one is birthday cake), or as Nicks and I like to call it: Timbit on a Stick.

20 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

China trip: Guilin and Shanghai.

2011-03-30T17:24:00.003-04:00

Of all the places we went in China, I think Guilin was my favourite. While it is a very small city compared to Beijing and Shanghai, everyone there was so kind-hearted and friendly. The natural scenery found in this city was also mindblowing. My type of vacation is more of sightseeing in terms of scenery like this and not so much historical monuments, so this was when it really felt like "vacation" to me. It was breathtaking.

Shanghai, on the other hand, was busy, busy, busy, and most reminded me of home. While the city was beautiful and I finally felt like I was back to "civilization", what really pissed us off on the last day was the ridiculously horrible service at one of the restaurants we were at. I mean, yes, we knew we were in China and already expected less in terms of customer service, but it got to the point where my dad had enough. Without getting too much into it, we were told there were "no more" when we asked for simple utensils like a fork and an extra plate. No more forks? You gotta be f*cking kidding me. Needless to say, my dad was really unhappy, and his discontent was definitely reflected in the tour company's evaluation.

Day 5 and 6 - Guilin, China

Reed's Flute Cave was the most beautiful thing. I was mesmerized.

Elephant Hill. Do you see the elephant trunk?

Li's River cruise.

Yangshuo Street.

Day 7 and 8 - Shanghai, China

I spy a... Zara?! Yay, a familiar label. Finally.

I don't really remember where this was, so I tried looking at the Itinerary to remind myself and I think it is called "God Temple Street" (someone correct me if I'm wrong!)

Finding a Starbucks was so exciting. Seriously.

Pretty cherry blossoms and lots of koi fish!

"The Bund" - aka their lakeshore. It was very pretty.

Nanjing road. It reminded me a lot of New York City.

Minya hotel.

32 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Spring wishlist.

2011-03-27T19:32:00.003-04:00

T-B, L-R: Hunter - Messad $150, Versace - Printed Silk-Chiffon Scarf $350, See by Chloe - Cherry Mini Crossbody (in spirit) $295, Aritzia (T.Babaton) - Graydon Trench Coat (in tan) $295, Marc by Marc Jacobs - Daisy Chain Small Stud Earrings $48, Essie - from the Spring 2011 collection $9, See by Chloe - Ruffled Georgette Camisole $195

Spring is officially here, although it doesn't seem to be reflected in the weather (snow at the end of March? Come on, mother nature!) To me, Spring screams trench coats, light fashion scarves, and pastel colours, but I know Spring fashion translates different for everyone. As for the ruffle top... well, not necessarily a "spring" staple, but you all know how much I adore ruffles-- all year round! In any case, it's time to start spring shopping! Window shopping, I meant. I'm definitely still trying to cut back on my materialistic splurges, but it's been so long and I'm itching to purchase something. I know I own way too many clothes for my own good, but if there's one thing I actually don't have and could definitely use, it's a pair of rain boots. I hate rain and complain about getting my feet soaked everytime, so I think it's time I invested in a quality pair of rubbers. I might be boring and get myself a pair of Hunter wellies, or perhaps something else? I've been looking at Burberry rain boots, but then I'd just be buying them for the brand and not so much the function, which is something I'm trying to stop doing. Recommend me some rain boots! I'm willing to spend the money. :) Also, what's on your Spring wishlist?

36 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

China trip: Beijing and Xi'an.

2011-03-23T22:40:00.001-04:00

Day 1 and 2 - Beijing, China

Outside the forbidden city.

With the immediate fam. Dad was like "don't post my picture on Facebook!!!" hahaha and I suppose this is even more public, so I blurred out their faces :) My friends were looking at my pictures and the first thing they said was "omg Becky, you're wearing running shoes!" which I guess, is kinda rare as I never, ever wear runners outside of the gym. But I mean, I was in China, knowing I was going to be walking a shitload all day.

Honestly, the Forbidden City looked like this ... times ten. Just walls and walls and walls of the same type of building. We walked through all of them and it took forever.

Near Tianmen Square... I think.

I wasn't impressed with the food in Beijing at all, but the peking duck was pretty good.

Temple of Heaven

Nasty, nasty, naaaasty streetfood. I was so disgusted.

Wangfujing Street. More modern type stores... finally.

Great Wall of China!

We climbed the Great Wall of China on the "hard" side. The steps were steep and uneven, and honestly, it was a WORK OUT. It was just continuous steep stairs going upwards and no place to rest. It was so tiring.

Sacred Way.

Beijing theatre where we watched an acrobatic show. Pretty entertaining.

The Beijing airport is SO pretty!

Day 3 and 4 - Xi'An, China

The Great Wild Goose Pagoda... which was basically one giant temple. None of my family is buddhist, but the tour guide said this was a "must see" attraction, so we went there. Honestly, I was quite bored.

No idea what this says, but I thought the little painted details were really cute.

Terracotta Warriors Musem

I loved the pretty view of the mountains everywhere. I guess it's something I'm just not used to, seeing how there aren't any visible mountains in Ontario. I find them sooo pretty.

I've had hot pot before, but never in my own personal little pot. It was kinda cute. I still find it very unsanitary though...

A local shopping area in Xi'An.

The city walls of Xi'An. We biked up here later on that evening and it was very nice and relaxing.
Overall comments: All in all, I would say my trip to China was a great experience. Would I go back anytime soon? Probably not. We did all the touristy things we needed to see and I feel like there's not much more to entice me to go back. In ten days, we visited four cities and flew from each city to another, so it was quite tiring. We had private English-speaking tour guides and drivers at each location, so it made getting around a lot easier. Quite honestly though, if you know me well, you'd know I'm not too interested in learning about history, which was probably the main focus of this trip. The tour guide spoke a lot about each place in terms of Chinese history and old stories and I found myself dozing off half the time even though I really did try to pay attention and be interested. On the bad note, my dad had his wallet stolen on the first day of our trip, so he lost a thousand dollars in US cash and all his credit cards. It really put a damper on our vacation mood at first, but we had to get over that hump and enjoy the rest of our vacation regardless. I'll post the rest of the pictures from the second half of my trip in a couple days! For now, gotta catch up on all the school work I missed. Hope all is well!

31 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Tremblant fisheyes.

2011-03-11T01:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Nicky and I signed the lease for our new condo! If you could fall in love with a condo unit, I'd say we're head over heels in love with it. We viewed a couple places before without a lasting impression, but the moment we stepped foot in this particular condo, we both knew this was it (as cheesy as that may sound). And being realistic, this is probably the best place we could have found in terms of price range and relative location to campus. It's the corner unit on the highest floor, there are giant windows all over and a balcony with a nice view, and the place looks so bright and happy. We've named it the sunshine penthouse and we're excited to move in next semester. :) On another note, I'm leaving for China in the morning! Not so excited for the long flight, but the entire trip should be an adventure, considering none of my family has ever been and we'll be doing all the touristy things. January, Chicago; February, Mont Tremblant; March, China... April, Cuba is a high possibility. Looks like 2011 is the year of traveling and I'm looooving it!

20 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Rolling in the deep.

2011-03-06T23:24:00.001-05:00

"And I've tried to find happiness in a bigger TV, a car, and a watch. I've tried to find happiness in power over others and the respect of the people around me. And I appreciate your patience, while you stand here, right in front of me. Waiting for me to come to my senses." - I Wrote This For You

I. I've had the most uneventful, but productive weekend. Finished two major term papers, a graphic design assignment, and got ahead on the next few weeks of screenwriting reading. II. I leave for Asia in five days. Trying to get excited, but I'm not. Yet. III. I miss summer so much; I miss sunglasses, summer dresses, patios, beaches... guh. IV. I've had Adele's 21 album on repeat for the last week. V. I am condo hunting with Nicky tomorrow. Exciting? Not quite. More so a pain in the ass. VI. The first five points all started with "I"-- jeez, how self-absorbed. How were your weekends? I hope someone else has an interesting story to share to make up for this unexciting, mundane entry.

14 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

February 15-28, 2011

2011-03-03T00:20:00.000-05:00

I decided to put my old Blackberry up for sale on Kijiji... It sold within a day and had more replies than I expected. Yay? In some odd, twisted way, I kind of miss it.

Backing up old files before doing a hard-reset! :(

Crabby Joe's!

My first ever flat tire. :(

Giant burgers and catch-up times with Jennyyyy ♥

En route to Quebec! Gas stations sell alcohol in their fridges! I guess this isn't new to Americans either, but in Ontario, you'd never see this.

Blueberry Lake resorts :) Poooool.

We had free skate rentals at the resort so I assumed I didn't need to bring my own from home. But of course they only had men's skates available! They were so different to skate in, not to mention it was probably two sizes too big.

Tremblant village.

More from Tremblant village. Chocolate from Rocky Mountain and Beaver Tails!!!

Alex cookin' eggs in the morning. Almost set off the fire alarm, haha.

Overpriced creme brulee (but oh so delicious) in the village of Tremblant.

Playing Cranium with the boys is so ridiculous! The "mind melt" card requires two team members to write down three words that they associate with the given word, and so long as the team members match ONE word, they pass that challenge. The keyword was "chick lit". PLEASE enlighten me as to how these words were derived from "chick lit". I really did not understand.

Driving aimlessly downtown Toronto & Rainforest cafe at Yorkdale with Livers.

Caught up with Sandra over lunch, coffee, and a quick shopping date. This "vanilla yogurt" chiller at Second Cup was the nastiest thing I've ever had. I highly don't recommend it.

Chocolate fondue and marshmallows with sprinkles?! Yeah, I'm still a kid.

While cleaning my room at home, I found my old moleskine from early high school days. Man was I ever emo. And wow, I invested so much time in making my journal "pretty". I could never see myself doing that now.

As I'm going to China for the first time next week, my dad, as usual, decided to make sure we all took extra precautions to not get "food poisoning". We got this NASTY MEDICINE prescribed to us. It's a fizzy drink that is supposed to prevent diarrhea or something. It was disgusting.

I can spend hours perusing through Holts. Gahhhh.

Glen Abbey golf course, aka Golf Canada headquarters.

Preparing in my car before the job interview. Yes, I do extensive research and make notes to myself before every job interview. I'm kind of OCD like that.

Cheers to yummy shooters at Earl's and best friends! ♥
I. I've been doing these "Blackberry Pictures" posts for over a year now. Time flieees.
II. I had a job interview on Monday for a summer internship. I think it went well, but we'll see?
III. Guh, iPad2. I hate how I love technology. Can't justify the upgrade though, still. My iPad is still spankin' new!
25 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Tremblant: Blueberry Lake Chalets

2011-02-27T12:56:00.001-05:00

Annnnnnd we're off... at 5 in the A.M.

The eight hour drive there went by really quickly, surprisingly.

Our chalet was even prettier than in pictures!

We used the hot tub at least once, if not, twice a day. Sooo nice.

Waffles, strawberries, tea, a beautiful view with natural sunlight, and a good book for breakfast. What else can you ask for?!

Alex cooked an entire meal for us! It was delicious and sooo filling! (Look at this gigantic portion!)

Aventure Neige tubing hills that we didn't end up going on because they were a loooot smaller than we had hoped. :( No fun!

Time to snowboooooard.

The Village at Mont Tremblant.

Maple syrup on a stick?

The view from the lifts were so breathtaking.

Oh boy.

Homemade potato salad from scratch :)

I'm back from Tremblant and I kinda miss it already. Our chalet was beautiful. It was completely built with wood, large open ceiling in the living room with a nice fireplace, gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows, outdoor hot tub, pool table in the basement, and practically all the amenities we needed. While we were there, the weather was amazing. And by amazing, I still mean -10C of coldness, but it was masked by the sunny and clear skies so we could hardly tell. To me, the highlight of the trip was star gazing at night from the hot tub, singing along to old school tunes, and running back into the chalet afterwards for a nice hot chocolate. These are some of the pictures from my camera, but the majority of them were taken on Dan's DSLR, which I will probably upload later. Hope everyone had a nice reading week/spring break! :)

41 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Daflanki.

2011-02-19T23:03:00.000-05:00

Daniel drew this back in December when our group was still in the best shape. I miss this so much. I miss when we all used to get along so well. Things are so different now only two months later, but regardless, we're off to Blueberry Lake Resort at Mont Tremblant for the next week. I hope everyone is able to pull their shit together and forget the "drama"-- at least, temporarily. I'm hoping for the best.

January 27 - February 13, 2011

2011-02-13T20:31:00.001-05:00

Hanging out with the guys means eating greasy foods. Wings & beer, anyone? Blah.

Stoned Aaron, lmao. Devoured that sub like a monster.

Name tag for Schulich recruitment weekend.

The Via Rail London station. My train home was delayed for four hours and I was stuck there for no freakin' reason. I was so frustrated because I didn't get home till 1AM when I was supposed to be back by 9PM to attend a late family dinner.

Taco night with Liv! We made enough for like twenty people, haha. Needless to say, we had a LOT of leftovers.

Livia also made me watch The Roommate with her. Which, by the way, was the WORST MOVIE EVER. PLEASE SAVE YOUR TIME AND MONEY AND DON'T WATCH IT.

Chinese New Year moneyyyyy, baby. This year's count was around five hundred, which is less than 'usual', but I'm reallllly not complaining.

Super Saturday. Sushi and shopping with Sandra.

Hellooo.

My favourite kind of root beer and Super Smash Bros.

"Um, hello. We can't find parking anywhere..."

I love DeSerres and scrapbooking paper.

Late night studying with the boys and the discovery of the yummiest juice: Frooti.

The boys apartment. After six months, they still have minimal furniture and no curtains. Figures.

Gotta love waking up to a "You're So Special" balloon - LOL.

A & P's engagement party with Liv. Super awkward because I didn't know anyone except the DJ, of all people.

I needed to get out of the house so I've been staying over at the boys' apartment. This weekend wasn't exactly eventful, per se, but I got a lot of work done and had chill times with the guys. Three more days in London, then reading week!!! What did everyone do this weekend? PS. Party Rock Anthem ♥

34 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Blackberry Torch.

2011-02-09T23:28:00.000-05:00

I upgraded to the Blackberry Torch (yes, after long debate, I still caved back into my little RIM hole unwilling to give up a physical keyboard or BBM). I'm quite impressed with the responsiveness of the touch screen as I expected it to suck like the Storm did, but the battery life is still pretty disappointing. I got the phone over the weekend spontaneously. It wasn't planned; there was no excitement. I don't remember the last thing I was excited about-- do you? Is it because I'm growing up and little things are less exciting, or am I just living life on auto-pilot-- entirely emotionless? I'm spending reading week up at Mont Tremblant in Quebec with my friends; I'm going to Asia (for the first time, mind you) for eleven days in March with my family; It's also likely that I will be going on another cruise post-exams in April. Shit, there's a lot I should be excited for in terms of traveling alone-- but I'm not. Figures.

I had lunch with a really good friend of mine over the weekend. We don't see each other often, but when we do, we pick things up like time doesn't exist. She tells me, "Your life seems so perfect!" I laugh at that because people commonly tell me this and it seems like everyone believes it, but me. I always want more, more, more; better, better, better. And to some extent, I think it's good to always want improvement. But on the other hand, I need to learn how to be satisfied with what I have. I've quoted Ani DiFranco many times before, but: What kind of paradise am I looking for? I've got everything I want and still I want more.

22 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Juicy charms.

2011-01-30T21:39:00.000-05:00

I. Got matching Juicy charm bracelets with Freda last month! Mine is the silver one and I love it because it has the cutest charms: crown, diamond ring, Juicy icon heart, cherries, and a bow. It's a bit heavy, so it's not an 'everyday' bracelet, but I still think it's cute nonetheless.

II. After realizing that I spent a whopping $1700+ last month on personal expenses (not including rent or bills, wtf), I've been watching my expenses like a hawk this month. I've made a conscious effort to not buy anything unnecessary and to not indulge in materialistic purchases that I do not need. And the result? In the month of January, I spent a little under $500-- including $150 worth of textbooks! This is a huge deal for me because I don't think I've spent this little in... years, to be honest, but when I told my friends (the boys, in particular), they still think it's a ridiculous amount to be spending. It's a start, though. My friends are all very supportive and it's cute how they're all trying to help me with my "spending problem". :) SO, I'm curious! Roughly how much money do you spend in a month?

III. I worked the recruitment event for Schulich this weekend and had to get up at 5AM these past two days, so needless to say... I'm exhausted! This is the kind of exhaustion I love feeling, though. I'm gettin' shit done and making money while having a good time-- I really can't complain.

39 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

January 11-26, 2011

2011-01-26T20:03:00.000-05:00

Heart shaped egg!

JJ's

Anthony's wrecked Macbook screen... eeeks. Sucked so much, but he was lucky enough to get it repaired for free! (Well, he had to buy Apple Care, but he should've had that in the first place!)

Glow in the dark mini putting. We're still kids.

My neighbour, Tristan, made us cookies! Delicious!

Hahaha I told them I wouldn't post this publicly, so I blurred their faces. They're wearing matching iron man cartoony shirts that one friend got from his vacation in Malaysia. Everyone was staring at them during dinner... oh boy.

I usually hate milky alcoholic drinks, but this chocolate martini was yummy!

This is drunk Justin. Despite his drunkness, he still insisted on getting a late night burrito. LOL.

It was my little brother's birthday and my parents got him the cake that THEY like LOL (well, I'm equally guilty - I love fruit cheesecake!) It's okay though, we got him a nice chocolate cake the next day to make up for it, hahah.

Nicky thinks she can eat 50 cartons of strawberries in 4 hours. The guys don't think it's do-able. We made a trip to Loblaws to put it into perspective. Ummm nahhh girl, don't do it, you'll DIE.

I've been stressing at work because of the inconsistencies of our official school "purple" colour. How can they expect me to use "the correct purple" when they aren't consistent themselves? I called graphic services at Western and they told me to use a specific CMYK, I used it, and IT TURNED OUT FREAKIN' BLUE. Frustrating.

Hospital bracelet... lovely.

Physiotherapy prescription.

True.

All I need to say is "I feel like sushi" and ta-daaaaa. I get driven to a pretty a la carte sushi place.

Livia is the bestest friend. :)

After hurting my knee, I wanted to move around minimally, so when my guy friends all went to LCBO, I decided to stay in the freezing car. FOR 35 MINUTES. IN -20 WEATHER. DUMB IDEA.
26 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Drove to Chicago, all things known.

2011-01-22T16:44:00.001-05:00

I don't know why I haven't blogged about the Chicago trip till now, but here it goes. We somehow ended up spending more time in Michigan than in Chicago, but it was still fun! I'm far too lazy to go through all my pictures right now, but here are some I pulled off Facebook. In regards to my last entry, I'm feeling much better now. I'm still taking T3s as needed because I'm in pain without them, but I'm slowly recovering. I've been hanging out with the boys a lot these past few days and it gets my mind off things. Luckily the Grumpy Becky phase only lasted a couple days. (Or at least I hope so!) I worked a lot of overtime this week so now I have to play catch-up with all my school work. I'm currently working on a five minute screen play and I'm stuuuuuck. Hopefully it all comes together in the end.

Frankenmuth, Michigan

We had lunch at the Bavarian Inn.

The little town of Frankenmuth was really cute. I've been to Michigan so many times but I've never been there. Lots of cute little shops and stuff.

We also stopped at a really random Christmas Wonderland store.

It was kinda odd seeing how we went there after Christmas so we didn't really need anything...

Henry Ford museum? Again, random, but my dad was proud of me for going there hahaha. (My dad works for Ford)

We were mildly interested in the automobiles, but this Oscar Mayer hot dog car was pretty cool.

Pretty chandelier in the foyer of the Henry Ford museum.

Ghosts.

The hotel we stayed at was in Grand Rapids, MI and was across the street from a Meijer so we decided to check it out late at night since it was 24/7. We bought these cute little tubs of ice cream (no, we don't have this in Canada, nor do we have Starbucks ice cream...)

First stop in Chicago: Shedd Aquarium!

The penguins were my favourite. So cute!

Yes, this was amusing to us. What a coinky dink.

Somewhere along Michigan avenue...

I loved the fairy lights wrapped around all the trees! So pretty, especially at night!

Pretty Christmas tree.

37 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Injured.

2011-01-18T23:39:00.000-05:00

So I was at the Hospital last night. I loosened my knee cap and tore my medial collateral ligament. Ouch. It was so painful when it happened I don't even want to try and remember it because just thinking about it brings back so much suffering. I've been on T3's all day to relieve the pain, but quite honestly, it doesn't feel like it's helping much. Regardless, I still had to suck it up and go to work and school today. I spent the last thirteen hours on campus and I've never felt more exhausted and grumpy. Besides my inability to walk properly, it was hailing, gloomy, and slushy outside. I start physiotherapy on Friday and I'm hoping that will help, even just a little bit. I'm really cranky and unhappy about a lot of things right now and I'm not exactly sure where it's all coming from. Perhaps it's the meds talking. Perhaps I should shut up and just go to sleep (especially knowing I'll be awaken at 5AM for no freakin' good reason... but that's an entirely different rant that I don't want to get into right now). Breathe... just breathe.

New york and paris.

2011-01-16T18:15:00.001-05:00

The two places I would love to be this Summer: Interning for Ogilvy in New York City and visiting Amanda in Paris, France before attending the Cannes Lions. It would be an absolute dream come true, although realistically speaking, I'll probably be spending my Summer working away here, as usual (although there's really nothing wrong with this either!) I know I'm months ahead of myself, but what do you plan to do this Summer? If not, ideally, what would you like to be doing and where would you like to be? -- There's no harm in dreaming big. :)

Post-Script: I had a nice weekend in Toronto. My room suddenly feels ten times bigger than my jail-like room in London and I've learned to appreciate everything back home a lot more. Also, J makes me feel hopeful. Not with him. Just hopeful.

36 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

December 28, 2010 - January 10, 2011

2011-01-11T03:19:00.001-05:00

Tiffany & Co on Michigan Ave in Chicago :)

5AM on the day we left for Chicago. I don't know how I drove, I was wayyyy too tired.

Having lunch at the Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Hotel elevator somewhere in the middle of Indiana.

When you make me sit in the back seat, I will shine my Blackberry flash on you :)

From me to Freeeeds <3

Through thick and thin.

Yeah, I'm still a kid. I like drawing on fogged car windows.

Foyer of West 50.

Cheeeeeeers!

Right after the countdown when some douche spilled champagne all over me and my friend.

Horrible pic, but ah well.

Alex and Fareed. Clearly taken with an actual camera, but I thought I'd throw these in here anyways.

Oh, drama.

Anthony bbms me "I have blue balls, wanna see?" and sends me this. Sooo mature.

Thank you, Freda!

Some of my textbooks for this semester. Put me down another couple hours dollars-- sigh!

Ginger cookies! (pre-baking)

Happy 21st birthday, Allen!

We had grapes and mini tofu cupcakes at work! (Cupcakes made from tofu instead of eggs because the birthday girl was vegan) - They were actually so, so delicious!

Nicky and I were starving and hadn't eaten all day so we made humungous pita platters. It was surprisingly good, but disgustingly filling!

So I bought the top on the left in Chicago, but I came home to put it away and found the top on the right that I bought in New York a couple months ago. Both are from J.Crew. You know you have too many clothes when...

Walking home from campus :) Although I could never live in London forever, it's a nice getaway sometimes. Definitely more peaceful and tranquil compared to the big city.

Thoughts on these heels?!?! I don't know if I should return them or not!
It seems as though the quality of my Blackberry pictures get shittier as time goes on. I know I haven't had my Tour for that long, but my contract is due for renewal in a couple months, which means a new phone! Yay! As Blackberry loyal as I am, I'm seriously considering switching to something different. iPhone? Android, perhaps? We'll see, but chances are, BBM is a good enough reason for me to stay with RIM. Anyways, time to get some shut-eye! My sleep schedule has been crazy lately. I haven't forgotten about uploading pictures from the Chicago trip, but I'll get to that as soon as my school and workload die down a bit. Oh, and Britney's new single? I love it. You should too. :)

35 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Belated birthday gifts.

2011-01-07T00:03:00.000-05:00

In a way, I think belated birthday gifts are better than gifts given on the actual day. Although I was given this present nearly a month late, it almost felt like I got to experience a slight feeling of 'birthday joy' once again! Freda got me a cute top from Marc Jacobs and a Tory Burch pouch-- both are super cute and she clearly knows me well. Much love. :)

A new year and a new semester brings a spankin' new set of courses. This semester I'm taking: Graphic Design, Professional Writing for the Web, Business Ethics, Creative Writing, and Screenwriting. My slew of writing courses are to fulfill the requirements for my creative writing minor, but besides them being necessary, I'm sick of stiff and boring academic writing, so this should be a nice change! The only course I'm a little skeptical about is screenwriting, because although I enjoy creative writing, I really question my ability to write screenplays. It just seems like my brain doesn't function in that capacity and it's not like I'm a huge film lover to begin with. Part of this week's homework was to watch the assigned videos-- short, black and white, silent films-- and if you know me well, you would understand how hard it was for me to stay awake. We also have to write a quick introduction paragraph on an online discussion board about ourselves and our favourite films, directors, and screenwriters. Oh shit?! No way am I going to confess my overly obsessive love for Sex and the City in front of a class full of passionate movie critics. And as for directors and screenwriters, I think I can name three; that's it. Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into?

21 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Ringing in twenty-eleven.

2011-01-02T19:49:00.000-05:00

Definitely not the most flattering pictures seeing how we were all super sweaty, but HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I hope you all had one heck of a New Year's Eve and a not-so-bad morning after :) I, however, had one messed up NYE. There was a whole wad of drama going on with my group of friends, but most of us really tried to move beyond that and enjoyed the night regardless. I for one did not want to start my new year in tears or fighting. That's not the way to ring in twenty-eleven, am I right? So on the positive note, we celebrated at West 50 and considering the situation that was brought upon us, we still had a good night. Or at least, I did.

As for New Year Resolutions, I've got them, but will probably keep them private. I've heard that telling someone about your goals is an important step in realizing them, but I'm pretty confident that my own self-motivation will allow me to push through without making them public. I think some of my goals are a tad bit ambitious, but there's no harm in trying. The main focus of my resolutions revolve around my business, potential clientele, and earning money, but SAVING (!!!!!) My resolutions are much more specific and action-oriented this year, so here's hoping for the best.

I'm back in London and ready to start a brand new semester tomorrow! Back to work as well with a whole slew of projects waiting for me, but I'm excited to be busy and back in action again.

21 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

December 16-27, 2010

2010-12-27T16:14:00.000-05:00

Last minute Christmas shopping at Square One!

Writing Christmas present tags for my cousins.

I don't know why I continue ordering mojitos even knowing I hate them. I thought maybe one day I would start to enjoy them, but nahhh.

I was Daniel's secret santa :P

Done wrapping gifts for the immediate fam! I'm a horrible gift wrapper. The back of the presents look HORRIBLE, but you can't tell from the front ;)

Tis the season for lots of wine!

Easiest way to wrap: gift boxes. I'm lazy like that.

Just chillin' with DJ and Dwight Shrute :P DJ Got me the bobble head hehe yay! I've always wanted one.

Allen's cheesecakes. Demetre's and Boston Pizza.

2AM ping pong when we had nothing better to do...

ILU <3

Snowman cookies!

Meet Justin. :)

I was super excited to see How do you know? and was thoroughly disappointed. I wouldn't recommend it.

Unboxing my brand spankin' new iPad!!!

Santa likes wine too.

DJ and his lobster & crab dip at our late night Jack Astor's run.

The boys were hungry.

Gingerbread house that I built with my cousins Tiffany and Vivian!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DJ!!! Bamboo & Boston Pizza. Also, the bambooreo sundae cake made especially by head chef Joe himself ;)

Little cousins playing "Pass The Parcel" on Christmas Eve.

Grandpa's Christmas tree with all of our presents!

Little Mikey and I :) (blurred his face to protect his privacy :P)

Cousins Vincent and Correne looking at our silly photos after Christmas dinner.

Connie & Nicky at lunch after a tiring morning of boxing day shopping!

This is how my family does Christmas. With grey gooooose.
Did any of you Canadians go boxing day shopping yesterday?! I bought lots of cute underwear and a couple cardigans and sweaters from Banana Republic from their huge "before noon" sale. That being said, we waited a good hour in line to pay, which is ridiculous, but expected. Anyways, I hope everyone is having a great Winter break so far! I'm off to Chicago tomorrow night for the next couple days with my best friend! Definitely a spontaneous trip, but I'm super excited! I guess I'm going on a mini vacation this Winter after all. :) I know this is last minute and I'm only going to be there for a couple days, but what are some must-dos/sees in Chicago?!

23 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Oh, Christmas tree.

2010-12-24T10:41:00.000-05:00

Anddddd the festivities begin! Going to be very busy the next couple days, so I'd like to take this time to wish you all a
wonderful, safe, happy, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

In love with my iPad & MBMJ sleeve.

2010-12-21T22:32:00.000-05:00

After months of working with iPads at work, I finally have my own, courtesy of my lovely father as a birthday and early Christmas present! I love it! I splurged on this Marc by Marc Jacobs neoprene sleeve, but I can't say it was an impulse purchase. I mean, come on! The iconic MBMJ pattern that I absolutely adore paired with pink bows?! My roomies even agreed that it was so me, so I just couldn't resist! I was also considering the Michael Kors Jet Set iPad Case, but instead decided to get the MBMJ sleeve and an additional pink silicone case from Aritzia. I've also gone app-crazy and have downloaded over $50 worth of apps and digital magazine subscriptions, but I figured the iPad is pretty useless without apps... right? I'm kind of ridiculous when it comes to decking out my electronics, I know.

Anywho, it feels a little odd that I'm at home before Christmas. Riiiiiight about now in previous years for as long as I can remember, I would be spending time on the beaches in the Bahamas, outlet shopping in sunny Florida, or eating unlimited creme brulee in the cruise dining room. It's a shame none of that is happening this year, but on the bright side, I get to spend more time with friends and family. Speaking of which, time to go hang out with the boys! Hope everyone is staying warm :)

39 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Sequins, sparkles, and glitter.

2010-12-19T00:15:00.001-05:00

This holiday season I'm dreaming of ~~a white Christmas~~ sequins, sparkles, and glitter! It's funny because had you asked me two years ago, I would have told you I hated anything that shimmered or sparkled or anything that was obnoxiously in-your-face like this. I take back my words! The holiday season, whether it be Christmas or New Years, should be celebrated with glamor, dazzling lights, and an outrageously glimmering outfit paired with your favorite festive nail polish! I'm personally loving the China Glaze Party Hearty collection and I'm thankful I got it before it sold out because it's totally Christmassy and awesome! Anywho, I'm planning to finish up my Christmas shopping tomorrow with Livia and I'm not looking forward to the retail chaos and crazy parking lots, but it's my fault for procrastinating. Are you all done your Christmas shopping? And what trends are you digging this season? Hate or love the sequins?!

22 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

December 1-15, 2010

2010-12-16T19:47:00.001-05:00

Some of the design books I got as birthday presents from friends :) I know, it's such a nerdy gift, but they clearly know me well because I love it! Slowly building my design book collection :)

I swear, everyone got me cupcake-related cards this year. LOL. Again, proof that my friends/family know me so well. <3

Trapped in the University Community Centre... last minute cramming before my Advertising final.

Nicky made us yummy strawberry smoothies!

Middlesex College. Pretty building, but I never have classes in there!

I bought new booties by Chinese Laundry. I got them on sale, which is pretty much the only reason I got them hahaha. Definitely not suitable for winter, but I could save them for Spring/Fall. I guess. Or should I just return them? I don't really NEED them...

I was looking through my iTouch one night and found this saved in my notes. Oops! I didn't see it until now and it was saved so long ago. Aw. <3

First time out of the house after being snowed in for days! The people finally came to shovel our driveway. And yeah, I kinda froze to death in my pjs, but I only lasted like a minute and came back inside.

Check out this AWESOME fort our neighbors made!!!

Studying... kind of.

Marshmallow overload, anyone?

On my way home from my document design exam, I spilled my Diet Coke in my bag and got the contents all wet :( I was super sad about my book and moleskine getting wet especially because I like to keep my books in PRISTINE condition and now they'll be stained & wavy forever. :(

And yeah... I burnt my waffles. Our toaster was kinda screwed up to begin with. It got really smokey and I didn't know what to do when I saw it, so I threw it outside in the snow. Needless to say, I had to buy us a new toaster.

I'm back home for the Holidays - yay! And just in time too. I missed out on the next big London snow storm that ended up delaying exams, which sucks because now my friends have to stay there even longer and we have to cancel our weekend plans. On another note, I really need to do my Christmas shopping-- I know, it's late. I have no idea what to get my parents or grandma!!! Any suggestions?!

17 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Louis Vuitton: HERM Technology

2010-12-14T19:29:00.001-05:00

Soon, Louis Vuitton bags and wallets will be able to detect their owner's emotions. A small charm will be created that incorporates a new "HERM" (heart and emotion rate monitor) that can be purchased with a bag or separately at Louis Vuitton stores worldwide. When attached to a bag, the HERM automatically transmits your location and heartbeat via Bluetooth/WIFI to the owner's smartphone. The concept is that the owner will be able to re-trace a trip that they took with their bag, and note when they were happy or sad. I love my brands, and I love LV... but what. is. this?! I am guilty of buying impractical things, but this, is just ridiculous. I guess I applaud Louis Vuitton for trying to create a broader social platform, but realistically, why do I care if my bag knows how I'm feeling? Designers can sell anything with their brand slapped on it and make a fortune.

You only turn twenty once.

2010-12-12T21:29:00.001-05:00

Fruit cheesecake from my family & cousins. Although it got a little smushed, it was still delicious! I love cheesecake!

My friends and I stayed at the Hilton Toronto, but first we coated the room in pink balloons! Aww.

My two roomies. <3

Hilton Toronto lobby.

I have so many pictures of us in front of this tree, but barely any of them turned out well because none of us were looking at the camera! So characteristic of us, haha. I wanted a full group picture, but it didn't happen. More than half the guys are missing in this picture!

Then we broke the tree....

....and moved to a metal tree instead. :)

We had dinner at Dazzling Bar & Lounge on King West.

Look at the camera Allen, jeez!!!

This was undoubtedly the most delicious sushi roll I've ever had in my life. But it better be, seeing how it was $20 for this alone!

On the other hand, this was probably the most disgusting Sex on the Beach I've ever tasted! Bleh!

Me, DJ, and Alex.

Freda, Liv, Nicky, Allen.

Thanks Alex for the rose!

The girls I could never live without. So much love.

The cutest cupcake birthday card ever! She knows me too well.

Cupcakes!

♥

SHOTSSSSS.

Everyone was so fascinated by this scenic elevator at the Hilton. We were lucky enough to be on the 30th floor so our room had a really nice view of Toronto.

We were previously deciding on whether to do the whole traditional clubbing thing or partake in some drunk karaoke and we decided on the latter at Bar-Plus. The guys were clearly so into it. I have a video of them dedicating "My Heart Will Go On" to me, but to save all our ears, I won't upload it... just yet. :)

My birthday cake flavoured birthday cake from Marble Slab! With rainbow sprinkles and gummy bears... just the way I like it. :)

It was a bitch to cut, though. Or maybe we didn't thaw it enough. Hmm...

And then on midnight of my actual birthday...

... my roommates surprised me with another ice cream cake, but this time from Dairy Queen! This time they made me cut it by myself and I struggled, lol.

The most ridiculous cake ever?! Long story short, my friends recently discovered the song "Becky" by Plies (it's horrible, FYI) and have been using my name in that context. LOL. Lovely.
Overall, I had a great twentieth birthday and I couldn't be more grateful for the lovely people in my life who made my day so special. I don't think I've ever had three birthday cakes in one year before! Anyway, I'm off to write my Advertising & Society exam worth 60% of my final mark (!!!) I've got my Document Design final tomorrow night and I'll be heading back home for the Holidays soon after. I'm super excited, especially because I know there is a little something waiting for me at home as a birthday/Christmas present from my dad. Can you guess what it is? :)

40 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Last nine days of nineteenth year.

2010-12-09T19:37:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I'm turning twenty tomorrow. Screw turning the page, I'm writing a new book!
And yeah, I should do something with my hair. It's been like this since... high school, sadly.
20 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Snowmageddon #ldnont.

2010-12-07T16:15:00.000-05:00

Hello crazy snowstorm in Southwestern Ontario?! It's really hard to believe that all this snow came out of no where in a span of 48 hours. The city of London has pretty much shut itself down. All schools are cancelled including the University (as well as all of Western's campus facilities and buildings... which means no work, gym, or library), the local transit has stopped running, and even the malls are closed. We've had school cancelled for the past two days and they have already announced that the campus will be closed tomorrow too. I find it absolutely ridiculous! Especially after talking to my friends back home (only two hours away!) and they have practically no snow on the ground in Toronto. I mean, I love snow-- heck, I'm a Winter baby-- but only when I can go snowboarding! And with this crazy snowstorm, there's no way our car is getting out of the garage, plus the slopes aren't even open yet. So no, right now, I don't like snow and I want this to stop. Unlike everyone else, I'm not in favour of this "Triple Snow Day" because I want to go to work and get paid!!! I just want to write my final exams and go home for the holidays ASAP. If this snow delays any of my finals, I will be one angryyyy little girl.

This is me on the way to campus on Monday morning. It was still snowing hard at that time although you can't really tell. Half way through my work shift, they declare that the entire campus is shutting down so I had to trek home. It was the longest walk home (especially since there was no way I was getting on one of those packed busses)!

Backyard.

Car stuck in snow.

FINALLY they decided to plough our little side road.

A truck pulling a truck pulling a truck. Um...

30 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Piecing back Toronto's skyline.

2010-12-05T23:12:00.000-05:00

I. The above is part of my final art project of the semester. Several hundred Photoshop layers and a couple hours later, I was able to piece back Toronto's skyline to my original fish eye photograph. Makes me miss Toronto. And summer, for that matter. But on the happy note... tomorrow will be my last art critique. EVER! Boo ya!
II. I bought seven pairs of shoes in two days. I'm not even kidding when I say I need some kind of shopaholic therapy.
III.Hellooooo SNOW?!?! The snow has been coming down hard today and it doesn't look like it's going to stop until Tuesday. That only means one thing: it's almost time to hit the slopes! Yes!
IV. My roomies and I decided not go to the gym tonight. Instead, we attempted to build snowmen.
V. And now some hot chocolate to end the night. Busy week full of finishing off papers and studying for finals. It's my 'birthweek' too, but ha. Birthday shmirthday. I'm past the point of caring (sorrryy J, cynical me speaking again!)

17 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

What's in my MBMJ shifty satchel?

2010-12-02T19:44:00.001-05:00

I've been meaning to do a "What's in my purse?" post for years, but I never got around to it. I figured now was the time, especially since I ended up getting the MBMJ bag in the colour I wanted and it's still brand spankin' new. :) Here's what's in my Marc by Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock Lil' Shifty Satchel in Chickpea.

Of course, the iconic MBMJ bag interior. Love it. My only regret is not getting the full-size bag. As cute as this one is, I'm scared I'm going to break it with all the crap I put in it...

It's a small bag with a small opening, but it's deep and fits quite a bit! Now here are the contents...

iPod touch, Blackberry, and extra Blackberry batteries! Yes, I'm a little OCD with my BB... I carry charged spare batteries everywhere I go-- and yes, I do use them.

Lanyard with keys and USB, gym schedule, epi-pen (peanut allergy), gum, and student card with bus pass. I'm pretty sure it's the ugliest student card ever, ha.

Coach mini skinny where I put my coins and glasses. They're actually Roberto Cavalli, but I lost the case so I use an old Coach sunglasses case. I don't even know why I carry my glasses around. I rarely wear them, unless I'm sitting far away in class and can't see.

Coach make-up case: Marc Jacobs heart mirror, Philosophy inner grace hand cream (love this stuff), nail polishes (I usually carry around ones that I have on, in case it chips when I'm out and I want an immediate fix, but I realized I didn't have any of these on haha… kind of fail. In case you're curious, from L-R: Essie Mint Candy Apple, Essie Cute As a Button, and OPI Kyoto Pearl), aerie lipgloss, mascara, nail filer, and Lululemon headband.

Tiffany pouch for me to put my jewelry in, in the case that I take it off when I'm not home (aka at the gym) and my beloved Moleskine. I don't know how I'd live without it, my life is literally in there. I opened a random page and it happened to be from Halloween week, haha oops.

Beat up wallet. I want a new one!

Club Monaco receipt, GO Train 10-ride pass, boss's business card, VIP passes to the Frog on Thursdays… anyyyyyone wanna come party with me tonight?! (Hahaha seriously though, pain in the ass to promote club events. Never again!)

Canadian cash, Greyhound bucks (their service sucks, don't ever use them!), and leftover USD from my last shopping trip to the States (clearly not much...)

From top to bottom, left to right:
Row 1: Driver's license, SCENE card, Tim Horton's card
Row 2: VISA, AMC movie watcher card, AE points card
Row 3: Debit card, Costco membership, Shoppers Optimum card
Row 4: ISIC student travel card, dad's health insurance card, Lululemon gift card

And this is incredibly random and unrelated, but for the last two weeks I've been looking long and hard for my hair clips. I was seriously tripping myself out because my room is pretty neat right now and there's no way they could just disappear?! ...All along they were just clipped to my table lamp and I didn't see them... for two weeks. My bad! Maybe I do need those glasses.

41 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

November 17-29, 2010

2010-11-29T22:58:00.000-05:00

Went to Symposium for dessert with Freda, Jeff, and Allen. I'm so sick of their dessert now. I had red velvet cake, which was really good, but wayyy too rich and filling.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE coffeehouse nights and live music, but this girl was so loud absolutely NO ONE was able to carry a conversation. We went to have a conversation over dessert and ended up having to shout at each other. It was really frustrating.

We tried out a new sushi place called "Conception" and I didn't enjoy it at all!

I went to the UnMarketing book tour at the Delta Armouries with my coworker (my boss was originally supposed to go but he couldn't make it and gave me his ticket) and it was awesome. Scott was hilarious and the whole night was full of networking. I was very noticeably the youngest person there, but somehow that made everyone want to talk to me... haha. It was a good networking session! Almost the entire design/social media/digital ad community of London was there and it was nice to meet so many industry professionals.

I got my book signed :) and that was my name tag, haha. Haven't read the book yet, but I plan to after exams are over with!

Nicky made us whole wheat banana flax seed muffins. They tasted... healthy.

Skype sing-a-long sessions with Alex... and Allen (his foot).

We found this hidden gem in a residential area on the corner of Richmond and Waterloo St. It's the cutest little restaurant ever. I'm sure it's going to start becoming one of our regulars.

My collage on consumerism. I have to admit I didn't spend very much time on it, and it clearly showed in my critique. My prof took one glance at it and told me it was "too obvious". MEHHHH. ONE MORE WEEK OF THIS DREADED ART CLASS AND I'M DONE.

Brrrrr... it suddenly got really cold. Time to whip out the winter gear!

Saturday brunch at Milestone's with the girlfriendsss ♥

My brother brought home this block of wood and told my dad to carve it into a car for his Cub scouts. Apparently it's a "contest", which I actually think is really dumb because it's supposed to be a "father-son" project, but in carving a car, what can a kid do anyways? My dad clearly took this way too seriously, drew sketches, paint swatches... but that's my dad for ya. He even went as far as taking some real car paint from work.

Dinner and catch up time with daddy over thai food.

First snowfall this year! (Well, that I've witnessed anyways) The snow just came down hard out of no where, but it melted by the end of the night. What's going on this year!?

Dinner with Livia <3 She may be tiny but she has a big appetite!

Hilton Toronto washroom... lol.

The Eaton's Centre was absolutely packed this weekend, it was ridiculous!

Shopping with the girls before meeting up with the guys for dinner.

My paycheques go straight to Club Monaco, but how can I resist? :P And Sunny D is the best cure for thirst after a long day of shopping!

... Bar timeeee. (My drinks were naaaasty though!)

Yonge-Dundas at night. Pretty lights as always.

Goodbye lunch before heading back to London again. We ate out so many times this weekend I feel so sick from it! My stacker sandwich from Casey's was so so delicious though.

19 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Must be something more.

2010-11-26T02:03:00.001-05:00

One. I talked to Justin on the phone last week and in the same conversation he told me not once, but twice, that I sounded depressing. I wasn't sure what he meant. He said it wasn't necessarily the tone of my voice, but more so the context of what I was saying and my choice of words. Really? I let that slide. Today I met up with Livia for dinner. I haven't seen her in two weeks and the first thing she says to me is, "are you okay? Something seems off." It was kind of like a punch in the face. Do I really give off a negative vibe now? Do I really wear my emotions on my sleeve?

Two. Drove around aimlessly for an hour and let the GPS guide me home afterwards. There's something calming about blasting music and driving around. It's an unnecessary waste of gas, yes, but calming to me nonetheless.

Three. I take back what I said about money being able to buy happiness. My birthday is rolling around the corner and I have friends asking me what I want. I have no answer. I mean, of course there are things I want. My life has always been about wanting (more, more, more). But I've spoiled myself. I always get what I want. It has come to the point that there's no longer a need to put something on my 'wishlist' because it doubles as my 'shopping list'. There's nothing I want for my birthday. Everything I "want" I can buy myself. Everything else, money can't buy.

Four. Reading back on my entries, even this one alone, I guess I have been sounding kind of cynical lately. Happy Becky, where are you? Please find your way home... I know you're missed.

INFLUENCER: Trends and Creativity

2010-11-25T19:24:00.001-05:00

INFLUENCERS is a short documentary that explores what it means to be an influencer and how trends and creativity become contagious today in music, fashion and entertainment. The film attempts to understand the essence of influence, what makes a person influential without taking a statistical or metric approach. Written and Directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson, the film is a Polaroid snapshot of New York influential creatives (advertising, design, fashion and entertainment) who are shaping today's pop culture.

Mr. A-Z

2010-11-21T19:36:00.000-05:00

Opening act Robert Francis. Reminded me of John Mayer... a little bit.

Dear Jason, you are an amazing performer.

Yeah... we got pretty close.

Can't leave them out now, can we?

The full crew.

19 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

November 5-16, 2010

2010-11-17T21:40:00.001-05:00

My cousin's new whip. Porsche numero deux. She's a beautyyy.

My dad's new whip... haha, which is put to shame by my cousin's porsche, but that's alright. It's a Lincoln MKT. And then again, my cars are always "new" because my dad works for Ford and we switch our cars every six months. I'm loving this one though. I went home for the weekend and drove it around everywhere. Super smooth ride... I just hate parking this giant thing.

When you reverse, the camera in the back turns on and you see it on the screen. My friends and I were having fun with that, along with the other crazily unnecessary options in the car. :P (ex. changing the colour of the cup holder ring light...)

Instead of studying, I forced Allen to join OMGPOP and play with me hahaha. We actually spent that entire night playing Balloono. I'm still so shit at that game and I scream whenever someone is chasing me, but I swear I can't help it. :P

Art class, drawing with crayons, using anything but our hands. So ridiculous. My friend Gen (on the right) used her head and had a huge headache by the end of class. I don't blame her.

Aaron breaking his wooden appendage at the end of art class out of frustration. Again, I don't blame him either. We've decided we need to take shots before going to art class. I don't know how else I'm going to get through this semester.

Crossing the border to Buffalo for some States shopping! Gotta take advantage of our strong dollar ;) It was so foggy and hard to drive, though.

Niagara fashion outlets already have Christmas decorations up. I love it!

Oh Juicy... my guilty pleasure.

A trip to the States isn't complete without a taste of my favourite Jack Daniels steak at TGI! Yum!

Due to lack of sleep from the previous night, I got really tired during shopping and decided to stay in the car when everyone else was looking at home-ware stuff. It was a nice day so I had the vista roof open up wide and took a nice power nap. :)

Karaoke at Star K! LOL. The machines they have are fully in Korean so it was ridiculously hard to manuveur through songs and stuff but by the end of the night we got the hang of it. Also, check out that video. All the background vids were random Korean scenes.

Treated my parents out for some sushi. :)

Picked up Livia from the GO station. For once I'm not the one ON the train... and I love it.

Oh hey bestie. ♥

Joe & Alex at Bamboo. Joe hates this picture, bahaha.

Late night bowling with Liv, Joe, and Alex. I know, I know. We have an odd obsession for bowling. Orrrr we just got super competitive with each other. The latter, I'm pretty sure.

GUESSS WHAT CAMEEEEEEEE =) Hint... It's from Nordstrom! It felt like Christmas morning!

Fooling around with Nicky & Connie <3

I spilled a water bottle in my bag and it soaked my Macbook case. :( My poor Macbook was a little damp but thankfully it still works. I don't think I could ever forgive myself if it didn't!

Hey, sleepy head.

Waiting for a table at dim sum is absolutely ridiculous. I went with a group of ten friends and it took forever to get a table. They were calling out numbers and when it was FINALLY our turn, we all SCREAMED (a natural instinct after waiting FOREVER :P) An old man said it sounded like we just won the lottery. Haha.

Cora's breakfast with Liv before heading back to London. Miss you my love.

Work is busy, busy, busy. Much busier than school, but that's alright. I get my perks too! Going to the UnMarketing tweet-up/conference next week at the Delta London Armouries compliments of work. Complete with a meet and greet and book signing, I think I'm really going to enjoy myself. On another note, this might be the first Winter break in as long as I can remember that I'm not going on vacation. I hope that changes and I pull off some last-minute vacay or something. :( I take vacations and traveling for granted... I know.

24 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Lanvin for H&M collection.

2010-11-14T22:39:00.000-05:00

How beautiful is the new Lanvin for H&M collection? I am usually disappointed with H&M collabs with designers, especially with Jimmy Choo, so the Lanvin lookbook was more than impressive to me! Big ruffles and lace... right down my alley. And not having to pay designer prices? Bonus! It's a shame that collab stuff sells ridiculously quickly, and even then, only to people who wait hours in line for opening. Anyone crazy (and dedicated!) enough to go line up this week?

They say money can't buy happiness, but I disagree. There's a temporary happiness that comes from buying something you want or love. It may be temporary, but I'll take what I can get right now. And that's not to say I'm not happy. I just want to be happier (who doesn't?) I was in the happiest state when I wrote my last entry, but it's like things took a huge turn for the worse since then. It's fine, though. So many problems seem minuscule to me now. Perhaps that's a result of being indifferent and not caring, or just realizing that there are few things in life that actually matter. I'm not sure how cynical that sounds, but I'm done wasting time and energy on things that don't matter.

27 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Happiness.

2010-11-07T15:05:00.001-05:00

I remember back in high school, the girls would have frequent sleepovers. Now, it's like everyday is a sleepover. We almost always have friends over and our cozy bungalow is always radiating smiles and laughter. Don't get me wrong, I miss my family and house in Sauga, but this is definitely my home away from home and I'm loving it. With that being said, a lot of time is wasted here and I'm going to use this beautiful Sunday afternoon to catch up on some work I've been prolonging. Oh, and Starbucks holiday drinks are back. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing considering my roomies and I are already over-obsessed and over-consume Starbucks on a regular basis. This is only going to make coffee runs even more frequent. On another note, I might be seeing Bruno Mars this weekend, but that all depends on the conditions of my hard-pressing journalism assignment. I truly hope that won't interfere.

Someone just tell me that it's okay now. What are you worried about? Got my dreams, got my life, got my love. Got my friends, got the sunshine above. Why am I making this hard on myself when there's so many beautiful reasons I have to be happy? - Natasha Bedingfield, Happy

19 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

October 24 - November 4, 2010

2010-11-05T18:24:00.001-04:00

I wasn't originally going to upload this, but it gave everyone on Facebook a good laugh, apparently... so why not. :P I had to email my prof my assignment late because I totally forgot to send it to him. He knows I usually get things done on time, so I didn't see why it would be a problem. He replies with the above and tells me to check my attachment. I thought to myself, "HUH?" and then I opened it, and saw this...

...LOL. Long story short, my friend Livia had said this to me on MSN and I thought it was ridiculously funny because it makes no sense, so I copy & pasted it into a TextEdit (like a Notepad for Mac users). I guess I must've saved it under the wrong name by accident and attached this to my prof instead of my assignment. BIG WOOOOOPS. Super embarrassing...

Operation Cut Up Sevens....... failed.

♥ ♥ ♥

The guys at Crabby Joe's.

Girls at Palasad.

Bowwwwwling at Palasad. I talked so much shit before the game LOL. Made bets with Allen and Alex and alas, I lost. Boo! :(

3AM Cranium... we're a little obsessed. And Alex and I are forever champiooooons!

Weekly roomie grocery trip. Why is food so damn expensive?

We were at LCBO and this man was in a cat costume and it was so freakin' funny. Whiskers, black nose, tail, and all. Too bad I couldn't get a clearer picture. This was creepy enough already. :P

More from Halloween. Super girl and robin hood :) andddd a ninja and pirate. Do you like the moustache on the pirate? LOL. ;)

TEQUIIIIILAAAAA!

The beginnings of my 3x3ft canvas. I spent forever on this assignment and in the end, it looked like a piece of shit. I even got Aaron to hand it in for me because I didn't want to partake in critiques. I wasn't prepared to get ripped up by the profs.

Shopping, Tony Roma's, and "Life As We Know It" with Freda! :)

STUDY NIGHT with the girls and boys. Except it was hard for me to study with Allen lying on me the entire time. And his hair is sooooo freakin' prickley. I call him a porcupine. I also looped the Pinkberry theme song over and over and everyone was getting really annoyed... but shit, that song is so cute and catchy.

20 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Super girl to the rescue.

2010-11-01T23:01:00.000-04:00

Halloween '10 Predrink - with the girls and boys I love the most. :) How was your Halloween weekend? Costumes? I guess you can't really tell in this picture, but I was super girl. :P I'll put more pictures up later.
Our predrink lasted longer than we had intended, but we played endless rounds of beer pong, flip cup, and 'never have I ever' -- if I recall properly. Nicky had a few too many tequila shots and spent part of the night hugging the toilet seat and some of my friends spent the night taking care of her. There were some randoms in our house that night, which made me kind of wary because this was not a house party-- we were simply just predrinking and no one knew who they were. As drunk as I was, I still went to lock my room door because I reaaaally didn't want anything going missing. I also remember continuously calling the cab company but the lines were so busy no one could get through and when we eventually got a hold of four cabs, it took forever for them to show up. And not all of them did! The night ended with a really long talk with DJ outside on the porch that was slightly awkward, but comforting and necessary for the both of us and I'm really glad it happened. This entry was all over the place but it's what I remember from Saturday night. Oh, and clean up is a bitch! Let's just say that alcohol and hardwood floors do not go well together.

13 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

October 12-23, 2010

2010-10-24T20:22:00.000-04:00

I love autumn. The leaves are so pretty on campus.

Nicky & I attempted to make pretty white & milk chocolate swirled strawberries but failed miserably. They were still delicious, though.

Went out to The Keg for dinner and then to see The Social Network. I actually really, really enjoyed the movie. Great story of entrepreneurship and betrayal.

iMovie video editing... Did anyone watch the Apple keynote last week? I'm so excited for iLife '11. If not for the new iMovie, the new features in Garage Band have me SOLD!

Randoooom?

Being restricted to rules (monochromatic & linear lines only) leads me to create boring pieces of art. Whatever. Really sick of this art studio class.

Another piece from last week's art studio. Definitely didn't turn out the way I had planned. Ah well, live and learn.

Skyping with my lovely girl, Amanda, who is in Paris on an exchange program! I am so envious of her for being emerged in a completely new environment. What an experience. (I miss you, Mandieee... come home soon!)

Postcard from Paris :) Brightened my day.

Nicky & I's door signs. I don't know why her picture turned out funky... my Blackberry has been wonky lately. Hers says "It's getting hot in here so take off all your clothes before you enter" - LOL. And mine, well, how typical.

Lots of cramming for my Advertising & Society midterm!

My roomies and I made a list of fine dining restaurants we want to try out in London and decided we should start with something completely different-- INDIAN FOOD. Totally out of our comfort zone, but we tried out The Raja and it was surprisingly good.

We forced the guys to come out with us and although reluctant at first, they also enjoyed the meal. It was completely different than anything I've ever had before (I've never had Indian food before that night) so it was a pleasant surprise.

Text-based mixed media collages.

So UWO is potentially going on strike starting Nov 3 and I'm really, really hoping this won't happen as it means an extension of the school year into the summer and that would ruin my summer plans (aka less time working = less money made, less time to travel, ...you get the point). But of course leave it to my fellow MIT classmates for making a joke out of it on the otherwise serious Facebook group. This is why I love MIT. We would go to Cancun if the strike happens.

12 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Roomies with the matching hoodies.

2010-10-17T22:57:00.000-04:00

I. Absolutely the least exciting weekend I've had in the past couple months, but I guess that's expected when it's midterm week and I have an unbearable load of freelance work to catch up with.
II. Spent the majority of the weekend finishing my painting assignments. I am so so so sick of painting.
III. Our house is ridiculously cold. The only way to stay warm? Layers, Western hoodies, sweats, and thick wool socks. But we seem to be matching all the time anyways. Not uncommon.
IV. I want to go to Montreal next month. Or a shopping trip in the States? I don't know-- anywhere, everywhere. I just have this constant urge to get up and go somewhere. Outside Ontario, that is.
V. I'm also really tempted to buy a new snowboard... hmm... NO, BECKY. Shit, I need help.

17 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Totally turnlock decisions.

2010-10-14T18:16:00.000-04:00

I've been lusting over the Marc by Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock Shifty Satchel for the longest time and I had all intentions of buying it for myself as a birthday gift (ha ha, isn't that my excuse for everything?) I've been in love with the chickpea colour (left) but Nordstrom currently has the same satchel, but in the cinnamon colour (right) on sale -- HALF PRICE. I do like the cinnamon colour, but definitely not as much as the chickpea. Should I go ahead and buy the cinnamon colour and save myself $250, or just pay the extra bills and get the colour I really wanted in the first place? It kinda sucks that after shipping and duties the cinnamon will still come up to ~$350, but I guess that's still cheaper than I could ever find a MBMJ bag at Holt Renfew. I'm also debating between the Lil' bag (smaller size) or the full size, but I'm leaning towards the latter. Help me decide!!!

26 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

October 1-11, 2010

2010-10-11T19:58:00.000-04:00

Took this picture from my Blackberry. I've got much better ones from my point-and-shoot, but I'll upload them later!

Formerly a strip club, and now one of London's best clubs: Rouge.

Line up for Lululemon warehouse sale. Absolutely ridiculous! We were there super early too and still ended up freezing to death outside in the early morning. Oh well, it was expected...

Minor damage.

Loves.

I've pretty much known these girls all my life. Love them.

Cutest little cupcake containers ever! I know, I'm a little obsessed. I've been told...

Gotta take advantage of outdoor patios before it gets too cold! (Actually, it's already too cold... boo hoo)

Sushi is our hangover cure.

Came home for the long weekend and my parents bought a $3k massage chair. Whhaaat. I sat on it for ten minutes and I already had enough. It hurt more than it felt good.

Vroom vrooooom. Coming home also means having a car to drive around, yay! I picked up Allen one night and he surprisingly told me I was a better driver than he thought I would be (believe me, this guy does not dish out compliments, so I was like YESSSS!) Later that night, I made a failed three point turn that turned into a five point turn and he revoked his statement... ouch! Haha oh well. Better safe than sorry. I'm still getting the hang of it. :P

Visited my grandfather at the cemetary. We recently moved him from the cemetary in Kitchener to the one in Oakville and I love it so much more at the new place. It overlooks a golf course and the space is nice and open. I've never met my grandpa but I wish I got the chance to. From what I hear, we would have got along really well.

Best server ever?! aka my friend Alex. :)

My roomie made this chocolate raspberry velvet cake and it was absolutely delicious. Doesn't it look pretty?

Boys vs. Girls bowling night! As a team, the boys won, but individually, my personal score kicked all of theirs soooo HA. :)

I had two turkey dinners this weekend -- that's what happens when I have a huge family. It was nice to see all my cousins again, though. Always a good time!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to my fellow Canadians. Hope you've all had a good long weekend!

22 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Homecoming mess.

2010-10-05T18:12:00.000-04:00

Homecoming weekend was a mess of bittersweet emotions all jumbled into one. For starters, the Lululemon warehouse sale was very much overly hyped: completely not worth the line up or drive. I still ended up buying stuff because I almost felt obligated to purchase something after all that initial time and money invested on merely getting there. On the way back from Hamilton we got a speeding ticket on the highway. Figures. Bummer incident #1.

For the rest of the weekend we had friends over at our house for the majority of the time. Went out to Tap House on Friday night and it's all still kind of a blur to me. Blame it on the al-al-al-alcohol. (Okay, maybe not. I drank that night but wasn't even drunk enough to blame my actions on anything.) Still, I even caught myself off guard. I woke up the next morning to concerned emails from friends alerting me of something I never wanted to hear, but alas, isn't in my control. My friends picked me off the floor after a rough morning and we went out to Rouge that night.

Lastly, the Jason Mraz concert last night was absolutely stellar, as usual. My third time seeing Mr. Mraz live and he just doesn't disappoint. Lots of photos coming up. Right now I'm stuck on campus waiting for an evening meeting. I've got a million thoughts running through my head, so believe me when I say I really don't want to be here right now.

September 20-30, 2010

2010-09-30T22:27:00.000-04:00

Clubs week at school is always chaotic. I felt like a salesman, continuously promoting DECA...

And I had to wear this hideous t-shirt. (I couldn't help but to cut it up lol). It went well though. Over 200 members, as usual, but we're still pushing for more last minute registrations!

My Hautelook order came! Oh dear... need to unsubscribe to Hautelook, seriously...

My friends and I played this ridiculous board game for a good three hours one night. It's so dumb but it was so entertaining. It was SUPER easy for us though. I mean, as best friends, we know everything about each other. No question could stump us!

Imma ghooooost.

Such an awkward picture, LOL. Me and my roomies in our hallway. Self-timer, of course.

Pre-drink? I think.

Barking Frog patio. Time to get even mooooore sloshedddd.

Cora's is THE best hangover cure! Deliciousnessss.

I kinda have a shopping addiction. And I love love love Club Monaco.

I always seem to end up working with iPads... but hey, I'm not complaining. I get one to play with at work again this term, which is awesome! I'm so tempted to get one for myself now. Hmm...

I dislike working with acrylic paint and I dislike doing projects that must be monochromatic. Screw using one colour. Where's the fun in that!

Drawing still life is also boring. I couldn't find any interesting items around my room, so this is what I had to resort to.

Part of the DECA fam getting ready before our GM meeting.

For three girls, we sure have a decent-sized booze stash considering it's still early in the year. It will grow, trust me. HOMECOMINGGGGGGGGG THIS WEEKENDDDD!!!!

Time to call it an early night. My roomie and I are driving down to Hamilton at 4AM for the Lululemon Warehouse Sale! I know we're pretty friggin ridiculous and we expect a good 3-4 hour line up, but it's all in good fun! Then, WESTERN HOMECOMING and seeing Jason Mraz for the third time on Monday! :)

12 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

New York City shopping splurges.

2010-09-26T22:09:00.000-04:00

I meant to do a shopping post a while back when I got back from NYC, but I forgot and everything is scattered in my closet now anyways. Oh well. Point is, I'm a freakin' shopaholic and I realized I resort to shopping when I'm not feeling good. I had a really shitty week so I went shopping with my roomie yesterday and blew another significant chunk of money. It's horrible, but I just gotta keep earning dough to keep up with my ridiculous spending habits.

This week: class, work, countless hours in the arts studio, lots of lane swimming, DECA GM... nothing special. On the happy note, Homecoming is next weekend and I am beyond excited! What are your plans for this week?

15 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Aug 30 - Sep 19, 2010

2010-09-19T22:15:00.001-04:00

Schulich contract renewal... with a pay raise as a nice surprise! I really wasn't expecting any increase in pay and I was already more than willing to renew my contract with them, but this was just the cherry on top!

TGI Friday's in Buffalo. They need to start franchasing TGIs in Canada!!! :( I loveee the Jack Daniels flatiron steak and that's all I get everytime I'm there. Still like the location I usually go to in Michigan better, though.

My friend got her wisdom teeth out so we took her out for ice cream!

CNE. There wasn't much there this year. Or maybe we're just too old for it now?

...But we did go to the CNE casino, which turned out to be really, really sketch so we didn't stay long.

Haha the girls were trying to do some weightlifting in a friend's basement and it was a huge FAIL. Needless to say, everyone was sore the next day.

My friend made me a little penguin... hehe isn't he cute? :)

Mmmm Barney's clearance shoe rack in New York City. Too bad clearance is still so unaffordable?

Anthropologie in NYC - Rockefeller Centre location.

Last day of work drinks with my boss and coworker. It's funny because my boss sent me an email the other day and said "I miss you already!!!" LOL. He is too cute.

Gooooodnight, Toronto. One of the last times I needed to take the GO train home (until next year, anyways).

A sign that school is starting. Boo.

New frozen yogurt place in London! About time. It's so so good. :)

My boss left this on my desk on my first day back at work.

I burnt my breakfast. Hahaha. I'm so horrible at domestic chores.

My friend Aaron in class. I literally have every single class with him this semester... which may not be such a good thing because we never pay attention.

Finally got around to watching The Switch and it was SUCH a cute movie. The little boy Sebastian is absolutely adoooorable and my friends and I spent the entire movie "aww"ing at him. I love little kids.

28 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

School/work mix.

2010-09-16T00:10:00.000-04:00

I. As of last Saturday, I've packed up and moved back to London for another school year. I'm living off-campus this year in a cozy bungalow with two of my best friends and I'm sure it will be a good time!

II. I'm now in my 3rd year of undergrad and I can't believe I'm already half way done! Truth is, I really don't believe in University education other than for the purpose of obtaining that damned degree necessary to even land a legit job. Achieving high marks? So what. If you have no intention of pursuing a professional career (in which case, it's a totally different story) or grad school, marks mean nothing in real life. I mean, I think I land some pretty good gigs, and to date, not a single employer has asked for my transcript; believe me, I'd be doomed if it came down to that. I'm not saying I'm a horrible student, but I'm no where near an exceptional performer either. I just do enough to get by with decent grades and make up for it with a wealth of experience and dedication. University (my program, at least) is all about being able to bullshit. And apparently, I'm pretty good at that.

III. With that being said, I try to take courses that interest me rather than "bird courses". This semester I'm taking: Propaganda in Print and Visual Culture, Visual Arts Studio, Advertising and Society, Visual Information Packaging: Document Design, and Arts & Entertainment Journalism.

IV. On top of a full course load, I'm back at UWO's Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry working part time for their IT/marketing department. I love what I do, the convenience of working on campus, the flexibility in scheduling, and oh yeah, did I mention I got a pretty sweet raise? I'm also still trying to seal the deal on a couple loose-end freelance projects from the summer. I definitely overestimated my ability to juggle school, work, DECA exec, and freelance projects without entirely killing my social life, and now I am living the consequences: a sleep deprived, caffiene overloaded, exhausted, but satisfied, me.

V. And wow, this was an unnecessarily long entry about school and work. Kudos to you if you actually read through all of that. For those of you who are done with school and living the full time work life-- hey, I can't wait to be you.

18 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.

2010-09-08T19:37:00.002-04:00

For the most part, my New York City trip with the girls was ridiculously fun and consisted of too much Starbucks, too much laughter, and of course, too much money spent. The big downfall: I sprained both my ankles (I know, what are the chances) so for the rest of our time in NYC I walked as slow as my 90-year-old grandma and every step I made hurt like a b*tch. I spent some time laughing about it, but it's been five days and my ankles are still bruised, swollen, and it still hurts to walk. It's starting to frighten me because I don't want this to turn into a long term problem and school is starting so soon-- I need to be able to walk normally. Let's just hope I recover soon. :(

The bus ride felt sooo long. I'd consider forking out the extra money and taking a flight next time. Too much time wasted traveling on the bus!

Our hotel room before we destroyed it. It looked like a dump by the time we checked out. We felt so bad we left extra tip for the room stewards.

Wall Street. Recognize the bull from Hitch?

More Wall Street -- on an early Sunday morning. Hence why it was so empty.

Good morning Times Square!

Good ol' M&M World.

Henri Bendel ... mmm. Everything was drool-worthy.

The yummiest smoothie stand on our way to Fifth Avenue!

In front of Trump Tower and Louis Vuitton on Fifth Avenue.

Life is Juicyyyyy!

We had lunch at a cute cafe down Fifth and dinner at the (overpriced) Olive Garden in the middle of Times Square :)

Diesel store window. Nice visual merchandising.

Giant Forever 21.

Rockefeller Centre.

And after that, we didn't end up taking too many pictures because I sprained my ankles and we spent a good chunk of time in the pharmacy and back in the hotel room icing my ankles. I honestly love my friends for putting up with me because had I not sprained my ankles, we probably would have ended up doing a lot more!

We spent a full day at the Woodbury Commons outlets and the whole trip put me down over $700 not including food and miscellaneous expenses -- only shopping purchases, OUCH. I'll probably do a shopping post soon! My favourite purchase?

...Came in a little blue box, of course. Or should I say two little blue boxes?

There was six floors of Tiffany goodness at the original Fifth ave store. How could I resist? I just had to splurge! Adding to my growing collection. :)
27 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

The best part of a cruise? Food.

2010-09-01T20:12:00.001-04:00

I don't want to sound ungrateful, but after seven cruises, they all play out the same. More or less you visit the same ports, watch the same shows, and the layout of the ships are nearly identical. Don't get me wrong, though! I still had a great time and it was really nice to get some time away from work and freelance madness. This time we stopped at Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; Belize City; and Grand Cayman islands. I've been to all those ports before other than Belize where I went cave tubing (so so much fun!), so nothing was overly exciting. Anyways, I took a lot of pictures but there's too many to post in a single entry. Over time, perhaps. :)

Such a filling appetizer, huh?

Creme brulee.

$7 Premium cappuccino.

A very small lobster tail. :(

Cold strawberry bisque. I know strawberry soup sounds disgusting, but it was good, really!

Admittedly, the nastiest sushi I've ever had in my life.

Escargot... bleh. I didn't like it.

22 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

August 10-20, 2010

2010-08-20T21:56:00.000-04:00

Had wine and dinner at the Everest patio with the lovely Erica Mach. I swear this girl is like the older sister I never had. I don't see her very often anymore, but when I do, everything falls back into place again. She's always got my back and I love her for that.

New school year? Time for a new Moleskine!

Posted this before, but here is the not-so-handsome anymore Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys.

A bunch of topless guys at the BSB concerts with "BACKSTREET'S BACK" spelt on their chests. LOL.

Mr. Murray at the beach :)

A feast made for Kings!

I'm always late on birthdays nowadays, it's such a bad habit! So now I always buy BELATED birthday cards, which aren't ever as good as normal ones. Sorry babeeee <3

This describes my relationship with AL & NM so well. It's more than just a Starbucks cup, but no one needs to understand the back story :P

Blended cocktails and rooftop patios. This is what makes summer, summer.

Cheers to my lovely girls <3

...What's new.

LF, me, AL, CC. Pixelated faces because they don't like them shown publicly :P

Have you ever seen a PHO place look like this? Me neither. It's a new restaurant in my city and I was really shocked when I first walked in. I mean, pho is pho. Usually a below-average looking restaurant, but this? Taking pho to a whole 'nother level, haha.

FINALLLYYYYYYYYYYY HEREEEEEEEE! Unboxing was pretty freakin' exciting. Not gonna lie.

And here is my lovely new baby.

BIG NEWS OF THE ~~DAY~~ ~~WEEK~~ SUMMER?!: I finally got my G2 driver's license after procrastinating for years. By nature, I'm not a procrastinator in any way. Heck, I packed for vacation a week early, I finish writing essays well in advance... but when it came down to driving, I have been delaying it for the last couple years and I'm so happy to say I'm finally licensed as of today! And on another note, I'm leaving for vacation early tomorrow morning and won't be returning till the 30th. So until then, I hope everyone enjoys the last bit of Summer '10. Have fun and stay safe! :)

20 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Backstreet's back, alright!

2010-08-15T20:27:00.000-04:00

Took a trip down memory lane and fulfilled my childhood dream last night at the Backstreet Boys concert (opening act was Shawn Desman). Sure we had crappy lawn tickets and couldn't see the stage very well, but it didn't stop us from having an amazing time. There was something about a stadium full of BSB fans singing along and dancing to every song that made it such an enjoyable night. Oh, and for what it's worth, we did get pretty close to Brian Littrell. We stayed downtown afterwards and stayed up talking till 5, followed by a nice hot tub sesh in the morning.

Less than a week before I leave for Caribbean Cruise #7, but I have so much to do before I can fully look forward to it. Soon after I'll be packing up my stuff again and moving back to London-- it's so ridiculous how fast time flies. I am so not ready for school to begin again. What are you (not) looking forward to?

15 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

July 30 - Aug 9, 2010

2010-08-10T16:12:00.000-04:00

Saw Dinner for Schumucks on opening night. I used my Scene points to buy a free movie so I didn't end up paying for it-- which is good, because I don't think it was worth ten bucks. It was alright. Some funny moments but not amazing.

Strawberry cheesecake and rocky road in a cup :) These are actually mini-sized, they just look gigantic in the picture.

Checking into the hotel was a pain in the ass because of Caribana weekend. Security was heightened so we even had to wear wristbands to be permitted in the hotel.

Marble Slab! Whenever I order birthday cake ice cream with gummy bears and rainbow sprinkles I either get one of two questions: 1) Is it your birthday? or 2) What are you, five? -- IDGAF, this is the way I like it!

My uncle and my dad playing pool. Eventually I played with my mom and aunts but we took sooo long to even get the initial ball in. The entire game took a whole hour and it only ended because someone shot the black ball in a hole... LOL, huge fail.

Drinks with my co-worker at lunch time in the Legislative restaurant: InCamera.

Milestone's bar so late in the night that there was barely anyone there but us.

Had a family BBQ with my dad's side family in Kitchener, Ontario. Something about that city (or I like to call it a town) makes me feel uneasy everytime I'm there, but that's besides the point. I love family BBQs and gatherings because I'm really close with my dad's side. This is my aunt's sunroom at her house. I absolutely love it because she's got her own little outdoor patio...

...And also a nice cozy outdoor fireplace and sitting area :)

Metric did a free concert outside Union Station one day last week and I wasn't planning on going, but I was on my way home from work and just stopped by quickly. I didn't bother pushing to the front or staying long because I had to catch my train home.

Demetre's? :)

We spend a lot of time driving around aimlessly (well not intentionally, but we got lost, so it ends up being aimlessly) in my friend's shiny new Lexus. He's so bad at directions it's actually hilarious and he gets honked at all the time... hehe.

Shoppinggggg at Banana Republic! Got the best deal on two skirts for work :) And also... MAD MEN. My co-worker strongly suggested it to me as did a lot of my friends who know I'm really into advertising so I thought I'd give it a try. I couldn't even get ten minutes into the pilot episode. I'm really not into the oldies (as I like to call it).

Our favourite high school hangout: Bubble Republic. I guess we still kinda go there frequently, so it's not exactly a high school hang out? It gets frustrating though because it's SO loud in there and we usually have a table of 10+ people. It's nearly impossible to hear anyone other than the person across and beside you.

Long story short, I was having a very clumsy day. I dropped a hairbrush into the toilet (clean, mind you) and had to stick my hand in to get it out. I'm usually OCD with things like this and I'm super scared of "dirty" things so my friend thought it'd be funny to record me reaching into the toilet :P I was super squeamish and disgusted, of course.

Starbucks and design magazines... what more can I ask for?

Dinner and catch-up time with Justine aka :)

I was super bored at work yesterday (my boss and co-worker who shares my office are on vacation this week) so I recorded a bunch of videos for friends on their Facebook walls. I couldn't really talk because I didn't wanna make it obvious that I wasn't doing work (ha ha), so I held up little post-it notes. I'm a loser... but I was that bored.

Summer 2010 is flyiiiiiing by, but it hasn't really started for me yet. Backstreet Boys this Saturday (yeeeah, and proud!), then CRUISE, and NEW YORK CITY!!! I actually only have twelve more days of work, which is unbelievable.

24 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Eyes on the waterfall ruffle duvet.

2010-08-08T20:21:00.000-04:00

I. I've been on the lookout for nice comforters or duvet covers (preferably the latter) for a Queen size bed. I fell absolutely head over heels in love with the Waterfall Ruffle duvet from Urban Outfitters. I know it's pretty pricey and super girly, but I love ruffles!-- How much ruffle is too much, though? Is this pushing it?

II. Ordered myself a 27" iMac a couple days ago (not for work, for me this time!) and I'm patiently awaiting its arrival. It was an expensive purchase, but I'm considering it more of an investment than a waste of money. (And it is.)

III. Shit happens in life and things don't always go as planned, but with that being said, I'm constantly reminded how lucky and grateful I am for having best friends who will always be there through thick and thin and a family that is constantly supportive. I don't think I'm thankful enough.

23 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

DECA executive annual general meeting.

2010-08-04T01:49:00.001-04:00

Civic Holiday long weekend-- Spent all day Saturday and Sunday morning at the annual DECA U exec AGM, so it felt like I was doing "work" for the majority of the weekend. Work aside, we had free hotel accommodation at the Delta-Chelsea hotel and spent a lot of time getting to know the execs from other Universities across Ontario. When we were checking into the hotel, I realized I was placed in a room with three guys I just met that day. Seriously? I have nothing against those guys at all, but could they not have made more appropriate rooming arrangements? The group went out at night to do more bonding (I mean, not to sound like an outcast, but a full-day meeting is enough bonding time for me), so Julie and I went off on our own and patio-hopped all night. The next day I went to Kitchener for a family BBQ and Scarborough the day after for a family brunch.

Maybe it's cuz I stay in hotels a lot so I have higher standards, but I was thoroughly disappointed with the quality of the Delta-Chelsea. Nothing about it was spectacular, but I'll stop complaining because I did mention that it was free accommodation.

Me and the view from our hotel balcony.

Julie and I getting ready in the hotel room. I'm OCD about hotel room floors. I would never ever walk bare foot in a hotel room-- I don't care if it's 6 stars.

First stop.... Hard rock cafe! It was actually fairly chilly that night, but it was nice compared to the humidity we've been getting here.

With our bellinis at Milestone's.

Does anyone even know what Civic holiday is about? because I sure don't.

17 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

July 23-29, 2010

2010-07-30T13:57:00.000-04:00

Took a "sick day" off work and went to see Despicable Me. I usually refrain from seeing animated films in theatres because the last one I saw, Wall-E, absolutely bored me to death. This was a surprise, though! Such an adorable movie and the original soundtrack was nicely composed too.

Gloomy days are never fun :(

Guilty pleasuuuuuure. You all know it by now.

♥ ♥ ♥ Love this girl!

Happy birthday Connie! Ice cream cakes are the best, except I couldn't eat this one because it was full of nuts.

Every year, my mom's side of the family spends a day at Ontario Place for a full day of "family events". After last year I pretty much begged my mom not to take me anymore, but alas, she bought me a ticket without asking me. I absolutely can't stand this place because it's soooo boring and the only other time I want to be here is if I'm seeing a show at the Molson Amp. That's IT.

It started pouring rain later that day and yet my family (I'm talking my parents, brother, cousins, aunts and uncles) still wanted to PLAY. Not me though. I was hiding under my umbrella/shelter. I like bumper boats but is it worth getting soaking wet? No wayyyy.

Late night talks at Tim Horton's (because absolutely nothing else is open after midnight in Mississauga).

Embracing my viet roots by eating vermicelli haha. Such a filling dish.

Bowling night! I love bowling and all, but we were at the alley for almost three hours straight. Okay, now that's just TOO much. I bowled over 110 every game which is a pretty big personal achievement! We ended up throwing out half a pitcher of good beer at the end of the night-- a waste, but oh well.

Spent the early evening at the Drake Hotel patio with lots of booze and lots of random people. My cousin dragged me along to her coworker's farewell party so it was kind of awkward for me, especially because everyone else was significantly older. Still a fun time though!

27 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

We are all sleep deprived.

2010-07-28T22:07:00.000-04:00

I broke my Betsey Johnson sunglasses the other day (lesson learned: put your sunglasses in the case when you're not wearing them!) so I ended up buying a new pair over the weekend (I know, my logic is horrible). I got another pair of Steve Madden's only because they're reasonably priced for something I know I'll break sooner than later. I also bought some things from Aritzia and fell in love with a pair of silver heels with pearl and ruffle detailing.

On another note, you know what really bothers me? When people complain about lack of sleep. Don't have enough sleep? Fix that. Go to bed earlier if you need to, but the amount of sleep you get is self-controlled. I wake up at 6AM everyday and I already feel relieved compared to waking up at 4:30AM last summer, but I was out late last night and only ended up getting four hours of sleep-- I'm still alive. Lack of sleep never killed anyone so SUCK IT UP! Just sayin'.

17 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Floral prints for the summer.

2010-07-25T21:21:00.000-04:00

(1. Phillip Lim - 'Grecian' Broomstick Pleated Dress Sale: $382, 2. French Connection - Goldy-Belle Strappy Top Sale: $50, 3. Juicy Couture - Floral-Print Ruffled Silk Top $160, 4. Forever 21 - Ruffled Floral Dress $22.80)
I used to hate floral prints, but this summer I've been finding myself loving them more and more. Although a floral dress or tank paired with a cardigan sometimes makes me feel granny-ish, I'm definitely feeling the floral patterns this season! Summer 2010 is zooming by and soon Fall will roll around, but besides heading back to school, I'm looking forward to lots of layering, boyfriend blazers, cozy cardigans, and leather jackets!-- or wait, am I still living in 2009?! In any case, I've been shopping lots lately and I've pretty much given up on saving money. Oh well, I have absolutely no debt and I'm still racking in money, so I'll worry about my finances later. (Yes I will probably regret this in the future, like most things, but I'll tell Future Becky to blame Past Becky.) I'm curious about other people, though-- what are your spending habits like? Are you generally a spender or saver?

34 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

July 13-22, 2010

2010-07-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

I have the greatest summer job in the world. Hello Wacom intuos4 wireless tablet (I've wanted one for ages) and iPad?!?!?! I'm pretty much getting anything & everything I possibly want at work! My boss is the best :)

You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away. You know where you hope the train will take you, but you can't be sure. But it doesn't matter because we'll be together.

Thoughts on Inception? I saw it on opening night and I wasn't overly impressed or amused by it all. To be fair, it's not my type of movie and I was really tired from work that day so I wasn't fully paying attention. I'd give it another shot before judging it, but I still don't understand the amazing reviews or the rave about it.

Spent the weekend in the capital of Canada -- Ottawa, that is. We went to Parliament Hill and it almost felt like work away from work. It was boring, to say the least, and I don't wanna go back anytime soon.

Jump picture of my besties! I love this picture so much because Nicky's (on the right) facial expression is absolutely priceless. She's such a joker haha.

Sweet & sour pork from my favourite Asian restaurant: Bayview Garden.

Helloooo Holt Renfrew super woman! Shopping with my cousin is so much fun, but puts a huge damper on my bank account. Ouch!

Speaking of money, I love pay days but I hate looking at my pay stub. I've made over six grand since the beginning of May?! Seriously?! I don't have nearly that much in my bank account... WHERE DID IT ALL GOOOOO?!

Outdoor patios on lovely summer evenings and delicious drinks make for a win-win situation.

I dragged a guy to see Sex and the City 2 again with me (although it wasn't so much of a "drag" because he willingly agreed). At the end of it, he said it was "not bad" but I feel like he's just saying that to make me happy because I completely hyped him up for it. Eh, I don't blame him for not liking it if he didn't actually enjoy it. In any case, I enjoyed watching it for a second time because it meant getting a double-take on the amazing fashion & interior design! Love love love.

Work has been slow since the G20 summit and the Queen's visit. My boss and I have been going for Starbucks runs frequently and it makes the day go by so much faster!

Bought a gag gift for a friend's birthday at the Stag Shop... although I guess it wasn't really a gag gift because she actually wanted it and will probably use it... (HAHAHA <3 YOU CC!)

The boys dragged us to the park one night and we watched them all do chin ups on the monkey bars and we played Sandman. It was so late at night and the mosquitos were pretty much eating me ALIVE. I swear, my guy friends are such little kids at heart. I wonder when they will grow up (if ever... :P)

22 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Thought blogging.

2010-07-15T11:30:00.000-04:00

WHAT'S ON MY MIND: (The first and last of this kind of entry.)

6:42am -- My sunburn is peeling now. Ughhh it is so nasty I even disgust myself. :(
7:20am -- I gave the bus driver three dimes because that's all the change I had on me. He didn't notice.
7:57am -- It's funny how you see the same people at the GO Train station every morning but you don't know a single thing about them. It's like they're a part of your daily routine in some unspoken way.
8:35am -- I took the short cut and walked through a field of grass, only to get my flats all muddy. Good going. When will I learn that there are no short cuts in life?
8:57am -- I regret selling my Jack Johnson ticket, but what can you do when you don't even talk to the guy you were supposed to go with anymore... Oh well.
9:22am -- My nails are painted really bright pink (Essie: Cute as a Button). Nicky would say: hooker.
9:59am -- N o r d s t r o ... backspace, backspace, baaaaackspace. NO ONLINE BROWSING, BECKY.
10:18am -- I've got the Hills on my mind..... is anyone else really sad that it's all over?!
11:11am -- Make a wish. (But one's never enough !!!!!)
11:29am -- I better get some work done before lunch time. Adobe Flash, you are officially my enemy.

July 5-12, 2010

2010-07-12T22:45:00.000-04:00

I was hard at work one afternoon when I heard LOUD bomb-like sounds and the building started shaking. It almost felt like another earthquake, but it kept happening in increments of 30 seconds. When I looked out the window, I saw these soldiers firing cannons in the sky. Shit, with this going on you'd think you'd get some kind of email notification to warn you.

My new 27" work iMac came and now my work station is freakin' amazing! It makes the day go by so much faster (it really does!)

After work on a really, really hot and humid day, I met up with my cousin and we went to a nearby Toronto beach to relax and catch up over a beer (that was well hidden since alcohol isn't allowed on beaches here). With the sticky humid weather and hardly any sunshine, we barely lasted over half an hour and ended up leaving....

....to a rooftop patio for a Sangria pitcher! I love my cousin and I love spending time with her whenever possible.

Girly night meant nail painting time!

Went for dessert at Demetre's. Apple pie a la mode, yum yum.

Screw no shopping. I've come to realize that my addiction to shopping is as strong as alcohol to an alcoholic and I'm never going to be completely clean. :P With that being said, I splurged at Tiffany's and bought the heart lariat that I have been lusting over for ages. Three hundred bucks down the drain? Meh, it was money well spent (cough, cough).

I hate rainy days. This day in particular was especially horrible, even though it doesn't look too bad in the picture. I remember getting to work completely soaked from head to toe and well, let's just say I wasn't the happiest girl for the rest of the day.

Stayed up late one night with the girls and baked cookies and this sour cream coffee streusel (?!?!) cake. We never actually ended up eating it...

Coffeeeeee.

Me being bored at work. And also holding up the thick binder my boss wants me to turn into an e-learning module. Fuuuun. Not. (But honestly, take me with a grain of salt when I ever complain about work. I love my job and I wouldn't trade it for anything!)

Drove 2.5 hrs to Wasaga Beach this weekend. This was the dirty washroom shack that had no mirrors (what kind of washroom has no mirrors?!?!)

Our stuff all set up and ready for the day to begin!

The loves of my life <3 (some of which also requested to not show their faces, so I just blurred all the faces out). It was actually really cold at this point. It was right in the morning when we first got there and the wind was pretty strong. This was also pre-sunburn. :( I am now burnt from head to toe and it is killllling me.

The boys played football and BBQed food for us (kind of...)

My beach bag & Blackberry... both of which got very sandy by the end of the trip, but that was expected.

Nicole by OPI and Essie nail polish sale at Shopper's Drug Mart got my friend and I overly excited and too caught up in the heat of the moment. We ended up spending way too much money on nail polish that night. I swear, I have every possible shade already and now I'm just buying duplicates in different brands to add to my collection. BAD IDEA, BECKY.

I was already super sunburnt at this time, but my parents forced me to go to a family picnic at Jack Darling park. So I pretty much sat under this tree in the shade the whole time. I wasn't ready to be even more roasted.

My boss took me and my coworker out for lunch today at a cute Mexican restaurant. We went to a nice bar afterwards to get drinks as well. And yes, this was all during work hours. My lychee martini was very delicious, and I lovelovelove my boss (in the non-creepiest way possible :P)

17 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Am I?

2010-07-08T22:21:00.001-04:00

I am nineteen. [I look fifteen but sometimes act thirty.] I'm hurting: I bleed, I bruise, and I cry [a lot]. I'm healing: I smile, I beam, and I laugh. [I try to recover by forgetting.] I don't care. [I do care.] I don't mind. [I do mind.] It doesn't matter. [It always matters; everything matters.] I am (im)mature. I am (un)inspired. I am (un)deserving. I am (mis)understood. I am not vivid enough to map out who I am, how I am, what I really am. [Am I?] I try too hard, I try too little. I am a perfectionist, albeit imperfect. I am a workaholic. [I like to feel productive.] I am too loud, yet too quiet. I am envious, jealous, and full of lingering regret. I apologize for things I had nothing to do with, and I seldom apologize for those which I had everything to do with, but I'm sorry. I am.

Indomitably, I am. I am learning, trying, growing, making mistakes, and moving on. I am a naive girl flourishing into a young woman. I am and I can't help but to be.

Spotting royalty.

2010-07-06T19:29:00.002-04:00

Queen Elizabeth II visited the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (my workplace) today. I was in charge of photographing the event and despite the scorching hot weather, it was still fun. I got to witness the presence of the Queen and important Canadian dignitaries such as: her husband, the Duke; the Prime Minister of Canada, Steven Harper; the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty; as well as the Governor General, and Lieutenant Governor all at once. Not sure if anyone really cares, but I thought I'd share some of the shots from today.

They blocked off the entire street the whole morning in anticipation for her arrival.

"Fans" who waited over 5 hours in the unbearably humid weather to see the Queen!

Toronto Police.

Flag raising. Have I ever mentioned how proud I am to be Canadian?!

Daughter of the Lieutenant Governor. This isn't really relative, but I thought she was so adorable!

And the ceremony begins!

It sucks I only got their back shot, but this is the Premier, Queen, Duke, and Lieutenant Governor.

Her majesty making her way past the crowds.

~~Douchebag~~ Toronto mayor David Miller.

I realized I didn't get a single shot of the Queen smiling... but I mean, it was so friggin hot I can't blame her.

All the important dignitaries standing in a line. From L-R: Premier Dalton McGuinty, Mrs. McGuinty, Lieutenant Governor, Wife of LG, Prime Minister Steven Harper, Not sure?, Governor General, Duke of Edinburgh

Very thankful I did not have to wait outside in the heat with the rest of the crowd.

34Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

June 23 - June 4, 2010

2010-07-04T21:30:00.000-04:00

The G20 security maps I was working on before the summit. Now that the G20's over and done with, things are a lot less stressful at work, but our next big event is Queen Elizabeth's visit this coming Tuesday! I'll be helping with the photography and that should be pretty fun.

Took me so long to squeeze through this crowd to get into work that morning. The aboriginals were protesting... what's new?

BBQ at a friend's place.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Sirius satellite radio? My parents subscribe to it in both their cars and I live off 001 (Hits 1), 002 (The Blend), and 031 (Coffeehouse).

Shots.....

.....and even more shots. (I hate shots btw, I just always get forced into taking them!)

Girls night means doing face masks, but we decided not to use our usual LUSH masks and use some random white chocolate scented masks that came in a small tube-bag. Nicky was putting mine on and squirted it all over me by accident. It was a mess. Oh, and I wanted to puke because I smelt like I had a melted chocolate bar all over my face. It was so nasty... never again.

My "NO SHOPPING" diet has been failing, clearly. I bought new Blowfish flats (I SWEAR on Blowfish flats for comfort!) and a dress from French Connection. Not pictured, I also got a dress shirt and shorts from Mexx.

Pretty flowers outside my house :) I used to be indifferent about flowers but I think I'm starting to gain an appreciation for them. So long as I don't have to do the gardening, of course.

We attempted to bake something healthier than our usual cupcakes, so we made our own recipe. Whole wheat flax-seed banana muffins.... and let me tell you, they tasted healthy alright. (And also hella disgusting!)

Jam timeeee! There needs to be more nights spent just jamming and not a whole lot of anything else.

Starbucks patio on a day when the weather was absolutely perfect.

Went to Windsor Arms for high tea with a co-worker on a lunch break last week. It was ridiculously overpriced for what we got. It was my first time having 'high tea' and well, it wasn't my cup of tea (no pun intended :P) It seemed more like a 'prestigious' thing for the grandma-aged crowd haha.

Outdoor go-karting at night!

I think my friends and I are overly obsessed with sushi. I wish I didn't like sushi! That would seriously cut down my calorie-consumption and leave me with a couple extra bills in my wallet ;)

Tons of people waiting for fireworks at Streetsville on Canada Day.

Canada Day... but none of us are wearing red or white. My friends forced me to get a Canadian flag tattoo on my face, but that's as patriotic as we got :P Kind of pathetic.

I absolutely love fireworks! The accompanying music was great as well, but it left me scratching my head because none of the music was Canadian?!?! They even played Sweet Home Alabama and I thought it was the most ironic song choice possible.

Picking up a friend from the Toronto airport!

Karaoke at Club Oasis made me feel like I was in high school all over again. Five hours later, the seven of us walk out of the room with our voices half-lost hahaha. Definitely a good time, though!

Courtney Park plaza also brings back lots of good memories. I misss it.

32 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

I bleed red and white.

2010-07-01T11:11:00.001-04:00

I'm slowly going crazy and my room is a complete mess all the time. What's goin' onnnn. Anywaaays...
Happy C A N A D A Day :)
25 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Banana Madden.

2010-06-27T15:23:00.000-04:00

I. Hellooo new Banana Republic boyfriend cardigan and Steve Madden aviators! I also recently bought a Michael Kors jacket and a bunch of summery tops and skirts. I clearly have a shopping addiction, but I'm sure we all already know that. My boss and coworker are putting me on a money-saving challenge. It's going to be tough, but I'm hoping to follow through! This should be good for me.

II. 5.5 Earthquake shakes Ontario -- Never would I have imagined we would be struck by an Earthquake in Toronto (albeit a small one)! I definitely felt it in my office downtown Toronto and it was so strong it knocked down some of the books in the Legislative library. Pretty crazy experience, but I'm glad no one was hurt.

III. G20 Toronto 2010 -- Toronto is definitely suffering from the violent protests that are currently happening downtown, but this was anticipated. It's just sad to see this all happen for no good reason.

IV. I went to Crocodile Rock last night and it was the funniest thing ever because it was almost entirely a cougar bar. That aside, we kept to ourselves and got really drunk so it didn't matter what was going on around us. Ah, good night.

20 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

June 9-22, 2010

2010-06-22T20:25:00.000-04:00

Looooooooove. ♥ ♥ ♥ (Yorkdale Mall)

Attempted reunion with high school friends. This is only about 1/4 of our group. It's just so hard to get everyone together again because everyone is busy with their own lives.

I went to a "Greening Government" conference with my boss and we were sooo bored (him included) that we ended up playing hangman on napkins. My boss got so fed up with the conference that we ended up leaving early and he treated me out for drinks & lunch! My mojito didn't taste very good, though...

A friend & her boyfriend broke up, which only meant GIRLS NIGHT (aka ice cream binging time). I really wanted to try this sprinkle party cake ice cream (how cute does that sound?!) but my friends are chocoholics and we ended up getting something chocolate-y. I'm usually indifferent about PC products, but their ice cream is actually pretty good!

Hanging out in the BR parking lot like old times.

Happy 20th birthday Nicky :) ♥

I'm a strange case when it comes to bowling. I'm either really, really good (by luck), or really, really bad (by nature). Let's just say I was way too confident going into the game and lost my bets with the boys. Oops.

I had to babysit my brother while my parents were at a wedding and we played Wii all night. He usually beats me at every single game, but I have officially mastered speed slice in Wii sports resort ;)

Yummiest sandwich ever. Grilled chicken & baked brie at Earl's. Try it.

My friends were making fun of me because I keep getting messages from random people on Facebook asking if I'm a foot model (?!?!!!) and it's super ironic because I really hate feet (LOL). My friend Nicky insisted that she could be a hand model for LV... but clearly she's got a lot of work to do, hahaha. She is so awkward & I love it.

My friend drove me to meet with a client and he waited around the area while I was in the meeting. When I came out and told him I had successfully signed on my first client, he insisted that we went out for drinks :) Blue curacao martini!

BBQs are awesome because its the only time we can get the guys to cook for us! :)

Avocado california salad & Molson Canadian.

Amidst all the G20 chaos that is going on at work, my boss decided we needed a break today so we did something entirely different-- a mini photoshoot. It was completely unnecessary and random but it was so fun!

32 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)

Entrepreneurship.

2010-06-21T10:26:00.000-04:00

With the upcoming G20 summit being held in Toronto, everybody's been under intense stress at work. Since I work at Queen's Park in the heart of the protest area for the summit, I've been working really closely with the security issues of the G20 and I had the privilege of working with CTV's Paul Bliss last week. While it's all kind of exciting and fresh to me, my boss is constantly reminding me that things could potentially go very bad. Although I'll be off work on Friday and possibly before that if things get bad, I'm actually really intrigued by all this and can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

On another note, for the last couple months I have been working on starting my own creative services business. For the most part, I kept it on the low down because I didn't want to get ahead of myself, but now I guess it's too late for that. Although I have all the legal issues covered-- registered a business license, insurance, etc., I was still hoping to have my website fully up and running, and contract, invoice, and proposal templates drafted before beginning to search for clients. I definitely jumped the gun on this one, but I'm glad to say that it resulted in my favour. I met with my first potential client last week and despite being unbearably nervous, I was able to sign on my first big client! I've done contract and freelance work before, but it has always been through referrals or previous employers. This is the first client I've ever gotten on my own and the experience is all very new and exciting to me. Really though, after the completion of this project, I need to focus on finetuning my own business before dedicating my time elsewhere.

25 Comments - Click Here To View (Livejournal)