Archive for the A distinct lack of blogging inspiration Category
Posted on January 2, 2010 with 1 Comment
I do this post every New Year just to reflect back on the year. If you like it, feel free to do it yourself!
1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Worked in the fire safety industry. Worked for a startup.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Instead of New Year’s Resolutions, last year I made a list of 101 Things in 1001 Days. I’ve been slowly plugging away at items on the list and crossing them off, but my 1001 days are not up yet. You can see my progress on the 101 Things page.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, we have some very close family friends who had their second baby boy this year.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, and I’m grateful for that.
5. What countries did you visit?
I stayed in Canada this year. Last year was my year for travel and this year was my year for working hard.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A bigger paycheck, I guess. But I have everything I truly need and many extra things that I want, so I don’t feel like I was lacking in 2009.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 23: the day I started my new job. June 6: I attended the wedding of two good friends of mine. July 23: the day I met Marty. November 13: the day I was laid off again.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finally getting my own apartment and supporting myself again.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Gaining back every last pound that I lost over the last two years, and then some. Guess who’s making a fitness-oriented New Year’s Resolution this year along with the rest of the population?
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing worth mentioning.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A chalkboard for my kitchen. It makes me happy!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My mum’s. She spent almost the entire year living back in England with her elderly, frail, and very confused and depressed mother, who needs care around the clock now. I know this year has been really hard on my mum emotionally, but she’s a trouper and has been there for her mother time and time again, even when her mum yells at her or tells her she’s doing things wrong or is being mean (out of confusion or dementia, I should add. She’s not a mean person by nature).
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
There’s a blogger I won’t name because that would be mean. I like her writing and have enjoyed her blog for months, but I was so disgusted when she decided to put her 2 year old dog to sleep because she and her husband couldn’t deal with his special needs anymore that I unsubscribed from her blog. Reading about that type of selfishness made me so livid I couldn’t see straight so I had to stop reading for my own sanity. Pet ownership is not all fun & giggles, you don’t throw a pet away because you got one that wasn’t as healthy as you bargained for.
14. Where did most of your money go?
To stores that sell home wares. I had a whole apartment to furnish!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My new apartment.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
I honestly can’t think of one that represents the year for me. But the one musical thing I’ll probably remember about 2009 is that it’s the year I began to build my collection of Christmas music. I have no idea why but that always seemed like a very adult thing to do, and for the first time ever, I wanted my own Christmas music to listen to at home this year, so I bought some albums.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter.
c) richer or poorer? Richer.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I don’t wish I did anything differently.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Okay, maybe I wish I’d eaten fewer cookies.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my family at my parents’ house, with my mum too! She’s back from England for the time being.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes 
22. What was your favorite TV program?
So You Think You Can Dance. I have three favourite shows actually; they are the only shows I watch. The other two are Lost and Grey’s Anatomy. Can’t wait for the Lost season premiere in February.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is a very strong word. I disliked my former coworker, but then we both got laid off in November and I don’t ever think about him anymore.
24. What was the best book you read?
So, my resolution to read 30 books in 1001 days is not going so well. I read one book last year. ONE. And I’m not admitting which one it was because that would be embarassing.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I have terrible taste in music. It’s highly unlikely I “discovered” any music that isn’t played on top 40’s radio.
26. What did you want and get?
A new apartment.
27. What did you want and not get?
Nothing.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Hmmm, that’s tough. I really, really loved My Sister’s Keeper, so maybe that one.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 29 and went out with my friends to celebrate over drinks.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I’d had a bigger financial cushion.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
The year I embraced skinny jeans with boots.
32. What kept you sane?
Things have been going well for me, I haven’t really needed anything to “keep me sane.” But maybe that’s because I’ve been employed, got my own apartment, have an awesome boyfriend, family and good friendships. So let’s say those things kept me sane.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Again.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
I really wish I was more interested in politics, but I’m just not.
35. Who did you miss?
I missed my mum a lot.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
Marty.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Although I want a job that’s fulfilling and that I’m passionate about, sometimes you just have to dig in and do what you gotta do to get the bills paid. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
No.
Posted on September 28, 2009 with 1 Comment
For those of you who use Twitter, Portwiture is a really neat piece of software that pulls the most commonly used words from your recent tweets, matches those words with photos from Flickr, and turns those photos into an art mosaic. I LOVE this! Here is the art mosaic for this morning from my Twitter stream:
This is a great way to discover some really beautiful photography and just kind of fun to see what photos your tweets are converted to. Click to make your own Portwiture mosaic.
Posted on September 24, 2009 with 3 Comments
Guys, I’m swamped right now. I am working 9 and 10 hour days at my job, I’m busy moving my blog over to Wordpress (stay tuned! There is a new design, new URL and new site name coming, it’s so exciting!), and I’m very, very busy getting ready to move because I signed the lease on a new apartment that I take possession of on October 1st.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t leave much time for blogging so posting will be light for the next two or three weeks. In the meantime, I am stealing this meme from Stephany Writes and Just a Titch because it has some unusual questions that actually made me think! Feel free to recycle it on your own blog, I’m not tagging anyone.
It’s not fall until The leaves start changing colours, you can feel a crisp coolness in the breeze, and Starbucks brings back Pumpkin Spice Lattes.
Kelly Preston’s character in the movie For Love of the Game expresses her need to escape NYC because “Summer’s almost over, and I feel like I missed it.” What do you need to do in the waning days of summer for it to feel complete? I do like to get in at least one road trip during the summer, so if I haven’t gotten around to it by September, I make sure to schedule one in. (I went up to Kamloops with Marty to visit some friends and my dog Sierra this past weekend, so that item is checked off the list!) I also like to buy up lots of berries and nectarines and heirloom tomatoes at the market so as not to waste summer’s bounty. Before I know it, I’ll be stuck with nothing but apples and bananas for months.
The person I know is wrong for me but about whom I frequently think after a break-up is still in love with me and sometimes tries to talk me into getting back together if he’s had too much to drink. But he’s a good friend and much better behaved the rest of the time, and I wouldn’t give up our friendship for anything.
The US Tennis Open, one of four Grand Slam events in that sport, is currently in the quarterfinal round. If you could only attend one major sporting event what would it be? No question, Wimbledon. I feel like a fake Canadian not saying the final of the Stanley Cup.
Assuming that you write an anonymous or partially anonymous blog, by what non-physically identifying characteristics might you be identified in a bar? Hmmmm… my string of sneezes? (I often have a sneeze attack and I’ll sneeze seven or eight times in a row) I also have quite a carrying voice and an infectious laugh.
Most blogs cover some sort of niche – personal, political, dating, culinary, etc. What topic, if any, would you like to address on your blog but doesn’t fit into your niche? It would probably be fun, although ill-advised, to vent about work sometimes. I would also like to write about local topics to Vancouver, but I don’t think it would apply to much of my readership.
If you could manipulate the time space continuum and give as many as three pieces of advice to a younger version of yourself, what advice would you give and to what age of you? Age 15: “You’re more creative than you give yourself credit for. Stop being afraid of failure and take a risk.” Age 17: “Major in marketing or business communications, not hospitality & tourism. Yeah, I know you’re not interested in that. Do it anyway.”; Age 25: “There is nothing wrong with YOU, there is just something wrong with the relationship you’re stuck in. Get out now.”
How high are your walls? Who was the last person to scale them? What tools should would-be climbers have on their belt? I only put up walls for certain people. If you’re a friend, the walls don’t apply to you; you’re in unless you give me a reason to shut you out. But for guys I’ve dated, the walls were up in full force. I got burned so badly when my engagement fell apart… I’m now so afraid of picking the wrong guy that for a long time, I was afraid of picking ANY guy. Marty is the only guy who’s managed to knock back those fears and make me feel comfortable in a relationship. I wouldn’t say my walls are completely down yet, but they’re low enough that he can just hop over them with no special equipment
The sexiest thing a man can say to you (or has said to you) is “The most beautiful thing about you is that you are YOU.” That may sound more sweet than sexy, but nothing will make me feel more comfortable in my own skin than knowing that someone accepts me 100% and thinks I’m sexy, flaws and all, just as I am. And promoting that kind of confidence is sexy.
Posted on September 6, 2009 with 9 Comments
My latest favourite blogger, Amy from Just a Titch, tagged me the other day in a fun little exercise where you share 10 things about yourself and tag 10 other bloggers that you like. I’m pretty sure that not all the 10 bloggers I’m going to list actually read this blog, so they probably won’t even know they’re tagged, but I wanted to use the chance to point out some blogs I’ve found recently that you guys should check out!
So, 10 random facts about me:
- I am very particular about temperature. Just call me female, I guess. I like the temperature to be between 23 and 27 degrees C. Cooler than that and I whip out the slippers and sweatshirts. Hotter than that and I bring out the fans, ice packs for the back of my neck, and my blog. To complain about heat exhaustion.
- I really, really, *really* want to upgrade my sad little Toyota Echo to a Mazda 3 hatchback.
- I am paranoid about having fresh breath so I brush my teeth, on average, about 4 or 5 times a day.
- I have black thumbs. I kill any plant that I accidentally glance at.
- I thought I couldn’t wear skinny jeans until recently. As a general rule, I think skinny jeans give most women (unless you have the best legs ever) the ice cream cone effect: they make you look like an inverted triangle, all skinny ankles at the bottom and HELLO, HIPS & THIGHS! at the top. However I recently learned that stuffing my skinny pants-clad legs into sexy fall boots completely mitigates this unfortunate effect. Blog post coming soon.
- I am obsessed with the idea of putting a blackboard in my kitchen when I finally have an apartment of my own.
- I think I might just have an apartment of my own by next month. Can I get a whoot whoot?
- I am scared of reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma for fear that it will make me want to give up bacon again. I don’t want to give up bacon again. (I’m also scared of watching The Business of Being Born for fear that it will make me want to give birth without any drugs, but that is neither here nor there for the moment since I am not pregnant and not planning to be any time in the foreseeable future.)
- The first concert I ever attended was the Backstreet Boys.
- I do not get how to cook properly using a gas range. I know they’re superior to electric stoves, supposedly. But I know how to use electric stoves.
Now, onwards to blogs you should check out! The first five below are blogs I’ve been reading for ages, and the last five are new to me and you should go check them out as well.
- Jes at Chirky, who just gave birth to her first baby this week, a girl she named Rayah. Is that not the most beautiful and original name you’ve ever heard?
- Five sisters Erica, Michaela, Kate, Leah and Lauren over at Five Blondes.
- Rina at Gotta Little Space to Fill. I just recently discovered, after reading her for months, that she lives in Vancouver as well!
- Kasia Fink at Good Finking! She’s an awesome blogger from Vancouver I actually know in person, and she is also know as Mrs. Seabreeze on Weddingbee.
- My real life friend Ying Ying over at Sophisticated Adventure who just started her own blog a couple of months ago. Show her some love!
- Plenty of Dish, a hilarious group blog about dating written by several bloggers.
- Ev’Yan at Apricot Tea. She also writes an advice column at Ask Apricot.
- Kyla at Kyla Roma.
- KK at Oh Hay, It’s KK.
- Your Wishcake.
Posted on August 20, 2009 with 2 Comments
I love this meme, so I stole it from Jimaie Marie. (You should totally check out here blog – I discovered it a couple of weeks ago and it really inspires creativity!)
Outside my window…
Boats are passing by and I’m jealous. I would like to be out on the water right now, the wind in my hair.
I am thinking…
That I am lucky.
I am thankful for…
The progress I’m making in my life. Sometimes it seems too slow, but I’ve come a long way in the last 12 months.
From the kitchen…
I had peach pie for breakfast this morning. Everyone should try this from time to time.
I am wearing…
A green empire-waist top, a black skirt, and green “fancy flip flops”.
I am creating…
A new, more permanent home for this blog, with a brand new name. Stay tuned!
I am going…
To BlogHer next year.
I am reading…
The Outcast by Sadie Jones. And it is painful, I’ve got to stop. I’m not enjoying this book.
I am praying…
For my sister to be safe and have an unforgettable experience while travelling through South America next month.
I am hearing…
The industrial strength office fan blowing up a storm in the background.
Around the house…
Things need cleaning and tidying and tending to, but I’ve been a little too pre-occupied lately to care, and that trend is likely to continue for the next little while.
One of my favorite things…
Is a good cup of coffee first thing in the morning at work.
A few plans for the rest of the week…
My brother is cooking dinner this evening (!!!), I am spending the weekend with someone very special to me, and I’m celebrating my one year non-iversary on Sunday with friendship and some alcoholic beverages.
Posted on February 17, 2009 with 5 Comments
There is an interview meme going around the blogosphere of late, wherein you comment on someone else’s interview meme post on their blog and they will send you five questions to answer. You must post your answers on your own blog.
When I saw that Angella Dykstra (of Dutch Blitz fame) was participating in this, I was sold, so I signed up. Here are her questions and my answers. If you’d like to participate, leave a comment on this post indicating you want me to interview you, and I will send 5 questions your way!
Angella: Having spent six years in Vancouver, I know what a great city it is. You have traveled to Europe (and probably elsewhere). Is there any other place you would rather live, or is Vancouver the place for you?
Me: Vancouver is the only place that really feels like home to me, and I want to stay. I saw a lot of very cool places last year and really enjoyed my travels, but I did also miss home quite often. There were, however, two cities where I could have seen myself residing for some time – London and Paris.
London feels like my second home already because I did actually live there for five months in 2000. I did my university co-op term there, and as a dual citizen of Canada and the UK, I have a lot of family in England. One of my close university friends now lives in London permanently, so it also has that draw. But it’s so expensive to live there, I don’t know if I would ever move there.
Paris was new to me but somewhere I’d dreamed of visiting for my entire life, and it lived up to every hope I had about it (except for the accommodation!) I would have loved a lot more time there and could have easily seen myself living there as well. It helps that I speak French quite well, so the language barrier wasn’t an issue in France.
The only other place I’ve dreamed of living is Australia. I went on exchange there when I was 15 for four months and loved it, and have always wanted to return. Towards the end of my relationship with Chris, we were having some trouble and I remember fleetingly thinking that if things didn’t work out with him for some reason, I would pick up and move to Australia to start fresh. Of course at the time, I didn’t really think we’d split up!
Angella: On the travel note, where was the coolest place you traveled to when you went to Europe?
Me: This is a question that I’ve been asked a lot since my trip, and I still haven’t come up with a good answer. There are many places that weren’t my favourite, but it’s too difficult to choose just one favourite place. So I’ll give you my shortlist of favourites instead.
Cinque Terre, Italy – for the breathtaking scenery, the relaxing lifestyle, and the amazing people that I met there.
Nice, France – I absolutely adored this little seaside town in the south of France, on both occasions that I visited it. The first time I was there to sightsee, and I loved everything it had to offer. The second time I was there with Mike, and I had the most romantic whirlwind weekend of my life. Nice will always hold a special place in my heart.
Barcelona, Spain – This is a really fantastic, cosmopolitan, chic city in Spain – much more so than Madrid, if you ask me. It is full of culture and fun things to do, great tapas bars, interesting museums, amazing architecture. 
Paris, France – The city just has the most amazing energy, and the most wonderful food and interesting sights. I snapped one of my favourite photos from the trip here (my Eiffel Tower photo at right!)
Bruges, Belgium – This quaint little town in Belgium was the talk of hostel travellers so I fit it into packed itinerary at the last minute, and it is just so cute I’m glad I did. A must-see in Europe.
Angella: You have posted a lot about your search for gainful employment, and just got the job you wanted. Is it your dream job? If not, what would your dream job be?
Me: No, it is not my dream job. I was looking for work in marketing or communications, preferably in the recreation & tourism industry, or otherwise in retail. The job I found is a sales support position in a completely different industry. But I have been given plenty of hope that due to my background in marketing, they will be able to use me for a lot of marketing work, and because it’s a small startup that’s growing, there is a lot of room for growth and promotions, so I’m excited about the opportunity.
That said, my absolute dream job would be as a magazine editor.
Angella: Why do you blog and what got you started?? (I always love to hear people’s sories on this)
Me: It’s a bit of a funny story! As I mentioned above, I have a background in marketing. I used to be the marketing coordinator at a hotel company, and my boss, myself, and the president of the company are all alumni of the same university. One evening in 2004, the three of us found ourselves at an alumni event after work where the guest speaker was talking about this newfangled blogging thing. Well, the president of the company got very excited about it and wanted to look into launching a corporate blog. Guess who he wrangled into doing the background research? That would be me.
So, there I was trying to figure out what the heck a blog was, ostensibly as a potential corporate project. But I stumbled upon Dooce, and haven’t looked back since. I was hooked. (I still love Heather Armstrong, I don’t care what the haters say.)
Angella: I see that you are going to BlogHer! Me too! Is this your first time? If it is, do you have any concerns? If it is not your first time, do you have any advice for the newbies?
Me: It’s not 100% yet that I’m coming to BlogHer this year – I’ll have to run it by the bosses at my new job first, but it is my intention to be there. No, it is not my first time. I was also there in San Jose in 2006 (and I got to meet Dooce!)
I didn’t have a great time though. I had a good time, but not great, because I went by myself and I hadn’t made many connections yet with other bloggers, so nobody knew me. It was a bit lonely. I expect to have a much better time this year, as I have so many bloggers I’m excited to meet!
My advice for the newbies: BlogHer is as much about hanging out with other bloggers in person as it is about the conference sessions. So hopefully there are a few bloggers there with whom you already have an online connection; if not, make an effort to get to know some attendees ahead of time. Find someone to share a room with – this will help defray room costs and also give you a “buddy” at the conference. And don’t be shy, come and say hello
Posted on December 31, 2008 with 4 Comments
I’m totally stealing this from Jonniker, just because.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Stayed in a hostel. And many other things.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Um, no I did not keep them. Completely not my fault. My resolutions were all things like, Fix relationship problems with Chris, Try harder to like job, Lose weight in time for wedding, etc. But also: dumped, laid off, no wedding, etc.
Yes I will be making more for next year. Stay tuned!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! Two weeks ago my friend Naghmeh became the first of my friends to give birth! She became a mother to a beautiful, healthy baby boy and I can’t wait to meet him in the new year.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, and I’m grateful for that.
5. What countries did you visit?
Ooh, let’s see if I can manage not to omit any. I visited Belgium, England, France, Germany, Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Scotland (in passing only), Spain, and Switzerland.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A laptop, a paycheque, and an apartment of my own. Or maybe shared, but not by my parents. Sorry Mum & Dad! Love you anyway!
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 5th: the day I split up with Chris. February 13th: the day I lost my job. April 17: the day I left for my big trip. August 23rd: Dodge The Bullet Day.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
This may sound weird, but it was achieving a sense of peace in my heart about the direction my life has taken this year.
9. What was your biggest failure?
The fact that for an entire year, I have ignored my high cholesterol diagnosis from February. As much as I do not want to deal with this, it needs to be addressed, and soon.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not unless a horrible cold and high cholesterol diagnosis count.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A trip to Europe.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My friend Cary’s. Cary was going to be one of my bridesmaids. She’s also the wife of Chris’ best friend. I was actually more sad at the prospect of losing her as a friend when Chris and I split up than I was at losing Chris. I could understand why my relationship with Chris needed to end, but I did *not* want to end my friendship with Cary. I assumed that I would have to though, because her husband is best friends with Chris.
But she refused to choose sides. And it has worked. We have remained good friends and have gotten together three or four times this year, despite the fact that she lives in another city. I really value this friendship and applaud Cary for sticking to her guns to stay friends with me. I know it has been hard at certain moments.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Oh, let’s just not go there.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Bwahahah. The European economy. And then just down the drain in general.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My trip to Europe!
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
“Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield. I was listening to it while power walking along the Champs Elysées in Paris, and I am reminded of that day every time I hear it.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier! Oh yes.
b) thinner or fatter? About the same.
c) richer or poorer? Oh, so very much poorer.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Surrendering myself to the moment.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Procrastinating.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my family at our house. One of my favourite Christmases on record.
21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Still with the Grey’s Anatomy addiction.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Uh … yes. Three guesses who it is and the first two don’t count.
24. What was the best book you read?
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I do not claim to have any taste in music. But I’m going to go with Feist, and I think this is one of the more enlightened of my musical choices!
26. What did you want and get?
A good long break from working.
27. What did you want and not get?
A job, after my good long break had gone on long enough.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
I’m a little embarassed to admit that P.S. I Love You takes the cake on this one.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 28, and I honestly cannot remember what I did. I do remember that I had dinner with my family at some point and there was a raspberry white chocolate cake for dessert, so, um… yum.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I’d had a bigger financial cushion.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Budget travel chic.
32. What kept you sane?
My friends and my sister.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
This is not Canadian, but the Prop 8 debacle really got my back up.
35. Who did you miss?
I miss my family members in England who I got to visit this year.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
Noah.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
I have a whole post coming up about this one, but the number one lesson learned this year was to trust my intuition.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
No.
Whoever likes this one, consider yourself tagged! Happy New Year, all. Now go out and celebrate
Posted on November 29, 2008 with 8 Comments
It seems, to my amazement, that I have been bestowed with the honour of a blogger award! The lovely, recently married Laura at The Meckleys has awarded me with the Kreativ Blogger Award. My instructions are to list six things that I am thankful for and then pass the award on to six other bloggers I really enjoy. So without further ado, six things I am thankful for:
- My parents. When I needed a place to stay earlier this year, they let me move back in with them and had a room ready for me after only a few hours’ notice. Since I lost my job and have been having a difficult time finding work in this tough economy, they have not charged me a penny in rent. I really don’t know where I would be without them right now… probably homeless.
- My friends. I have been blessed with some great people who have loved and supported me through a year of ups and downs. I have realized the strength of the relationships I have in my life this year and truly appreciate them.
- Getting dumped and laid off. I know, weird things to be thankful for, right? But I was in a relationship and a job that were both terrible for me, and I wasn’t doing anything to get out of them. So it’s a good thing that these both happened to me.
- The opportunity to travel. It was really the trip of a lifetime and so worthwhile. I think I had the travel experience that everyone hopes for and I’m so glad I went.
- My hopeful nature. I get down about things now and again, since my circumstances at the moment are less than ideal, but I always come back to seeing things on the bright side again. I believe things will work out for the best.
- Coffee & chocolate. I need a frivolous one in here. And I’m definitely thankful for these two
Okay, now on to some of my favourite bloggers that I’m passing the award onto! Go ahead, check ‘em out if you aren’t already reading them. These bloggers are awesome:
- Kristin at Tackling the Globe. She writes great stories about her travel adventures, is an all-around lovely person, and has hot cousins who make guest appearances on her blog about their quest to find “fees” (hot girls!)
- Victoria at Advice From A Single Girl. She writes in this quirky, conversational tone that I just love. I have been reading Victoria since she started her blog and love her letter posts the best, but the ones about single life and random stuff are great too.
- Fabulously Broke in the City. FB takes a bit of getting used to – the girl has strong, and sometimes unpopular, opinions. But her blog is a great mix of personal finance, interviews, and style. And this month she will officially be able to declare that she’s debt-free, so that’s pretty great!
- The Worst Part. This is the story of another abandoned bride, only she was much further along when she and her ex split up… she was just 3 weeks from the wedding. Almost every post is a new story about “the worst part” of a broken engagement. She is an excellent writer.
- Five Blondes. The blog of five blonde, Dutch sisters (Erica, Katelyn, Leah, Lauren and Micaela), most of whom live in Ontario (one moved to Calgary with her boyfriend). It’s such a nice project for the five of them to share. Check it out!
- Only One. Another local Vancouver blogger who I just discovered recently. I love the way she embeds photos in her posts with a border and caption at the bottom, it looks so nice!
Thanks Laura for selecting me out of the squillions of blogs out there.
Posted on November 10, 2008 with 7 Comments
Which, obviously, means it’s meme time. Stole this one from Auburn Kat!
Where is your mobile phone? Plugged into the wall charger on top of my bookcase.
Where is your significant other? I’m still single, depending on your definition of single anyway!
Your hair color? Brunette.
Your mother? Would kill me for giving out any info about her here!
Your father? Oh, he probably would too
One favorite thing? Love
Your dream last night? I rarely remember my dreams
Your dream goal? Marry Mr. Right, own a home in Vancouver, and live there with a family of my own
The room you’re in? My bedroom
Your hobby? Blogging!
Your fear? Needles
Where do you want to be in six years? In Vancouver, having made some progress on those dream goals described above…
Where were you last night? At my friend’s apartment watching Leatherheads with her and her boyfriend Tyler
What you’re not? Stupid
One of your wish list items? Top of the list right now is a laptop
Where you grew up? North Vancouver
The last thing you did? Read an article in O magazine
What are you wearing? Pyjamas. It’s 1:30 am.
Your TV? So You Think You Can Dance Canada, Grey’s Anatomy, and ER
Your pets? None left anymore 
Your computer? A PC in my bedroom.
Your mood? Happy and sleepy
Missing someone? Yes
Your car? A Toyota Echo
Something you’re not wearing? Socks
Favorite drink? Currently, a tall non-fat extra-foamy toffee nut flavoured Starbucks latte. Yep, I’m that girl.
Your summer? In Europe
Love someone? Yes!
Your favorite color? I’ve been on a purple kick recently
When was the last time you laughed? This evening with my sister
When was the last time you cried? This evening looking at photos of Jasper.
Posted on October 11, 2008 with 14 Comments
Stole this meme from Fabulously Broke in the City – thanks FB!
Similar to the book meme. Bold if you’ve tried it, underline if you would never eat it. I’ve also looked up what anything is that I hadn’t heard of before and explained what it is in brackets. There were a couple that I couldn’t find a definition for though!
1. New York pizza
2. Hoppin’ John (this is a Southern dish consisting of black-eyed peas, rice, chopped onion, sliced bacon and salt)
3. New Mexico green chile
4. Homemade buttermilk biscuits
5. Tasso (this is a cured Cajun ham rubbed with a spice mixture)
6. Whole Maine lobster
7. Calabash-style shrimp and hushpuppies (hushpuppies are small cornmeal breads deep fried in a round ball shape)
8. Kansas City barbecue ribs
9. Hot glazed Krispy Kreme
10. San Diego fish tacos
11. Cheese curds (obviously, I’m Canadian and therefore have tried it in poutine!)
12. Key lime pie
13. Philly cheese steak
14. Memphis pork barbecue sandwich
15. Lowcountry boil (I don’t even know what this is! Anyone?)
16. Huckleberry pie
17. New England clam chowder
18. Boiled peanuts
19. Buffalo (Bison) burger
20. Eggs Benedict
21. Pastrami on rye
22. Corned beef and cabbage
23. Pancakes with maple syrup
24. Everything bagel with cream cheese and tomato
25. Thin Mints
26. Frito pie (don’t know what this is either but it sounds like something I would try)
27. Potato knish with mustard (a potato knish is a Jewish dish that is baked or fried dough filled with a mixture of potato, ground meat, sauerkraut, onions, buckwheat or cheese)
28. Silver Queen corn on the cob – good chance I’ve tried it, but I’m not really up on my various corn varieties
29. Soft pretzel from a street cart
30. Fresh-picked blueberries
31. Sourwood honey
32. State fair funnel cake
33. Chesapeake crab cakes
34. Candied yams
35. Oyster dressing
36. Snow cone or snowball
37. Wild Alaskan salmon
38. Sautéed more (don’t know what this is)
39. Persimmon pudding
40. General Tso’s Chicken
41. Frozen custard
42. Italian sausage with peppers and onions on a hoagie bun
43. Chili dogs (I LOVE LOVE LOVE Chili dogs)
44. Buffalo wings with blue cheese
45. Spam musubi (This is like a sushi made with Spam) – this seriously sounds like the grossest thing I’ve ever heard of. I would not try this in a million years.
46. Saltwater taffy
47. Fluffernutter sandwich on Wonder Bread
48. Black and white cookie (Oreo?)
49. Frybread (this is a Native American flatbread fried and served with honey, also known as bannock)
50. BLT with thick-cut applewood bacon
51. Baked beans
52. Pumpkin pie
53. Collards with vinegar and Tabasco
54. Tex-Mex fajitas with skirt steak and sautéed peppers
55. Fried green tomatoes
56. Succotash (this is a Native American dish of fried lima beans or green beans and corn, sometimes served in casserole or pot pie form)
57. Shrimp and grits (grits are a coarsely ground corn porridge)
58. Hot water cornbread
59. Barbecue chicken pizza with red onions
60. Chicken fried steak
61. Carnitas burrito
62. Apple butter
63. Geoduck (pronounced: Gooey-duck, a species of saltwater clam)
64. Soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate shell
65. Pecan pie
66. Catfish supper at a church or fire station
67. Oysters Rockefeller
68. Homemade cranberry sauce (in fact it’s Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend, and in a break from tradition, my family is having the big feast tonight instead of on Monday, so we have homemade cranberry sauce bubbling on the stove right now!)
69. Pimento cheese
70. MoonPie washed down with R.C. Cola
71. Pickled watermelon rind – this sounds disgusting. I have never heard of it before!
72. Cracker Jacks at the ball game
73. Smithfield ham
74. Meatloaf and mashed potato blue plate special at diner (I have had this, just not at a diner!)
75. Chicken and waffles – this seems like a weird combination, but sure why not?
76. Po’Boy with many napkins (this is a Lousiana subway sandwich filled with fried meat or seafood)
77. Green bean casserole with French’s fried onions
78. Stuffed sopaipillas (these are South American fried dough sweetened with honey)
79. Turducken (this is a chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey, so when you slice it, you get layers of all three kinds of meat.)
80. Shad roe on toast (shad is a type of fish. Roe are the fish eggs)
81. Sweet potato casserole with or without marshmallows
82. Cioppino
83. New York cheesecake
84. Pan-fried river trout
85. Jambalaya
86. North Carolina pig pickin’
87. California rolls (this is a type of sushi roll stuffed with cooked crab and cucumber.)
88. Burgoo (this is a spicy stew made from meats and vegetables)
89. Penuche fudge (penuche is a fudge flavour made from brown sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla)
90. Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich
91. Scrapple or livermush (this is a savoury mush of pork or liver scraps combined with cornmeal and buckwheat flour, formed into a loaf, and then slices of the loaf are fried prior to eating.)
92. Elk medallions in red wine reduction
93. Muscadine grapes
94. Cheeseburger at backyard barbecue
95. Open-face turkey sandwich
96. Chicago deep dish pizza
97. Cobb salad
98. Peach pie a la mode
99. Macaroni and cheese
100. Root beer float
TOTAL
Eaten: 46
Won’t Try: 13
Left to try: 41
I’m tagging: Ley, Kait’s Plate, Megan, and Julie!
