my favourites...

i feel gross. i woke up yesterday morning sweating hot which quickly changed to immediate chills. yes, a fever. slightly distressing to myself as i have many things to accomplish in the next couple of weeks. i had to tell myself to JUST BREATHE, CALM DOWN, and RELAX. i took today off because i went to lilith last night. now it is officially a sick day where all items on my checklist are pushed back for another day. i am just going to sit in front of the television and watch cosby show reruns and old movies.

so instead of carrying on about how sick i am i thought i would give you a glimpse of my favourite things in our kitchen.

before i moved in with mark, i got a bird salt and pepper shaker for christmas (from urban outfitters). it goes perfectly with our pick up truck that stores toothpicks (got it at le gnome, which sadly closed down...tear)

my beloved butter dish and sugar bowl. i got these with my mom, from anthropologie. love love love that store! she also got a butter dish there as well. they are just so lovely.

right before my mom moved she gave us her old creamer dishes and a sugar bowl (right now there are spices instead of sugar in it). i love them as they remind me of my childhood and they are all too cute.

finally the controversial anthropologie decorative dish towel. i bought a couple of these and on the first day mark spilled spaghetti sauce on it. then we got into a heated debate of function and decoration. ahhh sigh, it makes us laugh now...such goobers.

have a good tuesday!

love

brunch, slurpees, and bbq...oh my!

a wonderful day. need i say more? well i shall.
-i did a personal best in the running department by accomplishing 12.9km...or as i like to say 13 (do those final 100m really count?). the longest run i have done to date. i swear it is so much easier running with a person so....thanks jeff!
- got together with my dearest friends for some brunch at mark's very favourite place: the sawridge. in attendance was mark, jeff, jeaninne, casey, sal, and a very cute baby. a great time with great friends who i do not see nearly as much as i should (BUT I HEART YOU!).
-jeff, jeaninne , mark and i went back to my place where mark gave us the grand tour of his most wonderful garden (it seriously impresses me everyday as the veggies start coming out...he did a really good job).
-mark stayed back to relax as i came up with the BIGGEST MOST BRILLIANT plan to walk to casey's. it really isn't that far away from my place however we got a quarter way up the hill when me and jeff decided it was too much. yes that is right, JEANINNE wanted to continue on the expedition but me and jeff squashed it. it was one of her finer moments! so, alas, we drove to case's.
-went for slushes, and the three of us babysat a very cute baby while casey and sal worked away in their garden. ahhh fabulous.
-then my most favourite brother came over, we hung out, watched flight of the concords, then joined mark's family for dinner.
ahhhhh great day of friends, family, food, and fun. what more could i ask for?

love

sleepy dreams

isn't this dreamy...one day when i have enough space...
How To Make A Fabric Headboard

love

this week

what word could i say to sum up my week? work. lots of it! i worked double shifts everyday except thursday (i got my hair done then...YAY) and i am putting in some more hours today. its been a busy (and slightly tiring) week. between that and marathon training i haven't had time to do much else. all my DIY projects are sitting at home collecting dust and making me antsy to organize (poor mark). BUT i cannot complain because this is what i want and both jobs are so very enjoyable. AND with a couple of days off next week i can definitely have some ME time, DATE time, and some FRIENDS time!

however today was awesome! i took the little lady i work for downtown. we tried out the new LRT finally and enjoyed the sunshine. we both checked out the market. the BLUEBERRIES are out and for you CHERRY lovers they are there too! we then walked to churchill square to check out the art works festival. lots of little trinkets and art to see plus some fabulous vendor food! then we went home. now i am just doing some errands and preparing to dive into my book. it's a kids book: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book One: Lightning Thief . jeaninne was reading it on our way home from NYC and she seemed so engrossed i thought i would give it a try. it is pretty good so far and a light read which is just what i need after school textbooks!

have a great weekend!
love

my favourite fern

Fiddlehead ferns are the unfurled fronds of a young fern harvested for food consumption (Wikipedia.org, 2010).

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fiddleheads. the one thing mark really wanted when we went to new brunswick last year. i never had a true appreciation for them because when i was growing up i had them all the time (they happened to be frozen and come from a bag but i still had them). i did not know that my mom searched the supermarket aisles for those little guys. AND as time passed on they became extinct in the frozen food aisle.

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a few years ago mark and i were at the downtown market and we happened to come across a person selling them. mark was so excited and wanted to buy them for my parents. i called to see if they would enjoy them but with no answer i decided against it. we continued on our market journey sans fiddleheads. cut to my mother perplexed as to why i decided never to pick them up.

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as the years passed i scoured the market for those precious little ferns to find that they had vanished. i asked a fish vendor about them (they got many things shipped from the east). she told me that she was unable to sell them at the market. apparently, the officials did not know what to do with them. they thought it was some kind of weed and the look was too strange. he he, can you imagine!?

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however at work, i got the same reaction. as we prepped for canada day, i joked that we should serve fiddleheads (our room is doing new brunswick). questionable expressions around the room. "what do they look like, taste like, is it a vegetable?" 

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this year on one of our market journeys we struck gold as we came across the little weeds once again. knowing now, what i did not know then we bought some for my parents...and for ourselves. i finally appreciate that little fern for all its glory! :)

moving onward to chocolaty delights

i have got a new york state of mind. what is on that mind you ask? frozen hot chocolate! the most amazing drink i have ever tasted. basically a chocolate slush but so much more! really what more could you ask for on a hot day in the sun, in a city that never sleeps.

jeaninne and i had a very long day. beaches, hot dogs, boardwalks, ferris wheels, empire state building, and throw in a bit of shopping equals two very tired tourists. however, on my list (aka clipboard of fun) was go to serendipity 3. i don't  know how i knew of this place, but through word of mouth from someone, i just had to go. so we took the subway, got to the place and were told it would be an hour wait. i could see the look of dread on jeaninne's face. BUT, being a most glorious friend we chilled out on the sidewalks with all the others who didn't bother making a reservation.

our names finally getting called we stepped into the restaurant. surrounded by stained glass, chandeliers, and cute little lamps, it reminded me of a fashionable dollhouse. by this point we were completely and utterly starving. our stomachs were calling to us from the menus. we both had to get the frozen hot chocolate, as that was what this place was known for but what to do about the other wonderful items on the menu?

aren't they to die for??? i love chocolate!

then we saw it! the "outrageous banana split" for 22.50. i don't know about you but i have never seen a dessert that was priced like that. out of hunger and complete curiosity i had to see what a 22.50 dessert looked like. our server came to our table. we diligently ordered the items. he did what i would like to call, "the manhattan once over" and said, "no no no, you cannot handle that much food, i will get you the coward's portion" (it was half the cost). as he left the table jeaninne and i were in a state of non stop laughter.

needless to say the server was right. there was no way we could even finish the coward's portion. but everything was so heavenly. i was in a state of pure chocolate bliss! AND if you are interested in getting yourself a frozen hot chocolate i happened to see them selling the mix at chapters. so you too can have a little bit of serendipity 3!

our coward's portion...it was delicious!

just a fun fact regarding this place....they also had an "Golden Opulence Sundae" for $1000.00 that required a 48 hour reservation in advance...what do you think would be on it????

love

na na na na hey hey hey goodbye

remember that song? i remember it was played at my grade six graduation. the teachers sang it to the kids. that was the first moment i remember getting really choked up regarding good byes. my throat immediately tightened and the tears started welling...ugh. my next memory was when i moved to jasper for the summer. my parents drove me down, helped me move into my place, took me out for dinner, then we said our good byes...i got choked up. throughout that summer it continued whenever my parents came down to visit and said good bye. when i surprised my grandma on her 80th birthday everything was absolutely fabulous. THEN she dropped me and my mom off at the airport and her lip started to quiver. guess what?? i choked up. cut to the month of june, year 2010. a farewell bbq to my parents...people saying goodbye to them...choking. this week, a tuesday to be specific, it hit me that i would have to say good bye. the mere thought of it, tightened my throat spontaneously that by the time i made it home that night i was in hysterics in my lovely boyfriend's arms. today aka dooms day, i said good bye. needless to say, i choked up and teared. and maybe (wink wink) had loads more tears when i got home and read a very special card. i hate goodbyes, farewells, see you laters (believe me it is all the same). i know, i get all choked up.

however, good luck my lovely parents! i love you so very much and i will miss you tons!! i am happy for the incredible journey you are about to take (although selfishly unhappy for myself)...i would love to say more....but guess what...

i changed it again

wow. i am a crazy poster tonight. this is what happens when there is nothing to do at work. i even changed my blog background AGAIN! but i think i am definitely sticking with this one. i liked the other one, but i couldn't handle the format. i had no dates on my posts, the comments were at the top (when really they should be on the bottom) and i could not for the life of me find the stupid + to take off in the html code (that's right i can sort of read html).

just finished watching alice and wonderland. i am mixed about it. i couldn't really hear the whole movie because the sound was a little off on the television. but i don't really think i get the hype...or maybe the hype was too much so i went in with too big of an expectaion. however, i did see the a-team recently and i must say, i throughly enjoyed it. i really didn't think it would be my kind of movie, but little childhood tidbits came back to me while watching it. plus it was cheesy, summer fun. an indulgence if you will.

well i guess i should stop posting and get to work again!
have a nice night and hope you all are enjoying the summer weather!

love

happy father's day

since i will be busy with packing, cleaning, and moving i thought i would take the time, now to make a shout out to my dad.

happy father's day dad.

-you always took the time to help me with any school: flashcards, problem solving, physics, science reports, even making a mousetrap car and a miniature homestead.
-you took me and jimi skating on the lake in winter and in the summer walking in the woods that no longer exists. i still remember seeing deer, picking wildflowers (aka weeds) for mom, and poor megan's (the dog) encounter with a porcupine.
-we went on endless bike rides. you (with mom) helped split the cost of my "racing bike" when i was 13 (the days of hard earned babysitting money). we dreamed of doing the bike ride from jasper to banff as we rode through the acreages of addrossan. we may have never done it but i think we had a better time biking alone, with no cars in sight!
-reading to me at night. and bringing me books on fairytales whenever you went on a trip. my ultimate favourite is still the wishing chair!
-you taught me to drive, twice...with numerous emotional breakdowns behind the wheel. thanks for the patience by the way.
-you always kept yourself busy with projects of any sort. i saw you make a bathroom into nothing, install molding in the living room, design the kitchen, tile the basement and landscape the backyard. it showed me nothing is impossible if you have hands, read the right books and are willing and able.
-you shared your love of old rock, with a little bit of easy listening in the mix. i always think of you when i hear pink floyd, enya and chris de burgh.
-thanks for the car rides, the car games (you and i are apparently the only ones that know how to play them...freaking robot/oilers franchise) the kite flying, the gas station toys, and the camping trips. they were fun!
-i remember the tickle wars and "al, there are going to be tears", later the kung fu moves, the downsview claw, and the abs of steel
-thanks for the fish tank...it will always be the christmas present forever remembered!
-"home again home again jiggidy jig," "it's going to be a grrrreat grrrreat day,"

i could go on forever but i will stop here! thanks dad and have a productive father's day!
love you lots and will miss you tons!

love

it is here

the weekend that i have been dreading for quite some time.
i never wanted it to come but somehow it has reared its ugly head
i wish it were all a nightmare, never to be heard from again
what is it you ask??


my parents move!! ahhhhhh

lol

so you think you can dance?? well he sure can!

ahh a great start to a great dancing season. i only wish i had a inkling of this talent but doesn't mean i can't enjoy watching it!

love

welcome to the comfy couch

my parents dropped off their couch today. yes the big move is 5 days away. they were generous enough to give us their bbq, my grandma's most beautiful school desk, their vacuum, a rocking chair and (yes) their couch. my dad, mom, mark and my amazingly strong brother (SERIOUSLY he was on one side and the three of them were on the other) hauled it up the stairs to our place. it settled nicely in front of the television, taking the place of the previous owner (sorry old couch, we loved you well). i can now lie completely on it without feeling cramped. i love that couch. my dad was concerned with the tears and rips through out the cushions. i don't care, it's an upgrade for us! AND we can have company spend the night because a bed pulls out. you all can stay over! :) the couch even smells like my parents. i was joking with mark that when they leave i will just sit by the couch and smell it...he thinks i am nuts. i think i am too! he he he

love

i forgot to mention

the season finale of glee...fabulously lovely....ahh i love being a gleek...plus the songs always make me smile...even when i am sad.

love

painting and gardening

a beautiful day to paint. i had decided this year that i wanted to brighten up our apartment. i didn't really want to paint the walls as our place is a big room and i didn't want to commit to one colour. however we had a couple of things that i could brighten up with just the right paint colour. i chose a wall decoration to be lime green or zesty lime. and CD case to be the same colour with some silver highlights. the planter i chose a safety blue to match a frying pan we have (its on the wall). i shall see how it looks in the place, as i await for it to dry.

mark has been working fairly hard on his garden. i swear i should buy him a straw hat and trousers to fit with his farmer role. he finished a chicken wire fence (with the help of his brother and dad). peter rabbit will not nibble on his food this year! it actually looks really good! pictures shall come soon!

must go finish my jobs!

love

beautiful run with surprising results

a wonderful day outside and a run with jeff. i am starting to enjoy our early morning tradition. it is nice because there is really nothing i would do at 7:45am than run and (bonus) i have the company to do it with. we catch up on each others weeks. more him, than me. i am too tired to talk so i  ask the questions (however i did fill him in on the maggots...shudder)

as we were talking, the subject got to training. i went through the km i have been doing and he mentioned that is sounded sort of like mileage rather than kilometers. i didn't even think to check that! i guess that is my ignorance of the metric system. guess what!! he is right...i was suppose to be doing miles!! ha ha ha i am hoping i will be okay. according to the site i am using i should be able to get to 16km by the middle of my training. with some minor readjustments, i will get to 18km. a mild turn of events that made me smile after a great 10km.

love

kitty grass

so i changed my background another time (actually on both blogs). i like the change. i think i could change it every month. sigh. that makes me think i should never own a home because i think i would constantly change the colour of my house every month too. i just love colour, art and design!

not much going on right now. i have skipped my last two work outs. i felt a tiny bit guilty in terms of my marathon training but at the same time okay. my body is obviously tired and needs a rest (i went to bed at 9pm and woke up at 7am the other day??!!) between that and my jobs i am working hard. i have to remember to enjoy this time since it is my summer vacation!

just thought i would i would share my latest love. i can't keep a plant alive if my life counted on it. sad but true. last year i bought two pots for inside the house to hold some pretty flowers that just failed to get watered and shrivelled up and died. mark, an absolutely amazingly fantastic green thumb has helped me this year by giving cat grass a home in my pot. i love it, and it looks pretty at my desk. plus, its added fiber for kitty...he he he

have a great night...going to listen to glee and relax...i could use it!

love

ahhhhhhhhh

not much grosses me out. seriously. spiders: totally cool. bees: they make honey! mice: small but fine. snakes: are fairly interesting.

however there are some things that just freak the heck out of me! dead fish (i don't know why and i am sure my dad has always regretted giving me that aquarium), centipedes (they just don't die) and MAGGOTS!!!!!!

guess what i found today...apparently living in my kitchen mat. yup, you guessed it...maggots. first i found one. then i lifted the rug and i found a dozen. i shook the rug and they just kept falling...ahhhhhhhhh. i am getting the creepy crawlys just thinking about it...gross gross gross! what is with the multiplication, one is enough thank you!

as i burn those little things in the dryer i just thought i would ask...what freaks the heck out of you?

taking a dip

i have decided that i am not going to post all my scrapbook pages on this blog anymore. mainly because i have another blog devoted strictly to those pages. check it out here. however, i will continue having little stories to my spreads on this page.

soooooooooo, this is the story of this spread.

mark and i went on a hiking trip to fryatt valley, in jasper. a 10km hike into our site, with multiple day hikes from there. we were only there for 3 days so our day hike had to be a memorable one. it was! multiple waterfalls and small streams everywhere. some were even available to us as we would take small dips. mark loved how the water broke from the cliff formations. i loved the cool relief from the hot hot hot weather! great day!

love

to my mom

i was talking to my mom last night and i asked her (or slightly accused her, he he he), "do you read my blogs?"
"every monday morning," was her response, "it's part of my routine".
after our conversation ended, i went on the computer right away to make a shout out to her. unfortunately the posting under the blog was unavailable.
so this is for her, for next monday morning!

I LOVE YOU MOM!

thanks for reading :)

love

training

last year i had a goal to run a 10km race.
i trained diligently and slightly overworked my body.
the result: a torn hamstring, a slightly frustrated gal, and no race.

however, my running buddy, jeff, did magnificently. doing a PB on the big day. so the frustration surpassed to elation for my friend.

this year, i have challenged myself again.
i am healed (or as healed as i am ever going to be).
i have enrolled in yoga: to increase my flexibility and prevent any reoccuring injuries that may occur.
i have been (and continue to) strength training to build up my muscles.
and have been training diligently with less overworking my body

all this for:

1/2 marathon on july 18th.

i am very excited and nervous. i have been running with jeff these past two saturdays and am feeling pretty good. i am just hoping with all hope for no injuries. i feel like i am being exceptionally careful, but the journey will only tell me if i am! :)

wish me luck as the days progress towards my race! :)

love

i love...

blizzards
sqor blizzards
not really a fan of ice cream
except when it is in a blizzard
yum

thanks mom!

love

silly truths

being as crazy as i am, i planned the meals out for the week. so last night i took the meat out of the freezer to defrost. where did i place it?? on our flat stovetop.

but because i was working last night i had nothing planned. i came home pretty hungry so perogies it was. i set them to boil.

as i talked to mark i could hear a slight crackle. "huh," i thought, "its weird that people are turning on the sprinklers after so much rain."

yes, i am sure you have already guessed. it was not a sprinkler. it was my defrosted (now not so defrosted) meat. i turned on the wrong burner. i now have plastic melted on my plate. AND ME, with no idea how to remove it. mark has suggested coke, my mom has suggested vinegar and baking soda.

cross your fingers...or give me your ideas!

love