October 30, 2012

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?! That Christmas is just around the corner! 

I was at Home Sense today and noticed that red, green, gold, and silver seemed to have thrown up all over the store. WOOHOO!

The other day someone asked me if I like Halloween. My answer was this: "Heck yeah I like Halloween! Because it means Christmas is that much closer!!" So to state the obvious, I love Christmas. It's my favourite holiday. Favourite time of the year period (well, aside from summer of course). It's just such a JOYOUS time! It's a bit weird to think about, though. I've never not been crazy with school and exams around Christmastime, so it will be nice to fully enjoy the whole season and not just the few days post-exams when I arrive home exhausted. NO SIR/MA'AM. I will be able to fully embrace this coming Christmas. Baileys and coffee EVERY day. Just kidding. Watch out everyone...if you thought I couldn't be any more extreme and energetic...well you're in for a treat. ;)

The approaching Christmas season means my big trip is also coming much closer. Yikes! So exciting!

It's kind of funny to post a Christmas-y picture the day before Halloween, too. Oh well...I'm weird.

October 29, 2012

Monday night knitting party with Cydney! We sat at the bar in Crave while drinking wine and eating all things pickled as I taught her to knit. What better way to spend an evening?!?!

October 28, 2012

Tonight's inspiration is brought to you by a Yogi Green Tea bag. 

Not much explanation necessary, I feel like this photo speaks for itself. Make it your own. Reflect.

October 27, 2012

Some of the Crave staff before the Halloween party at our work put on by PFM. Frida, a disco chick, a couple of very frightening fairy bartenders, a pirate, an egyptian, and the cutest little tea bag! 

October 26, 2012

A Friday night at the Colin O'Brian Man Shoppe downtown. Just schmoozin' the night away like it's my day job. But actually, it is. 

October 25, 2012

It's a bit of a rule-breaker day. This is not technically "my photo"...I saw this on Facebook today and it rocked my world a bit. I was so struck by it that I saved this picture and immediately knew it needed to be my photo of the day for the simple reason that when I look back at my blog and reflect on this year  of my life, I know that this quote is like my "thesis statement." (I couldn't think of a better word.) I want to be able to look back, smile to myself and think, "Wow, that was true. I DID make those kind of decisions, and this is how it turned out..."  Especially in these past few months, the choices and decisions I have made have been TERRIFYING and life-changing but have also been choices that I now and will continue to understand more completely. After some self-reflection (I seem to do a lot of that...lots of time on my hands), I am only beginning to comprehend that that these decisions I have made are so right for me, even if I didn't think it initially. From totally uprooting my content life in Vancouver and moving home to a life of the unknown in Regina, to making the decision to travel across a continent alone, my heart and soul has been challenged in the most incredible ways -- challenged to make the scary choices that will be the most worthwhile.

October 24, 2012

I only had an hour between shifts today, so I headed across the street to Atlantis with my book in hand and did something I haven't done in far too long -- read.

October 23, 2012

Oh my goodness! Today my heart was bursting with joy and love!

Some reasons why:

• I had a really great lunch shift at work. I served some adorable old ladies who I wish I could be friends with. I served a friend of my parents' who gave me travel advice, and his genuine concern for my safety was heartwarming. Everyone I dealt with today at the restaurant was kind and happy. Shifts like these make me grateful that I get to interact with so many people on a daily basis.
• I played my guitar for a long time today. So long, in fact, that my fingers really hurt right now. I sang my heart out and learned a new song. Playing music is such a refreshing experience.
• I took my dogs for a walk in the park today and had SO much FUN with them. I mean, I always have fun with them...but today I behaved like I was 7 years old again and ran around with them until I fell over with exhaustion.
• And the grandest reason of them all -- that guy in the picture up there. That is Alex and he is like an older brother to me. Maybe brother-in-law-like, because he's now married to my dear friend Kate (see September 22nd post), who has been like a big sister to me for the last 2 and a half years and is the reason I know Alex of course. Those two are very, very special people to me. Anyway, some of the best life advice I've ever received has been from Alex. Some of the deepest chats I've ever had have been with Alex. He's really just the best! He's on tour right now with Anami Vice, who is opening for Mariana's Trench, and he was gracious enough to take time out of his busy tour schedule to have lunch with me! He also happened to give me the best travel advice I've heard so far, which I will hold near and dear to my heart.

Some days more than others I have these moments of insane gratefulness. I'm always grateful, but there are times when I sit and think about the amazing people I know and the wonderful relationships I have in my life and it makes my heart SO HAPPY!

October 22, 2012

Another park adventure with the dogs! And a quick swing to make me feel young again.

Today I had all planned out the night before. I even wrote out a 'tentative schedule'...haven't done that since being in school. But lately I've been feeling a serious lack of busy-ness, or haven't even felt driven to wanting to be busy. For me this is weird because I have spent almost every waking moment of my 23 years leading a quick-paced and very full life. NOT that my life is not full right now! It's full of family and work and love and happiness! It's just slower-paced and mellow at the moment. So slow-paced that I slept an hour past when my schedule dictated me to wake up and then only accomplished maybe 3 and a half out of the 6 things I wanted to do today (one shown in above photo -- taking dogs for walk). The old me would have been ticked.

But you know what the latest me realized?! That is OKAY. Just because I'm not busy for the first time in my life doesn't mean I need to feel guilty about it or even feel like I need to be doing one hundred things each day. The truth of the matter is this: I don't have a heck of a lot to do. And I should rejoice in this fact, because I don't know if this total lack-of-things-to-do-state that I'm in will ever surface again...well maybe when I'm retired. ;)

October 21, 2012

Of course, my token dog photo of this week. I was pretty glued to the couch and the TV watching football all the day long (did well in the football pool this week, too -- yeeehaw!), which also meant there wasn't really anything interesting to take a photo of. Except my cute puppy! This shot makes me laugh EVERY time I look at it! I have no idea why, I just begin to giggle uncontrollably. She looks dead or something? Not that that's funny... I can't explain it. I'm weird. She's cute. 

October 20, 2012

Game day! And...we lost. But really, there's nothing like being at a Rider game at Taylor Field.

October 19, 2012

My latest knitting project. And I learned a new stitch -- the "seed stitch." Woo I'm a grandma!

October 18, 2012

This is my pal/co-worker Cyd, and we were working at an event Crave was catering tonight -- the Fashion For Life show, a charity event put on my Marbella Clothing and 22fresh (and maybe another that I can't remember). We helped Chef Jon with the veggie tray and in prepping these lovely sliders! And did a dang good job, if I do say so myself. ;)

October 17, 2012

"Look Britt! I have a bowl cut!"
Ahahahahahahaha

Sometimes (all the times) we are ridiculous. 

That's the ol' popcorn bowl.
And our in-progress kitchen in the background. Coming along slowly but surely.

October 16, 2012

Look what came in the mail for me today! My 70L Gregory 'Deva' backpack from MEC, and the soon-to-be holder of my belongings on my great adventure. South America is getting closer and closer! EEEEK

October 15, 2012

Tonight Mel and I went on a pleasant autumn evening walk around Wascana Lake with warm coffees in hand. We also regressed to our 16-year-old selves and snapped a couple photos. 

Shadow pictures -- so 7 years ago. I'm sure she and I had a shadow picture on myspace when we were young.
Hahaha and this is the only time I'll ever be taller than her!

October 14, 2012

Football Sunday. My favourite day of the week. 

October 13, 2012

Mom and I went to S3: Style, Shopping, Spirits at the Conexus Arts Centre this evening! We got to sample wine and beer, shop at different local stores with booths set up, buy jewelry from our favourite jewelry designer, Keri White with Pinkfire Designs, and watch belly dancing. Fun times! It's nice having a weekend night off sometimes :)

October 12, 2012

Classic. 

Tonight on my way to work the sky was beautiful. This picture does it absolutely no justice, but it was worth a shot (pun intended;)).

October 11, 2012

Tonight I worked another off-premise event. Jon (on the left there) is the head chef at Crave and competed in Gold Medal Plates -- a fundraiser for olympic athletes as well as a food competition. We served goose 3 different ways (yes...GOOSE!? As a vegetarian it hurt my heart to hear about how the geese were acquired) and paired it with a locally brewed Baltic Porter. 

I got to: hold an olympic silver medal, be a couple yards away from Adam Van Koeverden (what a babe) and Jamie Sale, drink good beer, meet cool people, and have some plain ol' fun.

Not bad for a night of work, huh?

October 10, 2012

Today was a double shift day. But during my break I ate sushi and went to the chocolate store off 13th. What more could a girl ask for?!

October 9, 2012

Took the dogs for a very chilly walk in the back park today. Oh and I should mention that it SNOWED earlier today...so those clouds you see are actually SNOW CLOUDS. I'm typing in capitals because I'm UPSET THAT IT'S SO COLD HERE ALREADY. My body has been west coast climatized and doesn't know what to do when it's below zero in early October. But I do like scarves and toques and headbands and being cozy...so I'm sure I'll get used to it in no time. Plus the 18 years I spent here in the cold before I moved away have to count for something. RIGHT?!

October 8, 2012

My adorable and wonderful family. I'm so very thankful for these humans and very blessed to have them. So much love. 

October 7, 2012

I had to wait for my Auntie Lori to send this photo my way before I could post it because it was taken by her and on her camera (photo cred = all her). Sunday evening Thanksgiving dinner consisted of a lasagne feast.

Happy Thanksgiving from the mother's side!

October 6, 2012

The very first time the siblings have been out at a bar together! So. much. fun.

 Love these two with my whole entire heart.

October 5, 2012

Ali's first sister picture on her brand spankin' new iPhone 5 (which also happens to be her first iPhone...period). It's also a little blurry...don't worry, you'll get better Al. ;)

October 4, 2012

SISTER!

HOME!

FOR THE WEEKEND!

A bit blurry but awesome nonetheless. I was kind of in motion as I took this.

October 3, 2012

A very long work day for this girl. Worked from 11 until 3 and then had to be back there at 4. During my 1 hour break I had to go home, let the dogs out, freshen up for the night back at work, and eat something. After letting the dogs out and running around with them for a few minutes, lunch/dinner was consumed as I walked around the house gathering things for the night. I was basically on my feet from 11 in the morning until 11 at night.

October 2, 2012

Yesterday I had mentioned how much I needed an adventure. Today I went on an errand adventure?! My goal I set for myself in the morning was to get as much done as I could in a small amount of time. I definitely achieved that. But today was bloody cold and prevented me from doing any fun outdoor things, which is kind of what I had planned on doing the night before. Also I racked my brain for ideas of crazy or fun things to do in this city on a chilly day and came up blank. 

However! Tonight was a music adventure. This is Kathleen Edwards, a Canadian singer-songwriter, and probably the most talented female musician I have seen live. She rocked hard one song, and played her violin (very, very well) the next. And she played music from the bottom of her heart and with all of her soul. She has a passion for literature, so gave away a few books that she loves or are inspiring to her. 

I swear I say this every show/concert I ever go to, but this was for real and from the bottom of my heart one of the best and most special shows I've ever been to and one that I know I'll remember for the rest of my life.

October 1, 2012

What happens to your kitchen when it is about to be renovated? You move it to the dining room. And laundry room. And basement. Our kitchen is officially all over the house. The next little while could be both (a)funny and (b)frustrating.

Also, after looking at this photo, becoming a bit appalled at myself for seriously posting a photo of our make-shift kitchen on a blog that is actually looked at the odd time, and then reflecting on that a bit, I'm kinda thinking I may be in another photo-taking rut. And I'm kinda thinking I need to do something about it. Tomorrow I have a full day off work. Perhaps it's adventure time. Tomorrow morning I'm going to set one adventurous goal for the day and see where it takes me. And I'll need a partner in crime.

And you know what else I realized upon reflection? Even though this is a photo blog, sometimes it's about more than the photos. It's about the reflection process. It's about the writing. It's about what comes up when I'm thinking about how to describe a photo, because even seemingly useless photos can provoke thoughts that I'd have otherwise not have stumbled upon. And if anything, even useless photos are an inspiration to find an adventure the next day, or perhaps to write a little more than usual.

September 30, 2012

Oops, kinda slacked off for a day there. 

And I guess I'm kinda slacking today in sharing a remotely inspiring photo today too... This is the only one I took on this extremely (and well-deserved) relaxing Sunday. My very goofy brother is eating out of a large bowl with a large fork. Just a casual Sunday afternoon in the Mario household.