Falling for Fall

Greetings!
It is the official last day of Summer. I know everyone is sad to see the cooler weather and shorter days come in, but I couldn't be more thrilled. While I love the summer and am a true summer baby, my absolute favorite season would have to be fall. Not too hot, not too cold, beautiful layered clothing, and not to mention Thanksgiving and Halloween are what makes this the best season of all. There is something cozy and comfortable about the weather that makes me wish it was like this all year. Sadly Fall is only with us for what seems like 2 weeks before the awful winter weather comes sweeping in. I am 4 months and 3 days away from moving to my new house and couldn't be more excited!! Even though moving in the dead of winter is not ideal, I am still looking forward to having everything in the house and cozying up by our brand new fireplace. Of all the upgrades we chose for the house, I think the fireplace was my favorite.

This weekend I have my 10km zoo run with my friends. Remember 5 months ago when I did my first 10km and was so pumped to do another?! Well, I am afraid that was just a phase and when I signed up for this zoo run I was in better shape, trained everyday and was psyched. Now not so much! I haven't trained all summer because, who likes running in the heat?! And I feel like this is going to be a much harder course. However, I am not putting any pressures on myself to finish the race in any certain amount of time. I will pace myself through as I see fit. It will be nice to just say that I ran a race at the Toronto Zoo :)

Tonight I have ballet class which started up a few weeks ago. I am really pleased with the class because I have been out of the dance classroom for quite some time now and it really feels like home when I get back at that barre. Hopefully I can continue my practice when I move to Bradford as well. It's very hard to find a good adult ballet class outside of the city!

And that is the latest and greatest going on with me. Hope you are all enjoying this last day of summer and are ready for Fall 2011!

Am I Too Old To Wear That?

Hello friends,
Hope you are enjoying what is left of summer. It's that time of year again...back to school!! Haha. Oh how I miss my school days. I wish I could go back. I always loved back to school time. Getting new clothes, buying new school supplies. I especially loved the smell of the school supplies!
But anyways. This post is about Back To School/Fall Fashions!
So I have been sauntering around the malls lately, and I don't know, but I feel like I am too old for some of the items on display. The stores I am so used to frequenting like H&M, Forever 21, and Winners seem to be getting a bit too "young" for me. The other day I noticed a cute grey skirt that I wanted to buy, but as I looked around the store at the younger girls picking it up, I thought to myself "Maybe this isn't age appropriate?"

Being 25 feels so much older than 24! At least when I was 24, I was in the early-ish twenties and could get away with little skirts and funky bracelets and neat hats. Now, that I am in my dreadful "mid" twenties, I feel like if I wear something a little orginal, I look like a 25 year old pretending to be a teenager going through an identity crisis.

Am I wrong to be thinking this way? Or am I just aging myself? Sorry folks, I am not taking this being 25 thing very well!

All this talk about clothes makes me want to shop for a whole new fall wardrobe. Not that I need anymore clothes! In fact last weekend my friend hosted a clothing swap where we alll brought clothes we didn't wear and traded. It was quite fun and I got a few cute finds. But I am addicted to clothes, so of course I still want more! Yesterday I bought myself some very cute black flats with bows on the front from Payless. And now I am thinking, "Are bows okay for 25 year olds to wear?"

They were too cute to pass up and I think I can still get away with them :) Here is the pic, let me know your opinions.

Other items on my list for the fall season include:

-A new pair of Dr.Marten's boots
I know! How early 90s of me! But hello! They are totally back in! There is even a Dr.Marten's store right by my work that offers the most selection I have ever seen. It is quite tempting, and I have been wanting a pair now for a couple months. I think I would just like a basic black pair. Midlength. Classy!

-Beautiful Fall Coat

I bought an ivory coloured one a few years ago, but it just always looks dirty! Note to self, never buy white coats. They always end up a disaster and are a hard to clean. Coffee spills and makeup stains? No thanks! So this year I would like to buy myself a lovely trench coat in black. Fitted and chic. All young professionals need one of these in her closet!

-Basic 3/4 length shirts

One in every colour please. Great for work and practical for the weekend too!

-Puffy Vest

Preferably with a hood. These are perfect for crisp days where you don't want to wear a coat but still want to be warm.
More to be added soon I am sure. :)

Summer Reading List

Hope everyone is having a great summer so far. We have really lucked out with all this gorgeous and hot weather. Why can't it be July everyday!?

Anyways, now that I am an official train commuter since moving back home, I have started to get back on track with my reading. Here is a list of some of the books I am reading, have already read or will be reading shortly.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova-

If you don't like sad books, don't read this one. I borrowed this one from Eric's sister, and once I started reading it, I felt I should at least finish it. I hate when I don't read the entire book! Anyways, it was tough to get through reading about the main character Alice Howland, a 50 year old wife, mother of three, successful professor who suddenly becomes diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. It was a very interesting read, but hard to get through as her condition gets gradually worse as the book goes on. It was so interesting to see how such a disease can have such an effect on loved ones, especially when diagnosed at such a young age. A good read if you can handle it. This was one of "Heather's Picks" at Chapter's too!

The Trouble With Marriage by Debby Holt-

While wandering through the Chapters clearance section, I spotted this chic-lit novel right away. I am sorry, they are my guilty pleasure! Anyways, I just finished this one a few days ago and I couldn't put it down. So much drama, lies, deceite...all the ingredients for a perfect chic-lit book. This is about a couple Tilly and Robin who met in college, got married and had a few kids. Everything is going smoothly until Robin's parents decide to move down the street, Tilly becomes unexpectantly pregnant again and Robin's business is heading for bankruptcy. In an effort to save the marraige, Robin moves out and into his parents house, all while his mother tries to set him up with an ex girlfriend, Louise. The book takes you through the main character Tilly's life at home sans husband, including a potential new beau! I won't give away the ending, it's much more fun reading yourself.

One Day by David Nicholls-

I was in Walmart the other day and they had sale for 40% off books so I knew I had to get a few. This was one of them! I was intrigued by this book because I know there is a movie of this story in theatres with Anne Hathaway. I want to read it before I go see it. It's a romance novel, telling the story of a couple through reflection of years after they meet. I am only a few pages in and a little confused on the story line, but hopefully it picks up and I can read it quickly (it's a pretty thick book with small print).

The Room by Emma Donoghue -

This book was given to me as a birthday gift and I am excited to read it! I've seen it all over the bookstores but never purchased. It's about a woman who has been kidnapped and trapped in a room. This room is now her home where she grows up and has a son. The book is told through the eyes of the son, Jack who has never experienced life outside of the "room". I am very intrigued about this one, and can't wait to get started. The cover indicates it is an International Bestseller abd a Writer's Trust of Canada Fiction Prize Winner. Not too shabby! It must be good!

The Summer of Us by Holly Chamberlin-

This was the second book I picked up at the Walmart 40% off sale. It seemed like a good summer read about a group of three strangers sharing a beach house for the summer. Through the summer the group of girls develop a special bond over their individual sets of agendas and troubles. Seems like a nice light read that I woulnd't mind leafing through while chilling on a beach :)

And those are all the books I have at the moment. Stay tuned for more!! :)

Indian Summer

Hiya Folks!
Hope the summer sun is treating you all well (and you are treating your skin well with some SPF!)
Just thought I would share with you a new band I have been listening to lately, White Wives. I heard about them through the website, http://www.absolutepunk.net/ which offered a free stream of their album. I was immediately intrigued because two members of one of my favorite bands, Antiflag are part of this new group. (Chris Head and Chris Barker). The rest of the group consists of members from other bands called Dandelion Snow and American Armada. It is a lot softer than what I am normally used to hearing with Antiflag and their regular angry/aggressive tracks. But it works!
Together they have put forth an amazing album entitled “Happeners” that in my opinion, deserves a lot more media attention than it has received since its release date of June 28th.
Some stand out songs that I really like are “Indian Summer” “Hungry Ghosts” and “Sky Started Crying”.
They all have a sing-along song type feel to them which is perfect for summer. Give them a listen! I guarantee you will love them as much as I do.

The Cutest Dog In the World

Happy Monday :)

Book Review: The Get Your Man to Marry You Plan-Buying The Cow in the Age of Free Milk

Bonjour!

It's been a while since I have reviewed a book, so I decided to write one up on this lovely Sunday evening.

As most of you know, most of the books I tend to read are "How To" type books, or self-help/improvement. I like to read books that will arm me with knowledge that I can use to enhance or enrich my life. Most of the time the books I get are just random finds from the library, I seldomly seek out the books I read.

Anyways, a couple weeks ago while I was in Pittsburgh, I came across this book at a warehouse store, and for $3.oo, I just had to get it. Just for kicks! (As most of you know I have been in a relationship for 5.5 years, so I thought it would be interesting to see what this chick had to say!)

The book, written by Lori Uscher-Pines, highlights a lot of important notes about marriage and relationships in general. She begins the book by examining the modern day woman, and questioning the argument about a woman proposing marriage instead of the man. Before reading this book, I admit that I thought it silly to even think of a woman proposing to a man, but after reading Uscher-Pines' first chapter about women empowerment, I thought differently.

She observes that, while women may appear to be anti-feminist by wanting to settle down, those women who want to get married to the guy of their dreams are anything but! They are independent women who know what they want, so why is it so wrong to go after and ask for what they want and deserve? That sounds pretty logical right? I agree, that a woman shouldn't be forced to wait until the man decides he wants to get married, why can't a woman bring up the idea first? In regards to an official proposal with a ring and parent permission, Uscher-Pines explains that most men would prefer to get down on one knee the good old fashioned way, however there are some men who wouldn't mind a woman to take charge and do the official proposal.

After the first empowering chapter, the book is divided into sections of "excuses" that boyfriends will give their girlfriends about marriage, like having no money or having a need to "sew some oats". With each excuse, she labels them as either a "you" or "me" excuse, explaining if the problem has something to do with you or him. Each problem she gives a list of tactics to use when discussing the topic of marriage. E.g. "You care too much what your family thinks," would be a "you" excuse, meaning he still sees you as immature and not ready for marriage. Whereas a

"I am too focused on my career right now," would be a "me" excuse. Makes sense? Right! Moving right along...

For most women, they will use only parts of this book and hone in on the areas and excuses that apply to their man. There are even real-life examples used throughout the chapters. There was one story that made me chuckle. A couple in their late 20's who met back in college went on a mini-break before getting hitched. In college, the man was never very popular and wasn't smooth with the ladies, once his career had started and he grew out of his ugly duckling phase, he noticed more women paying attention to him and felt he owed it to himself to explore his options. The girlfriend, of course devastated, felt he needed to get this out of his system, but gave him the space he needed without saying a word. While it killed her inside to let him be free, she had to let him go temporarily until he realized how good he had it. Four months later, he came back, ring in hand and ready to settle down. He was a changed man. And all it took was a little break to see that what he really wanted and needed was with him all along.

Near the end of the book there is also a chapter called "Fouls". Meaning, bizzare acts that women wanting to get married should stay away from. Including, pretending to be engaged, being mean and resentful, withholding sex and a slew of others. Uscher-Pines brings up a good point: Men will be more inclined to propose if they think it is their idea. If a woman pushes her man into the idea, he will be more inclined to do the exact opposite. He would prefer to do on his own terms and feel that he came to the decision on his own. (With your subtle hints of course).

Depending on how long you have been with your man, or how much longer you can wait for that ring. The last chapter gives women the ultimate test, after all the tactics have been laid out, you should be either engaged or newly single. The point is, every man is different, and with this book Uscher-Pines gives different approaches for different personalities. Once the tactics have been used on your man, you should have a good idea of what he thinks of marriage and if you will be heading down the altar soon.

After reading this book, I felt I gained a little bit more insight on the "excuses" men give to their ladies. However, I don't think this book could be taken literally word for word without actually knowing the couple being dealt with. While books are good at the generalities of relationships, there is no way to know the exact thoughts of your man, because every guy is different and every relationship is different and while the book can be used as a good guideline to getting you down the altar, I wouldn't use it as a bible. But definately worth a read! I know I had my highlighter out as I read :)

Last month of condo living...

I can't believe we are in June already. I guess because the weather has been rather chilly and non seasonal, it makes it feel more like April these days! But it's supposed to warm up this week!
So this is my last month of living the glorious city life. No more short commute to work, no more walks to the library or grocery store, no more elevators, no more guest parking passes and no more coming home to my best friend :( Yes, it's going to be sad, I may even cry a little!
However, it's been a fun year and we have had some great times in the condo. A lot of memories were made here.
The city has been good to us. It is very convenient to live so close to everything, however I don't think long term city living is for me! There are just too many people and not enough space. I don't particularly like fighting for a seat on the subway every morning, dodging cars when crossing the street or waiting hours to get a table at a restaurant on a Friday night after work. But people born in the city are used to these types of things, where as I am not. But to each his own, right?

So I am slowly starting to pack things away for the big move out and I have come across heaps of clothes and knick knacks that I need to get rid of. I decided that I am going to have a garage sale in mid July. It will be just for fun and to make a couple bucks! Hopefully my junk can find a place in someone else's home. Stay tuned for further details!!