Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful, loving Mothers out there, especially mine!!
Even though mothers should be thought of everyday, today is one of those Hallmark holidays where we can spoil our moms with fun presents and cards. Remember when you were little and just bringing home a handmade gift was enough? I miss those days because I used to love crafts. If I were a mom, I would want those handmade craft gifts over anything else. There's something special about homemade gifts, no one else will have them and they are personal.
This year I had a tough time deciding what to get my mom as I feel like I've gotten her everything already....pictures, flowers, spa packages...but in the end decided to go with a framed photo of Katrina, Beau, Mom and I, a cookbook, makeup and some cute salt and pepper shakers in the shape of Beau :)

I feel like MOTHER is a word that can be used to describe not only your biological mother, but the other mother figures in your life. A Mother is someone who cares for you, gives you advice, helps you when in need, lends an ear for listening, a shoulder to cry on. A Mother is someone you can trust and someone you can go to whenever you need. I feel like I have a lot of Mother like figures in my life and I am appreciative for each and every one of them.

I often wonder what it would be like to be a mother. Sometimes I feel like I am so darn selfish and would never be able to care for another human being. But I think once it does happen to you, you naturally become more selfless. Of all the moms I know, that is one word that can be used to describe them all. I hope one day I can be just as strong and wise as all of them.

My Buried Life List

Aloha friends, family and followers!
Hope you are all doing well. I think I am. And you know what? For once in my life, I don't care how "well" I am doing. Lately, I have been feeling a lot of pressure. Pressure that has accumulated over the past two years since graduating university...the pressure to succeed, the pressure to be somebody, the pressure to have my life figured out in one simple paragraph or less. This 1/4 life crisis has yet to cease, but I have decided to embrace it as opposed to fight it. Yes, the twenties are a stressful time in life because there are no guidelines or strict paths to follow in order to be "successful". I have come to realize that being successful is not determined by your title, your assets or your status in society. No, I truly believe that being successful is determined by how happy you are and by how much you get out of life.

I am sure you are all familiar with the MTV show, The Buried Life. A show about a group of guy friends who create a list of crazy things they want to accomplish before they die. Together they travel the country in a tour bus trying to accomplish the most craziest things ever known to man. It's quite hysterical and definately worth a watch.

Anyways, these boys have inspired me to reach beyond my limits! Sometimes I feel like I am so old and that my life needs to be figured out in every which way....I never feel totally fulfilled. While some aspects of my life seem to be figured out, there are huge gaps in others and then I begin to stress and dwell on them. This is NOT healthy. It's time for me to realize that having everything figured out doesn't make you more successful than someone who does. And figuring things out is part of the magical path that is life. In other words, it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. It's time for me to enjoy the journey of life and stop trying to rush through it.

So in reference to the Buried Life show, I have decided to make my own Buried Life List of things to do!! And I have already started a few!!!

1) Travel More (Vegas and Chicago trips lined up this spring/summer)
2) Learn to paint (I have started a few, but nothing too fancy. Want to sign up for lessons)
3) Get into acting (Joined an agency and am currently taking acting lessons)
4) Dance more
5) Get my own place (Eric and I are hoping to move in September)
6) Venture into new hair colours besides blonde!
7) Learn to cook
8) Have kids (not quite yet though!)
9) Swim with dolphins
10) Take more pictures and learn more about photography
11) Write a screenplay
12) Volunteer more with kids and the less fortunate
13) Get Married
14) Go to Europe

Those are just a few. But seriously this list gives me hope for the future. I hope I have maybe inspired you to get out of your shell and do something for YOU!!!!!!!!!! The best investment you will ever make will always be in yourself!!!

A picture is worth a thousand words

Pictures. This post is dedicated to pictures.

Lately I have been yearning to do something creative and fun that would allow me to learn something new. I've always been curious about painting and how to actually work a canvas! Today I decided to drive my bike to the dollar store and just for fun I purchased a few canvas boards, some acrylic paint and some brushes. Now, I am sitting here just admiring my new materials but I have no idea where to start with this whole painting thing. I tried viewing some videos on Youtube which weren't very helpful. I think I might just sketch something first in pencil and see where that takes me. Looking for inspiration is tough, as I am not sure entirely what I want to paint. I would prefer something easy that doesn't have too many details or colours. Perhaps I should have signed up for some type of art class before buying all these things, but where's the sense of fun in that?! Haha.

I was also thinking of taking a photography course. Taking pictures is so much fun, it would be great to learn how to take really neat ones! I am so used to being the story teller through words, that now I want to jump sides and tell stories via photographs.

I feel like all these types of classes are so expensive though and that I could probably teach myself through a book or youtube. It would be nice if there were more classes offered, but it seems there are very few. Art is such a wonderful thing that deserves to be shared amongst the rest of the world, it bothers me when classes are so limited. I remember when I was in grade school art class was only done once a week (usually Friday afternoons) and the teachers treated it as a "fun" class. So if a child was misbheaving, they were not allowed to participate! Can you believe that nonsense? I also remember art being pushed back or cancelled for the week if something else "more important" came about. The shame of it all!

In other news....this week I am going to meet with a Modelling/Acting agency. I have decided that I really want to get into commercials. I remember enrolling with an agency when I was younger with my sister and cousins and it was fun going to the auditions. I don't think my mom liked us doing it very much so we just stopped going. It's always been my dream to be a star, and while this won't get me famous or anything, it will be a nice outlet where I can at least try my luck at getting some TV time :)

That's all for now. Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful Sunny Sunday :)

Ride Your Heart Out

Hello Friends,
Can you believe it's already April? Where has the time gone? That's a question I always seem to ask myself, but the answer is always the same in that I just don't know!
I would like to bring to your attention some exciting news about a fundraising event I will be participating in this June. It's the annual Becel Ride For Heart happening in downtown Toronto on June 6th. I will be riding my bike all across Toronto with my coworkers for a grand total of 50km! Sounds crazy right? But I think this is something I can do if I really try. It's for a good cause and I have been kind of bored with my life lately and feel like a real challenge.
All I need is a little training, a little motivation and $100 to raise! This is where you pretty people come in :)
If you could help spread the word to help me raise my goal of $100 that would be awesome!! Every little bit helps and it's going to a great cause! I am sure everyone knows at least one person who has been affected by heart disease in some way or another. It's pretty scary to think about but it is one of the leading causes of death in Canada. With all this processed food we eat, and unhealthy busy, stressful lifestyles, it isn't that hard to believe.

So come on and be a sport, make a donation today :) Put your HEART into it!!

http://www.rideforheart.ca/faf/login/partMenu.asp?ievent=334877&lis=1&kntae334877=8C168FBD44D74D30833254571008E479

Thanks for all the support!
xox

BILLY TALENT ROCKS MY SOCKS

They came, They played, They conquered. Yes, I am talking about the one and only Billy Talent. The fab foursome: Ben, John, Aaron and Ian made their way to the Air Canada Centre Sunday night along with Cancer Bats, Against Me and Alexisonfire. It was a long night, starting at 6:45pm with the Cancer Bats. I was actually kind of glad I had seats for this one, I don't think I could have lasted standing in the pit of teenagers for more than 4 hours!

What can I say about the Cancer Bats other than they are loud, noisy and could probably outdo anyone in a headbanging competition. They didn't seem to excite the audience, but maybe that's because half of them hadn't shown up yet. They did a good half hour set which included a cover of the Beastie Boys' "Sabatoge". And the crowd went wild.

Following the Bats were Against Me! The only non-Canadian band in this show's lineup. I have only heard a few tunes by these guys, but I must say they are quite catchy. "Stop" and "Thrash Unreal" are my two favourites. They have a catchy, folkish sound that kind of reminds me of Franz Ferdinand. Halfway through their set they actually brought on Aaron and Ian from Billy Talent to do a song. It was pretty neat to see live.

Once Alexisonfire came on stage, this was when the crowd started to really come in. People were standing in their seats waiting for these guys. I was shocked to see how different Dallas Green was looking. He seemed a little more rugged than usual and had shaggy long hair. They played a bunch of songs from Crisis and a few from their latest album as well. I love how this band can pull together the hardcore screamo punk with Green's mellow notes, it makes for a pretty wicked sound.

Billy Talent made their way on stage promptly at 9:30pm. This was the moment I had been waiting for. Even though I've seen them so many times live, I get excited everytime!! They really know how to put on a show! They played a lot of their old songs like The Ex, Line and Sinker, Try Honesty and a few of their new ones like White Sparrows, Rusted From the Rain and Saint Veronika. At one point in the show Ben had everyone in the audience whip out their cellphones and lighters....it was so cool, like being inside a galaxy of stars. My camera couldnt capture the essence of it all, you had to be there.

Ben went on for a bit about Canada winning the Olympic hockey gold medal game and waved his Crosby jersey high and proud. I love how these boys are from Mississauga and have come so far. Ben explained in the show how Billy Talent have been touring for 8 years now, but they have been a band for about 17. They are fighters who never gave up and look at them now. Such success stories make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Haha.

It felt like Talent's set was only 5 minutes long. I was having such a good time that I totally lost track of the time. By the time they came for their encore it was around 10:40. They performed Devil on My Shoulder and Red Flag. They always close with Red Flag I don't know why. But I like it!!

Great show all in all! In conclusion: Canadain Music Kicks Ass! (And Against Me! too!)

Operation: New Body!

Hellloooo friends! And Happy Spring!! Spring officially sprung this past Saturday March 20th at 1:32pm! Although, the whole weekend and today have felt more like dreary Fall. Hopefully by the end of the week we will be seeing more sunny skies and higher double digit temps. In the meantime, we can all start shopping for our new spring outfits because I know I did a lot of that this weekend! Shopping for new seasons is the best! Everything is fresh and exciting, especially spring and summer clothes. It's time to peel off those layers and show off that sexy skin. I know this year I am super motivated to become fit and toned with our upcoming trip to Vegas in May. This year I want to actually get into a small bikini without feeling like Shamu. Despite going to the gym everyday, I still maintain the same weight and shape. I don't think I am challenging myself enough and everything has become so routine. Over the past week or so I have been attending some more of the group exercise classes that Goodlife offers. I absolutely love them!! Not only do they push me out of my boring comfort level, they make me feel nice and sore in the morning (that means it's working!) Hopefully if I can pull off doing at least 3-4 of these classes a week, I will manage to tighten up a bit.

Of course, with weight loss the most important factor is diet. Now this is where I have the most trouble of all. Throughout the day I am fairly good, I eat small low-cal snacks throughout the day to keep me full, but once I am off work and into the house...all hell's kitchen breaks loose!! I become some type of animal that needs to feed off every piece of food in the house. It's like my body goes into a coma and inhales whatever it feels necessary. This must stop! To help monitor my eating habits and to keep me motivated to stay on track, I registered last week with the website Fit Day (http://www.fitday.com). It's actually a really good website where you enter in everything you eat in the day and it adds up the calories for you. There is also a pie chart that shows you what percentage of your daily food intake went to fat, carbs and protein. It's all very fascinating! There are loads of other features on the site like a journal and calendar. There is also an activity calculator where you enter in all the activities you do in a day and it shows how many calories you burn. I really like the site and I hope it can help me keep my eating in check.

Check out the site for yourself, you'd be surprised how many calories some foods are!!

Happy Healthy :) :)

Blonde Ambition

Good evening and Happy Friday to you all! TGIF!!

So winter is slowly coming to a close and the warm weather we have been having has been making us all yearning for Spring even more!!! To help welcome in the new season, I went to the hair salon today to dye my hair more blonde :) It looks super fab and I love it!

For some reason I have always had an attraction to blonde. Born a dark brunette, I never liked my dingy, depressing looking hair. I always wanted to be like a Barbie.

Maybe it's just me, but I think when I was a kid I was sort of brainwashed into thinking blonde was better. I mean, look at Barbie. She was the "It" girl. She got all the pink clothes, the cool car, the guy.....and what did her little brown haired friends get? Nothing! Just some BLUE clothes. They were the official sidekicks! I think the media always glorifies blondes, which I think I have subconsciously agreed that blondes do have more fun and are more attractive. And it starts with Barbie. But then you also look at other famous story book characters like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel...they all had the long beautiful blonde hair.

I once watched a show about being a blonde. They did a test with one lady who pretended that her car had broken down. She did this 3 times, each with different hair shades: blonde, brown and red. It was amazing to see how many men stopped to help her out when she was blonde compared to the other colours. I also saved this article from The Toronto Sun that was printed a while back called "Love is Colour Blonde". It basically describes the human's natural attraction to the lighter hue. We associate blonde with sweet, angelic feelings as opposed to the darker, more serious colours.

I too notice that when my hair is blonde I get treated very differently than when my hair is dark brown. When my hair is lighter, I feel like I get a lot more attention at bars and people are generally more nice to me, whereas when my hair is dark, people treat me more maturely. Perhaps it's just the way the colours make me feel and in turn that's the way I present myself. So when my hair is light, I feel happy and youthful and my personality maybe naturally goes more bubbbly. But when I am darker, I feel more quiet, deep and serious and therefore I look more unapproachable.

Hair Colour is such a funny thing. It can really change your personality and change the way people act towards you. And it's only natural. I mean, what would you think if you saw someone with blue hair? Do you think they would be big executives of a company? In a band? Or maybe an employee at Starbucks? It's really funny to think how such esthetics affect our impressions of others.